How We Work

ILI is the only Indigenous-led national conservation organization in Canada. We support Indigenous Nation building and advance the growing movement for Indigenous decision-making authority on lands and waters. That includes offering:

  • We work by invitation from Indigenous Nations. We have partnered with dozens of First Nations, providing technical expertise on land use planning, Guardians programs, IPCAs, and more.

  • ILI’s Senior Leaders draw on decades of experience on the land and in Indigenous governance, territorial and provincial government, Parliament and federal cabinet, and the international arena.

  • Our core team offers partners a wealth of knowledge in on-the-ground programming, policy, Indigenous and Canadian law, international law and policy, and communications.

  • ILI works at the provincial, territorial, and federal levels to secure recognition of and long-term funding for Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship.

  • On behalf of our partners, ILI fosters and can tap into a broad array of connections in on-the-land programs, Indigenous governments, philanthropy, science, and conservation.

 ILI is building a future where Indigenous Nations lead decision making on Indigenous lands.

Our Impact So Far

Since forming in 2013, ILI has worked with First Nations and other partners to help:

  • Convene Indigenous, federal, and territorial governments and private funders to explore a Project Finance for Permanence model for the Northwest Territories—one of four eligible for Canada’s $800 million investment in this innovative Indigenous-led model announced in 2022 at COP15. 

  • Lay the groundwork for the launch of the First Nations National Guardians Network in 2022, creating a first-of-its-kind model for allocating funds that is led, designed, and managed by First Nations—a model that is already being applied to other federal files. 

  • Ensure Canada places partnerships with Indigenous Nations at the centre of its strategy to protect 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030. 

  • Expand the number of Guardians programs from about 30 in 2016 to more than 120 in 2023 resulting in 20 per cent of First Nations having Guardians programs as of 2023.  

  • Encourage Canada to invest in IPCAs and Guardians, beginning with the initial $25 million for a pilot National Indigenous Guardians program in 2017, followed by $200 million in 2021 that went directly to Indigenous Nations to support IPCAs and Guardians. 

  • Help secure match funding from philanthropic sources for dozens of IPCA projects supported by the Canada Nature Fund in 2019. 

Support Indigenous Nations in creating dozens of land use plans that have identified many potential IPCA proposals and led to the establishment of Thaidene Nëné, Ts'udé Nilįné Tuyeta, and Edéhzhíe.

Our Values

Indigenous Peoples have lived on this continent for millennia. We have relationships with these lands and waters and a deep understanding of how to sustain them. 

Indigenous Nations are drawing on this knowledge to transform what conservation looks like in Canada. More than lines on a map, Indigenous-led approaches to conservation are rooted in reciprocity.

If we take care of the land, the land takes care of us.

As place-based peoples, we know lands are healthier when people are on the ground to tend them—to monitor caribou, conduct controlled burns, track changing ice patterns, or restore salmon runs. 

This ongoing stewardship is good for people as well as the land. It supports language and cultural revitalization and connects youth and Elders. It improves health and well-being and creates sustainable economic growth. Its benefits ripple out from individuals to families, communities, regions, and beyond.