Conserving Qikiqtani’s interconnected ecosystems

In the crisp air of Iqaluit, Canada, Inuit leaders, Elders, community members and partners gathered to mark a new beginning: the official launch of the Qikiqtani Region’s new conservation initiative, SINAA. As OLAYUK AKESUK writes, the initiative is expected to transform long-term investment, Inuit leadership and community stewardship into lasting protection for this ecologically rich region in Nunavut, Canada.

Far more than a ceremonial milestone, the moment marked history for the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), the Government of Canada, the Aajuraq Conservation Fund Society, and philanthropic partners, including The Pew Charitable Trusts. Years in the making, the launch was the start of putting promises into practice—a tangible step towards Inuit-led conservation on a scale the world has rarely seen. 

Safeguarding an icy mosaic

SINAA, one of four Canadian conservation initiatives that use a Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model, is among the world’s most ambitious Indigenous-led conservation agreements. Signed in February 2025, it represents an Inuit vision to protect nearly one million square kilometres of land and sea across the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic (SINAA is an Inuktitut word meaning “the floe edge” or “the place where land, ice and sea meet.”). 

Stretching from Sanikiluaq in the south to Grise Fiord in the High Arctic, the Qikiqtani Region covers roughly 10 per cent of Canada’s landmass and encompasses more than 1,500 islands and 35 polynyas—rare open-water areas that remain unfrozen even in winter. This vast, icy mosaic supports extraordinary biodiversity. It is home to 75 per cent of the world’s narwhals, the largest subpopulation of polar bears, Greenland sharks (which can live up to 500 years), and the endangered Peary caribou. 

Protecting the region ensures the survival of an ecosystem—and a way of life—that is not found anywhere else on the planet

—Olayuk Akesuk President, Qikiqtani Inuit Association

The region was chosen for protection because nowhere else in the circumpolar world does such biological abundance meet such deep cultural continuity. For more than five millennia, Inuit have sustained themselves here through a stewardship relationship with the environment, guided by Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (or traditional knowledge) transmitted across generations.  

Polynyas and other key habitats support life year-round, creating some of the most productive marine ecosystems on Earth and providing critical habitat for iconic Arctic species. For Inuit, these lands and waters are more than ecological treasures. They are living homelands, essential for food security, knowledge transfer, and cultural identity. Protecting the region ensures the survival of an ecosystem—and a way of life—that is not found anywhere else on the planet.

Investing in people and place

SINAA aims to protect ecosystems—but it’s also about building a conservation economy that benefits Inuit communities. The initiative includes funding for Nauttiqsuqtiit centres, infrastructure, training and equipment to support local monitoring and research. 

It also advances related conservation efforts, such as Qikiqtait and Sarvarjuaq, two areas proposed for protection. Combined, these projects will see more than $50 million invested in Inuit employment, community programming and inshore fisheries alongside the construction of a new conservation centre. 

All four PFP initiatives in Canada are built on long-term, Indigenous-led environmental governance. Together, they demonstrate that conservation can succeed when Indigenous governance, sustainable financing and government partnership align. 

When fully implemented, SINAA will account for more than 12 per cent of Canada’s ocean protection objectives—representing nearly 40 per cent of the country’s goal to preserve 30 per cent of its oceans by 2030—and nearly 1 per cent of its terrestrial protection targets. But SINAA’s real achievement will be measured in how it strengthens communities, creates opportunities for youth, and ensures the continuity of Inuit stewardship across generations. 

As the Arctic faces rapid change, SINAA stands as a message of hope that protecting nature and supporting people can and must happen together. The initiative is not just an agreement on paper. It is about Inuit leading conservation, creating jobs, protecting our lands and waters, and building a conservation economy for future generations. 

Inuit have always been guardians of the Arctic. Through SINAA, that guardianship is being recognized, respected and renewed—not just for the next 10 years, but for the next 10 generations.