U.S. Tribal Stewardship & Guardians
The movement of Indigenous stewardship is growing in the United States, where many Tribal Nations are launching Guardians programs and asserting sovereignty over lands and waters.
Indigenous Peoples care for nature and natural resources on our traditional territories, including much of the public lands and waters in America. Today, many Tribal nations express this responsibility by creating stewardship programs—often called Indigenous Guardians.
This movement is gaining momentum from Virigina to Alaska. There are already several dozen self-identified Indigenous Guardians programs in varying stages of development, managing or co-managing Tribal lands and adjacent public lands. In addition, hundreds of existing Tribal stewardship programs are essentially acting as Guardians on traditional lands.
Supporting Indigenous-led stewardship offers one of the most effective strategies for achieving conservation goals and responding to climate change.
Shaped by this rise in Indigenous-led stewardship in the U.S. and inspired by movements in Canada and Australia, several Indigenous leaders, Guardians, and Tribal stewardship programs, funders, and supporting organizations have been coming together since 2023 to explore opportunities for collaboration. The Indigenous Leadership Initiative is proud to be a partner in this work.
The Tribal Stewardship and Sovereignty Network
The Tribal Stewardship and Sovereignty Network launched as an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to expanding the US Guardians movement.
Indigenous Guardians programs in the US often work in isolation, and many have expressed a desire for greater collaboration. They recognize the value in sharing best practices and working together towards common goals.
The Tribal Stewardship and Sovereignty Network will help provide that connection. The network aims to uplift Tribally led conservation initiatives as a way to respect Tribal decision making on the land. We plan to provide a hub for knowledge sharing, legal and administrative assistance, training and technical support, and cooperation on policy and communications.
“A Seat at the Table”: Blackfeet Shield Keepers
The Blackfeet Nation has been working to protect the iinnii – the buffalo – for decades. Now, the Nation has Shield Keepers on the ground working to not only protect the iinnii, but also sustain lands and waters.
Read our latest feature to learn more about the work of Shield Keepers, which includes everything from environmental monitoring, supporting culture and language revitalization efforts, and collaborating with a range of partners from Tribal Governments to Glacier National Park.
The Growing Movement: 2024 Lummi Nation Gathering
On a beautiful spring evening in April 2024, hundreds of people gathered in the Wexliem Community Building on the Lummi Nation for a salmon feast.
The space filled with the swirl of youth from the Lummi Nation’s Blackhawk Dancers and the sounds of Puyallup and Heiltsuk drummers.
After distributing gifts, speakers welcomed a group of special guests: dozens of representatives from tribal nations who had come to attend the Exploring Indigenous-led US Guardianship Gathering.
Join the Movement Supporting this Work
Guardians of Our Future
Indigenous Peoples are at the forefront of sustaining biodiversity — from salmon recovery in the US, caribou monitoring in Canada, cultural burning practices in Australia, and beyond. Watch and share this short documentary to be inspired by the work happening around the world.
FAQs
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Tribal stewards are trained experts who care for the land on behalf of their Nations. They conduct research on climate impacts and co-manage protected areas. They also support language and culture programs. Indigenous and western science complement one another in their work.
They help inform Tribal Nations’ land use planning on traditional territories—an essential dynamic of sovereignty. Their work also creates opportunities for government-to-government relations with state and federal agencies.
Some Tribal Nations use “Guardians” to describe the inherent right to steward traditional lands and waters. Other Tribal Nations use different words to describe this work, including in their languages. Each Nation determines for themselves what words they want to reflect their stewardship initiatives.
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Tribal stewardship initiatives and Guardians programs are called many things. What a program or initiative is called is decided by communities or Tribal Nations. These initiatives—which are sometimes called Guardians programs—help Tribal Nations care for traditional territories by drawing on Indigenous knowledge, laws, and language alongside western science.
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Indigenous people have sustained their homelands for millennia. Today, many Tribal Nations exercise their right and responsibility to care for their traditional territories through stewardship programs. Tribal stewardship also encompasses cultural stewardship and language revitalization efforts. These stewardship programs operate across every region in the US.
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Because Tribal stewardship programs vary greatly, there is no one way to begin a process for establishing a program.
If you would like to connect with other Tribal Nations or communities operating a stewardship program, fill out the contact form below, or join the newsletter.
You can also learn how Guardians programs have launched and expanded in Canada–where there are now over 200 First Nations Guardians programs–by visiting Land Needs Guardians.
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If you are a Tribal Nation, funder, federal or state government agency, or other type of organization looking to connect and be more directly involved, fill out the contact form below to get in touch with a member of our team.
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Even if you are non-Indigenous, or not a member of a Tribal Nation -- you can still be involved and support the great work of Guardians and Tribal stewardship!
Check out How to be an Ally -- a great resource from the Land Needs Guardians program on how Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can work together in a new approach to conservation.
Resources
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Business Case for a National Network of Guardians
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Where there are Guardians, there are Benefits
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Indigenous-led Conservation from Australia to Canada
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Land Needs Guardians Storytellers Video Series
Who is involved in supporting this work?
The Tribal Stewardship and Sovereignty Network is a new Indigenous-led and managed organization dedicated to supporting Indigenous-led stewardship, conservation, and. nation building.
Our work is guided by a Steering Committee with representatives from national Indigenous stewardship organizations, regional Indigenous Guardians programs, and Indigenous political leaders and legal experts. This group is augmented by an alliance of allies, including long-standing supporters of Indigenous rights.
Staffing support is currently provided by the Indigenous Leadership Initiative—the group at the forefront of the Guardians movement, including in Canada where it has helped secure federal investment in over 200 First Nations Guardians programs.
Looking for more info?
The best way to stay informed on Tribally-led stewardship initiatives across the U.S. is to sign up for the newsletter.
But if you have specific questions or are looking to get involved in supporting this work — fill out the form and let us know!
