On a cold, crisp October evening in Anchorage, the room of over 100 people fell still as Mary Hostetter, Yup’ik, shared why she believed in the power of Guardians – and why she had invited everyone to join us in learning about that power. Hostetter is one of the founders of the Bristol Bay Guardians program in southwest Alaska. She is inspired by the model of Guardians that is flourishing across Canada and hopes to see a similar movement expand across Alaska

On Saturday, June 15th, Twyla Edgi-Masuzumi and her fellow Guardians were cooking breakfast on the shores of the Mackenzie River and noticed a plume of smoke rising from the forest in the direction of their community of Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories.

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.”

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.

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.