Each spring and fall, birders across North America enjoy the sight of White-crowned Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, and other migratory species making their way to and from nesting grounds in northern Manitoba, Canada. Millions of birds rely on the Seal River watershed, a more than 19,000-square-mile expanse of wetlands, tundra, and forest—roughly the size of Vermont and Massachusetts combined. Now the Sayisi Dene, who live in the watershed, in partnership with Cree, Dene, and Inuit neighbors with interests in the area, are coming together to permanently conserve the ecosystem. “As Indigenous people, we understand how important the watershed is to our livelihoods and futures,” says Seal River Watershed Alliance director Stephanie Thorassie, a member of the Sayisi Dene First Nation. “We also understand how important it is to the world because of the animal species at risk that migrate to the watershed.” There are no permanent roads, mines, or industrial development in...