Acknowledgements
Indigenous peoples have been stewarding their lands and waters since time immemorial. We would like to acknowledge and thank all those who continue to fulfill this role of caring for their territories. The Indigenous Guardians Toolkit is intended to support Indigenous communities as they continue to practice these long-held responsibilities in each unique context.
The Indigenous Guardians Toolkit is the result of a collective effort and hard work by many people across the country. We would like to acknowledge and thank all the people who helped to inspire, draft, review, refine, gather and share information to create the Toolkit.
The Toolkit was developed by Nature United (formerly TNC Canada) in collaboration with Indigenous partners and practitioners, including an Advisory Group rich with experience in building and supporting Indigenous Guardian programs across Canada. Special thanks are due to the Advisory Group who provided their insights and expertise to inform the content of the Toolkit as well as useful review and edits of draft versions:
- Kate Cave (CIER - Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources),
- Steve Ellis (Tides Canada), Devlin Fernandes (Ecotrust Canada),
- Scott Harris (Ha-ma-yas Stewardship Society),
- Jana Kotaska (Coastal Stewardship Network),
- Georgia Lloyd-Smith (West Coast Environmental Law),
- Bruce Maclean (Mikisew Cree First Nation),
- Tara Marsden (Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs),
- Shaunna Morgan-Siegers (ILI – Indigenous Leadership Initiative),
- Anna Schmidt (Taku River Tlingit),
- Dahti Tsetso (Dehcho First Nations).
The Toolkit also drew on more than 20 interviews summarized in the report, “On-the-Ground Indigenous Stewardship Programs Across Canada: An Inventory Project.” Thank you to all the communities who participated in this inventory and shared their experiences and insights generously and candidly. The Inventory Project and the Toolkit both came about as a result of direction provided by Indigenous stewardship leaders that convened in 2014 to identify themes and priorities to better support on-the-ground Indigenous stewardship efforts across Canada. Thank you to all those who participated in that workshop for the early guidance you provided.
The Toolkit would also not be possible without the wisdom and insights shared in countless conversations with on-the-ground practitioners and experts who are committed to building, strengthening, and supporting the work of Indigenous Guardians. We would like to offer our thanks to Conrad Browne, Elodie Button, Bob Christensen, Sheila Cooper, Valerie Courtois, Ken Cripps, Steve DeRoy, Lara Hoshizaki, Kevin Koch, Colin Lachance, Doug Neasloss , Michael Reid, Chris Roberts, Barney Smith, Ernie Tallio, Leslie Walkus, and all the participants who attended break-out sessions on the Toolkit at the 2016 National Indigenous Guardians Gathering.
The Indigenous Guardians Toolkit is a project of Nature United (formerly TNC Canada). The Nature United project team who compiled information, drafted and authored the Toolkit include Claire Hutton, Amanda Karst, Karen Peachey, and Sandra Thomson.