Today more than 160 First Nations Guardians programs care for lands and waters across the country. This growth confirms what we already knew: where there are Guardians, there are benefits—for lands and waters, for health and wellbeing, for communities and regional economies, for the country and for all of us.

I had one of my best days on the land this fall. As part of the Land Guardians training on ethical harvesting, I went out with three hunters. These guys are young but loaded with knowledge.

The emerging First Nations National Guardians Network is looking to hire an Executive Director to help build the network and ensure it supports Guardians programs for years to come.

In just two years, more than 75,000 people have joined the Land Needs Guardians campaign. At least ten new Guardians programs have been created and others funded. And Canada announced $340 million in new investment over 5 years to support Indigenous-led conservation, including over $173 million for Guardians programs.

Indigenous-led conservation generated new levels of recognition and support in 2021. People across the country and around the world increasingly understand that Indigenous Nations are at the forefront of tackling climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the ongoing effects of colonialism.

Elder Courchene was a champion for Guardians. He reminded us that the land is a living entity and called on us to take better care of our homelands. “The land wants to talk to us, to remind us of the original instructions we were given by our Great Creator,” he said.

The federal government has announced $340 million in new funding over five years to support Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship. This includes more than $173 million for Guardians programs. And it represents a major increase from previous funding for Guardians—up from the $25 million over five years pilot investment in 2017.

Guardians programs help strengthen ourselves and our Nations after decades of colonization. “The mass graves opened up wounds in our own community and across the country,” said Chief Heidi Cook of the Misipawistik Cree Nation in Manitoba. “Maintaining our relationships with the land is healing for a lot of our people. Going back to those natural laws and feeling the love that the land has for us—feeling the belonging in our space—that's the important thing.”

For time immemorial storytelling has been widely utilised as a way of sharing information. From childhood to the moment you are reading this article, your life has been filled with stories. Some are read to you from a teacher or fellow student, some are told to you from an adult, some stories are fiction, some share a lesson or a moral, and some share a little about your history. Stories have been used to share messages, to translate knowledge and to provide learning opportunities. Within Indigenous populations this form of learning and sharing is a critical element that enables knowledge to be passed on from generation to generation.

In many locations, Guardians are the only ones tracking climate impacts on the land. We need their knowledge to inform climate-related policies, whether it’s setting limits on Dungeness crab harvests or reducing development in lands that store carbon.

The Land Needs Guardians campaign launched in 2020 to celebrate the work of Guardians and call for long-term investments in Indigenous-led conservation. One year later, 50,000 people have joined the campaign to help get more Guardians on the ground.

As a Guardian with the Wahkohtowin Development Program, I was a part of a team that embarked on a journey to connect our community to culture by building a traditional Algonquin style canoe. I am filled with gratitude to have been a part of the entire process.

In early March, before the world began closing borders and sheltering in place, Mitchell Shae found himself in a helicopter looking down over the mountain tops of part of his traditional territory. These lands are known as Ts'udé Nilįné Tuyeta, a newly established Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area covering 10,000 square kilometres near Rádeyı̨lı̨kóé, Northwest of Yellowknife. Shae is one of the Indigenous Guardians who will help manage the protected area.

I have seen first-hand the impacts of the land on people. I have seen youth inspired to continue to learn their language. I have seen Guardians become mentors and lead programming. I have seen Guardians share their knowledge while doing their work of “Protecting the land by being on the land in a Dene way.” I have seen gaps bridged between elders and youth as they interact on the land.

COVID-19 is helping us see that we are all connected, and we have a shared responsibility. The Coastal Guardian Watchmen help honour this responsibility. They serve as the eyes and ears for our territory. They have the training to understand what is happening on the land, and they ensure the natural resources that sustains us now will continue to sustain us. They are the voice of the ecosystems we all depend on.

COVID-19 poses unique challenges to Indigenous Nations. Indigenous Guardians have the skills to help with patrols, outreach to elders, food distribution and preparing families to go out on the land can keep people safe. “Being involved in emergency response just gives me another way to help,” said Tanya Ball.

We can deliver the same benefits in Canada through Indigenous Guardians programs and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA). But as the Australian example confirms, it takes sustained support. With long-term funding, Indigenous Nations will strengthen our communities, care for lands across the country and help Canada meet international conservation commitments.

Indigenous Guardians care for lands we love on behalf of our Nations. With more support, we can expand this work across the country. Canada can look to Australia for a model of how sustained investment in Indigenous stewardship benefits lands and people.

The Land Needs Guardians campaign will build on the enthusiasm and strength growing up from the land. It will generate broad support for and long-term investments in Indigenous Guardians programs and Indigenous stewardship.