OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT

The traditional territory of the Poplar River First Nation—1,200 members of the Ojibway indigenous people—is located on the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba and forms a significant part of Canada’s boreal forest. Sophia Rabliauskas, a member of the Poplar River First Nation, has been a leader in efforts to protect the 8 000km² of untouched boreal forest since 1999.

Sophia began her endeavours by helping secure a five year reprieve from logging, hydro, gas and mining development. She followed this work by helping develop The Asatiwisipe Aki Lands Management Plan, a full-scale blueprint of how they intend to document, protect and sustainably manage Poplar River’s forests, wildlife and other natural resources.

In 2007 Sophia was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious awards for grassroots environmentalists. In 2008 she was inducted into the Manitoba Order for her conservation work.

Since 2008, Sophia has been the spokesperson for Pimachiowin Aki, a group of five First Nations in Manitoba and Ontario whose goal is to secure over 40 000 km² of pristine boreal forest as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In January 2012, Pimachiowin Aki sent their nomination to UNESCO.

Creator gave us the responsibility to care for the land, the land that sustains our life. Our Elders have always believed that how we treat our land today will affect the health of the planet and the lives of many generations to come. It is critical now more than ever, that we fulfill that responsibility that was passed down to us from our ancestors.