Indigenous Leadership Initiative

Indigenous-led conservation is a proven model for sustaining biodiversity. By placing this vital work at the heart of our shared effort to protect nature, we can help reverse the tide of extinction, sustain lands and water, and build a better future for all people. #ClimateWeekNYC #UNGA77 #COP15 #climatechange #30x30

Love to see this community effort underway on Vancouver Island, where the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, and K'omoks First Nations are restoring loxiwe (clam gardens) that have been used for nearly 4,000 years. The loxiwe is a traditional mariculture method that involves building rock walls and terraces to enhance clam bed productivity, providing a reliable and sustainable food source. The practice sustained First Nations communities along the coast for millenia, but was disrupted by colonialism. Now, communities are reviving the practice – with Guardians helping along the way – which is reviving ecosystems, reconnecting communities with their culture, addressing food security, and providing a space for sharing intergenerational knowledge. Learn more about how this project is fostering cultural revitalization and building resilience for the future from Clearwater Times.

“If you want to heal, you go to the land. And, so, by creating this movement, I'm hoping that we're exposing youth to that power, to that healing, to that love, and to that hope.” Today we remember the history and violence of residential schools, and we recognize the impacts that continue to be felt today by Indigenous Peoples. But we also look forward with hope. And we stand in solidarity with all communities across Turtle Island to remember the legacy of our ancestors and to celebrate our strength and commitment to our inherent relationship to land. #NationalDayforTruthandReconciliation.

Scenes from today’s announcement, where over $27M in funding was announced for Guardians initiatives across the country. The NGN - National Guardians Network was joined by Steven Guilbeault and Patty Hajdu to celebrate the announcement, and to commemorate the first time that funds had been managed and administered to Guardians programs independently by the Network. Our executive director shared, “We congratulate the First Nations National Guardians Network on ensuring more Guardians are caring for lands and waters across the country. And we welcome the example the relationship between the Government of Canada and the Network is setting. As countries prepare to attend the COP16 UN Biodiversity Summit in October, this approach in partnership with First Nations offers a successful model of how respecting Indigenous leadership and nationhood creates on-the-ground benefits for lands and waters and communities.” https://bit.ly/3ZDiEDr

Great news worth celebrating: today over $27 million in funding was announced for Guardians programs for 80 Guardians programs across the country. The benefits of Guardians are clear – not only do they generate jobs, social and economic benefits, and protect the lands and water we all rely on, the cultural resurgent work of stewardship and land rights that Guardians carry is also a beautiful example of true reconciliation. Something else to celebrate: this announcement also marks the first time that funds have been managed independently by the NGN - National Guardians Network, a first of it’s kind, Indigenous-led organization. Network council member, Gillian Staveley shared that “Knowing that this process was designed by Guardians, for Guardians is huge, and I think we’ve even in just one year seen the outcomes of that.” 🤎 Canada's National Observer https://bit.ly/3N6MIj2

As leaders gather in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, it’s time to move from global promises to action. One solution that can help get us there? Indigenous-led conservation. Indigenous Peoples protect some of the planet’s largest intact ecosystems—areas that are vital for storing carbon, fighting climate change, and preserving biodiversity. By honouring and centering Indigenous leadership the world can find hope and solutions that not only help meet climate targets, but help ensure a better future for all of us.

We can’t escape fire. But we can find a better way to relate to it – to invest in solutions that contribute to economies and our communities instead of draining them. Experts Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson and Robert W. Gray explain how those solutions lie in Indigenous fire stewardship and Guardians programs. https://bit.ly/4eviKkz

Fire plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems. 🔥 Indigenous fire stewardship, shaped by thousands of years of knowledge, utilizes good fire to enhance biodiversity, sustain cultural practices, and keep ecosystems healthy. In a recent Q&A with Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson, we dive into how these traditional practices are key to wildfire mitigation, especially as we navigate another challenging wildfire season. https://bit.ly/4bd0yu9

Our executive director, Valérie Courtois, met with SAY Magazine to dive into the beginnings of the ILI and how the work of Indigenous Guardians is safeguarding biodiversity, managing lands sustainably, and strengthening Nations across Canada. Read more about how these programs are transforming conservation efforts, and the world. 👉 https://bit.ly/3Txkqls

Curious about the Indigenous Leadership Initiative? We are an Indigenous-led organization that is dedicated to advancing the role of Indigenous Nations in deciding the future of traditional territories. We work to:  ➡️ strengthen Indigenous Nationhood  ➡️ support Indigenous responsibility to the land  ➡️ help build a new generation of Indigenous leaders Hear from our team firsthand about what our work means to each of them.