First Nations women are at the forefront of conservation and stewardship. This fellowship aims to support leaders by expanding their professional experiences within the conservation movement.
Fellowship for Women
The Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI) andWildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) have come together to support women leaders by launching the First Nations Women Transforming Conservation Fellowship.
The fellowship is designed to empower First Nations women to envision and build vibrant, resilient communities that reflect who we are—our ways of knowing, doing, and being. It will draw on the expertise of both ILI and WCS Canada, including advocacy, policy, and western scientific research.
Five primary learning goals are woven through the program via workshops, field experiences, camps and mentor-guided opportunities.
Indigenous Nationhood & Land-Based Conservation
Cross-Cultural Leadership, Research & Policy Fluency
Community-Rooted Leadership & Relational Accountability
Strategic Communications & Public Advocacy
Wellbeing, Identity, and leadership sustainability
Throughout the fellowship, fellows will explore how to align learning opportunities with their own goals and learning needs.
Caring for the Land
Indigenous women carry the knowledge and traditions that are central to our relationships with our lands and waters, safeguarding them for our people and future generations. Their leadership in renewing, mobilizing, and sharing Indigenous knowledge is pivotal to sustaining healthy lands and waters.
Colonialism and paternalistic policies have restricted the spaces where women belong. This has led to conservation strategies that often overlook the leadership and knowledge of Indigenous women. The resilience of our lands and cultures is weakened as a result.
Yet Indigenous women still step in as leaders in conservation and stewardship–both within and beyond our Nations. To continue to flourish, Indigenous women leaders need spaces where they can build relationships, find mentorship, and experience learning opportunities that align with their values.
Meet the 2025-2026 Fellows
Taylor Galvin Ozaawi Mashkode-Bizhiki
Taylor Galvin Ozaawi Mashkode-Bizhiki (Brown Buffalo) is a proud Anishinaabe woman from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and a member of the Sturgeon Clan. She is a graduate student at the University of Manitoba, where her Master’s thesis explores Lake Sturgeon conservation through Indigenous science, storytelling, and community-based knowledge.
Taylor serves as the Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve Chair and is the community coordinator for an Indigenous-led environmental monitoring project in Tataskweyak Cree Nation. She is a lifelong student of many Elders and Knowledge Keepers across Manitoba. She walks in both worlds, using Western and Indigenous sciences to guide her work in land guardianship, ceremony, and environmental protection.
Taylor’s advocacy centers Indigenous youth, especially young women, whom she mentors through teachings on plants, medicines, and ceremony. Taylor has shared Indigenous knowledge internationally and attributes every opportunity to the strength of her people, the power of ceremony, and the resilience of community teachings.
Mary-Jo Michell
Mary-Jo is nłeʔkepmx (Nlaka’pamux) from ƛ̓əq̓ƛ̓aqtn. (Kanaka Bar). She is a proud mother of two, an elected Councillor, and the Lands and Culture Coordinator with Kanaka Bar Indian Band.
She is passionate about conservation, restoration, and preservation of language, culture, lands and waters because of the teachings she has received from her grandmothers and Nation Elders growing up. She was raised to take only what you need, share what you have, remember what you do to the land, you do to yourself, and to respect and honor the interconnectedness of all life.
We all have a responsibility to take care of our tmíxʷ (earth/land). All lands and waters are sacred, and we are all connected, we are one.
These teachings have shaped Mary-Jo’s worldview as a human being, a mother, a leader, and her role as the Lands and Culture Coordinator for ƛ̓əq̓ƛ̓aqtnmx (Kanaka Bar Band). The tmíxʷ (earth/land) is not just a resource; it is our skiʔkíyeʔ (our ancestor), our relative. We are all a part of this tmíxʷ (earth/land).
The Aunties Circle
Indigenous Peoples have always turned to trusted aunties to guide us. The fellowship draws on this same principle. We have convened an Aunties Circle of mostly Indigenous women with a breadth of experience in conservation and stewardship.
These Aunties have been recognized as leaders within their communities and Nations, have a passion for our relationship and responsibility to lands and waters, and are committed to uplifting other women in their successes.
The Aunties will meet regularly as a group to guide the initiative, and they will form collaborative relationships with the fellows to provide regular mentoring.
