First Nations Guardians

Funding for First Nations Guardians initiatives supports First Nations peoples to exercise their rights and responsibilities to the lands, waters, and ice of their traditional territories through on-the-ground, community-based stewardship initiatives.

Governance

The First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN) oversees and administers funding decisions for First Nations Guardians applicants.

First Nations National Guardians Network

The First Nations National Guardians Network is an autonomous, national non-profit that is designed and managed by First Nations individuals, and centers on First Nations knowledge, values, and perspectives. It connects First Nations Guardians programs across the country, creating opportunities to share knowledge and experience. The NGN is the first Indigenous-led national stewardship network of its kind in the world.

Born from the voices of Guardians at the 2019 National Gathering, the NGN was officially announced in 2022 by the Indigenous Leadership Initiative and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montréal, Canada. The NGN has overseen and administered First Nations Guardians funding since 2023.

The Council does this with a deep understanding of the challenges First Nations face and the knowledge, values and perspectives of First Nations approaches to caring for lands and waters

Application process

Applications for First Nations Guardians funding is now administered by the NGN.

For more information about application processes and to learn more about the NGN’s please visit their website at First Nations National Guardians Network

For more information

• You can contact the First Nations National Guardians Network by email: info@rng.ngn.ca
• Stay up-to-date with the First Nations National Guardians Network by joining their mailing list

News

• Funding for First Nations Guardians now managed by world’s first Indigenous-led national stewardship network
• Backgrounder: 80 First Nations Guardians Initiatives
• Successful Indigenous Guardians initiatives now in over a quarter of First Nations across Canada
• Introducing the New First Nations Guardians Network
• Government of Canada invests in 10 First Nations Guardians initiatives
• Indigenous Guardians First Nations Tier 1 projects 2021-2022
• Canada invests $6.4 million to support First Nations leadership in conservation

Related links

• Learn more about the NGN, their work, and their funding opportunities
• The First Nations National Guardians Gathering 2023
• First Nations National Guardians Gathering 2019
• National Guardians Gathering Celebrates Indigenous-led Conservation