Indigenous Leaders Fight to Protect 12 Million Acres of Manitoba Wilderness Forever
A vast stretch of untouched wilderness in northern Manitoba could soon gain permanent protection under Indigenous leadership. The Seal River Watershed Alliance, led by Executive Director Stephanie Thorassie of the Sayisi Dene, is pushing to establish an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) across 12 million acres of forests, wetlands, and rivers. A new documentary, We are Made From the Land: Protecting the Seal River, now highlights the human stories behind this growing movement to safeguard the land for future generations.
The Seal River watershed spans 12 million acres, a sprawling landscape of intact forests, winding rivers, and wetlands. It supports polar bears, wolverines, and barren-ground caribou, while also serving as a vital stopover for millions of migratory birds. For Thorassie's community, the land is far more than habitat—it shapes their identity, language, and traditions.
The Alliance was formed to protect this ecosystem, particularly for struggling caribou herds, while ensuring Indigenous voices lead the effort. Unlike standard protected areas, IPCAs operate under local Indigenous laws and governance. Thorassie draws inspiration from her ancestors, who have cared for these lands for millennia, and now works to pass that responsibility to her children.
Women and youth are central to the movement. Women act as stewards on the ground, while young people drive the push for long-term protection. The Alliance blends Indigenous knowledge with western science, aiming to create a model that respects both ways of understanding the land.
This project joins a wave of IPCAs across Canada. Recent successes include Thaidene Nëné in the Northwest Territories, a 14,000 km² area established in 2019 by Łutsel K'e Dene and Dehcho First Nations, and Qwiiqwelstom in British Columbia, a 158 km² intact ecosystem protected in 2020 by the T'exelc Nation. Another major initiative, the Great Bear Sea IPCA, targets protection for the BC north coast by 2023, involving multiple Nations.
The documentary We are Made From the Land brings the Seal River's story to wider audiences, linking personal experiences to the broader fight for Indigenous-led conservation. If successful, the project would protect one of Canada's last ecologically intact regions while setting a precedent for how land, culture, and governance can work together. At least 20 other First Nations are now pursuing similar IPCAs, signalling a growing shift toward Indigenous stewardship of ancestral territories.