The Legacy of Dr.Cheryl-Lesley Chetkiewicz
The fellowship celebrates the legacy of Dr. Cheryl-Lesley Chetkiewicz, WCS Canada’s Director of Indigenous Communities and Conservation.
Throughout her career, Cheryl worked to foster greater collaboration between conservation scientists and Indigenous communities. She was a biologist who practiced science with rigour and integrity, and an advocate who uplifted Indigenous leaders and ways of knowing and doing.
Cheryl dreamed of creating more opportunities to support Indigenous women in conservation. Her insight, leadership, and empathy have served as a guide in the design of this initiative.
Interested in Applying?
Apply by June 30, 2026
The program will host two fellows. This opportunity is open to First Nations women who are actively working on conservation, land stewardship, or Indigenous-led environmental initiatives.
Fellows will be selected by the ILI and WCS Canada leaders and the Aunties Circle. They will receive a stipend for one year and eligible expenses for related travel.
The First Nations Women Transforming Conservation Fellowship is open to people who are:
Members of a First Nation within Canada and recognized within their community, its leadership, members, and other traditional governance systems.
Actively engaged in community stewardship, land and water conservation, cultural continuity, or related work.
Grounded in Indigenous values, knowledge systems & cultural integrity.
Are early to mid-career in conservation, with established foundational skills in their field and room to grow in specialized areas, especially leadership and mentorship.
Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Able to communicate in English; French or Indigenous language skills are a strong asset.
Available to work approximately 15 days a month and participate in fellowship travel, gatherings, and activities.
Canadian citizens with a valid passport and ability to rent a vehicle.
Can attain a criminal record check if hired.
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The ideal candidates will be:
Members of a First Nation within Canada and recognized within their community, its leadership, members, and other traditional governance systems.
Actively engaged in community stewardship, land and water conservation, cultural continuity, or related work.
Grounded in Indigenous values, knowledge systems & cultural integrity.
Are early to mid-career in conservation, with established foundational skills in their field and room to grow in specialized areas, especially leadership and mentorship.
Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Able to communicate in English; French and/or Indigenous language skills are a strong asset.
Available to work approximately 15 days a month and participate in fellowship travel, gatherings, and activities.
Canadian citizens with a valid passport and ability to rent a vehicle.
Able to attain a criminal record check if hired.n text goes here
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Five primary learning goals are woven through the program via workshops, field experiences, camps and mentor-guided opportunities.
Indigenous Nationhood & Land-Based Conservation
Cross-Cultural Leadership, Research & Policy Fluency
Community-Rooted Leadership & Relational Accountability
Strategic Communications & Public Advocacy
Wellbeing, Identity, and leadership sustainability
Throughout the fellowship, fellows will explore how to align learning opportunities with their own goals and learning needs.
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Fellows will receive:
A stipend as an independent contractor from an organization based on reserve, as well as coverage for work-related travel and eligible expenses.
Mentorship from Indigenous women leaders and their allies in conservation, stewardship, education, politics, or community advocacy.
Opportunities for training, networking, and community-building.
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Fellows will receive a stipend, via a contract from an organization based on reserve, and also have eligible expenses for work-related travel covered.
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Participants will be expected to work approximately 15 days a month. This is a nearly full time opportunity, and if candidates have an existing work commitment, an agreement with their current employer will be necessary to ensure all obligations can be fulfilled.
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Fellows will work remotely, with occasional travel for meetings and gatherings.
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Indigenous women carry the knowledge and traditions that are central to our relationships with lands and waters, safeguarding them for our people and future generations.
Colonialism and paternalistic policies have restricted where women belong. To continue to flourish, Indigenous women leaders need spaces where they can build relationships, find mentorship, and experience learning opportunities that align with their values. This fellowship is designed to offer those supports and resources.
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The ILI and WCS Canada leaders and the Aunties Circle will make the selection based on a set of criteria. The selection process includes two phases, with screening interviews planned for July. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in final interviews in August and asked to provide community testimonials from an Elder, leader, or mentor.
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We hope to select the two inaugural fellows in late August, negotiate agreements in September, and make a public announcement in early October.
We are thrilled to launch this fellowship, and to sustain it beyond the pilot year, we welcome your support. Your donation will help empower Indigenous women leaders in conservation for years to come.
