RESOURCE

The Guide to Indigenous Engagement for Coastal Adaptation is designed to support ethical, respectful, and effective collaboration with Indigenous communities in climate adaptation planning.

Moving beyond extractive consultation, the guide emphasizes relationships, reciprocity, and trust as the foundation for engagement. It provides practical strategies rooted in Indigenous governance, cultural protocols, and sovereignty—highlighting the importance of co-created, community-led approaches to adaptation.

Through best practices, step-by-step engagement strategies, and case studies from Indigenous-led coastal initiatives, the guide offers direction for governments, researchers, and practitioners committed to building genuine partnerships. It underscores the need to honour Indigenous knowledge systems, respect decision-making processes, and ensure reciprocity through capacity-building, shared decision-making, and long-term commitments.

KEY INFORMATION
By centring Indigenous laws, governance, and cultural frameworks, this guide provides a pathway for more effective adaptation efforts that are also grounded in justice, resilience, and respect.

This report was produced for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) in support of the Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities program. The program supports Canada's National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), a whole-of-society approach, by collaborating with all levels of government, Indigenous organizations, and stakeholders to mobilize knowledge and resources to better understand, assess and develop adaptation actions to reduce climate change risks. NRCan initiated this report to develop an understanding of the scope of Indigenous coastal climate change resources currently available. This report also seeks to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for tools and resources to support coastal climate change adaptation in Indigenous communities.