Protecting the Boreal Forest: Pimachiowin Aki

MANITOBA — In 2002, the five Anishinaabe First Nations of Bloodvein River, Little Grand Rapids, Poplar River, Pikangikum and Pauingassi joined forces with the provincial governments of Manitoba and Ontario to create Pimachiowin Aki (Pim-MATCH-cho-win Ahh-Key), a unique and pristine Boreal forest area, rich in indigenous culture and nature. They put forth a proposal to have it declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. This vast tract of land covers 33,400 square kilometers (20,754 sq. miles) and straddles the Manitoba/Ontario border. It is an area comparable in size to the country of Denmark.