Indigenous Guardians: Good for land, for people and for the economy
January 29, 2020
Approximately 60 Indigenous Guardians programs are caring for lands, waters and resources across the country. They restore wildlife, patrol protected areas, monitor development projects and address the impacts of climate change. In the process, they honour their cultural traditions and train the next generation of leaders.
This model is proven to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits. But far more is possible.
Long-term support for Indigenous Guardian programs will unleash their full potential. It will help renew Nation-to-Nation relationships. And it will create transformational change within communities—change built on cultural pride, expert knowledge and the expression of Nationhood.
Now is the time to invest in Indigenous-led conservation. Climate change and biodiversity loss are threatening communities around the world. But research confirms: Lands managed by Indigenous Peoples are healthier and more vibrant.
What Guardians Do
Guardians serve as the “moccasins and mukluks” on the ground for their communities. They help restore animals and plants, test water quality, and monitor development projects. Many Indigenous Guardians programs also help manage Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas—places that sustain caribou, salmon, clean water and huge carbon storehouses. And they welcome visitors to traditional territories and maintain cultural sites.
Guardians’ work is guided by Indigenous and western science. They receive advanced training in data collection and water quality analysis. They also learn from Elders about caribou behavior, changes in ice formation and nesting patterns of songbirds—and the cultural values that guide relationships with the land.
Strengthening Communities
Guardians programs have been shown to transform people’s lives and communities. Young people grow up knowing they can find jobs connected to their culture. Women and men gain professional skills and support their families with good wages. And people of all generations see that reconnecting with culture, healing from trauma and feeling pride in identity—all of it is rooted in the land.
Guardians programs are especially effective at inspiring Indigenous youth. They offer local opportunities and provide a sense of purpose. Young people learn from elders and western science, equipping them to become not just today’s guardians but also tomorrow’s educators, lawyers, scientists, and legislators.
Proven Benefits
Researchers have confirmed that Indigenous Guardians programs deliver concrete social benefits. In 118 rural communities in Australia, Indigenous Rangers work managing lands and species at risk. According to numerous studies, rangers live active lives and earn good wages, contributing to improved public health and well-being across communities. These opportunities are documented to have a profound and positive effect in addressing the cycles of substance abuse, domestic violence and incarceration.
In 2017, a team of researchers used the same evaluation methods to examine two Indigenous Guardians programs in the Northwest Territories and determined they are delivering similar positive results in these communities.
Steady, secure support for Indigenous stewardship can also attract private investment and economic growth. In Australia, having a core funding stream provided 40% of Indigenous Rangers programs with the consistent staffing and functioning equipment needed to do commercially contracted work, such as wildlife management and greenhouse gas offsets.
Return on Investment
Social and economic benefits translate into tangible savings for taxpayers. The Australian government has invested $840 million CAD in Indigenous Ranger programs over roughly 15 years. A study conducted for the Prime Minister and Cabinet found that $1 invested in combined Indigenous Ranger and Indigenous protected area programs generates up to $3 in social, economic and cultural benefits. This includes reduced spending on public health, public assistance, policing and incarceration.
In Canada, analysis of two guardian programs—the NiHat’ni Dene of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and the Dehcho K’ehodi of the Dehcho First Nations—found these programs currently generate $2.50 in social, economic, cultural, and environmental value for every dollar invested. With further investment, these programs could generate more than $3.70 for every dollar spent.
Globally Recognized Stewardship
When the United Nations released the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in 2019, it concluded that more than 1 million plant and animal species are facing extinction. Yet the report also identified an important bright spot: Lands and waters managed by Indigenous Peoples tend to be healthier than other areas. These traditional territories sustain the animals, plants, clean air and fresh waters that are in dangerous decline elsewhere.
A University of British Columbia study published in 2019 had similar results. Researchers looked at land and species data from Canada, Australia and Brazil and found that the number of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles were highest on lands managed by Indigenous communities. Parks and wildlife areas came in second. The scientists determined that Indigenous land management practices—like those led by Indigenous Guardians—are sustaining high numbers of species.
Communicating with Industry
With boots on the ground and in the boardroom, Indigenous Guardian programs strengthen communication between First Nations’ leadership, community members and resources companies. They have the skills necessary to build trust and reach agreement on when, where and how development occurs.
In Labrador, the Voisey’s Bay Mine—the biggest nickel mine in the world—works closely with the Innu Nation’s Minashkuat Kanatukuatak Guardians. Including on-site, Indigenous monitors in the impact benefit agreement helped build community support for the project during negotiations. Now those guardians have full access to the mine site as independent, third-party observers. They report their findings to the community, and they relay community input back to the mine. Like Indigenous Guardian programs across the country, they confirm that having clear channels to discuss development projects benefits First Nations and industry alike.
