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Explore the links below for news, features, opinion pieces and blog posts about Indigenous Guardianship.

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Blog Post Genae Lako Blog Post Genae Lako

Where There Are Guardians, There Are Benefits

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.

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Blog Post Genae Lako Blog Post Genae Lako

Campaign Helping to Get More Guardians on the Ground

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.

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Blog Post Genae Lako Blog Post Genae Lako

Honouring Elder Dave Courchene

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.

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Blog Post Genae Lako Blog Post Genae Lako

New $340 Million Investment Will Put More Guardians on the Land

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.

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Blog Post Genae Lako Blog Post Genae Lako

Behind the Lens: Guardians share stories from the land

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.

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Blog Post Genae Lako Blog Post Genae Lako

Guardians Help Respond to Climate Change

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.

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Blog Post Carly Pearlman Blog Post Carly Pearlman

The Land Heals: How Guardians Strengthen Communities

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.

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Blog Post Carly Pearlman Blog Post Carly Pearlman

COVID-19, Coastal First Nations and Interconnectedness

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.

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Blog Post Carly Pearlman Blog Post Carly Pearlman

Australia Makes a Huge Investment in Indigenous-led Conservation, Canada Can Too

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.

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