Exploring Theme: "Indigenous Leadership Initiative: Guardians"

Many Indigenous nations faced long waits for approval and cumbersome applications under the previous system. The National Guardians Network is working to ease that. Members of Heiltsuk Nation’s Coastal Guardian Watchmen inspect their crab traps near Bella Bella, B.C. The community is one of 80 Indigenous Guardians programs that recently received federal funding. Photo: Louise...

Toronto Star: OTTAWA – On the shores of the eastern arm of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, Iris Catholique and the Ni Hat’ni Dene Indigenous Guardians have spent several years watching the ice take longer and longer to form every winter. It’s another sign of climate change and the changing environment in the...

Fighting American colonizers in the 1800s. Setting the foundation for Canada’s first major anti-logging action. Trailblazing tribal parks and sustainable logging practices. How the Tla-o-qui-aht continue to take stewardship of their territory back into their own hands The Narwhal: Saya Masso stands in front of a culturally modified tree, looking up into the canopy which...

A new Indigenous guardian program in the 50,000-square-kilometre Seal River Watershed in northern Manitoba is the next step toward nearly doubling protected areas in the province The Narwhal: It had been a stormy August week in Tadoule Lake, nearly 1,000 kilometres north of Winnipeg. Days of lightning and rain had darkened the skies over the...

Costal First Nations: Coastal First Nations have lived with their bear neighbours, including grizzlies and Spirit Bears, for thousands of years. Today, these ancient stewardship traditions are carried forward with the integrated bear stewardship by Coastal Guardians and their Nations. When provincial laws and management were failing public values and compromising ecosystem health with the...

The Indigenous Leadership Initiative – is promoting a federally funded, Indigenous-led National Indigenous Guardians Network in Canada that supports development and employment of guardians across the country. This network has generated broad support, including from the Assembly of First Nations which passed a resolution in 2015 calling for a national Guardians program. The movement to create...

For thousands of years, First Nations along the Pacific North Coast, Central Coast, and Haida Gwaii, have worked together to carefully manage an abundance of resources—ancient cedars, herring, salmon, halibut, shellfish and more. Given mounting pressures on coastal territories over the past century, from industrial logging, commercial fishing, tourism and climate change, these Nations agreed...

“The Land Needs Guardians” is a new campaign designed to celebrate and support Indigenous Guardians programs and Indigenous stewardship. The campaign, launching on Wednesday, is part of a larger movement. Across the country, Indigenous Nations are caring for lands, waters and resources. They are delivering proven benefits for their communities and for all Canadians. And...