About

The First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN) is a national non-profit that aims to support First Nations-led stewardship and sovereignty through First Nations Guardians initiatives. We do this by providing consistent funding, networking, training, and education opportunities that support the profession of Guardians.

The NGN is the first Indigenous-led national stewardship network in the world. It is designed and managed by First Nations individuals, and it centers on First Nations knowledge, values, and perspectives.

Across the country, Guardians are caring for lands and waters that help sustain us all. They are on the ground managing wildfires, testing water quality, collecting data on climate impacts, monitoring development projects, and restoring caribou, other animals, and plants. They also bring youth and Elders together and strengthen cultural and language revitalization. And they gather, analyze and summarize data for First Nations to make informed decisions about their territories.

The NGN supports this essential work. It helps ensure First Nations have the tools, opportunities, and investments they need to build thriving Guardians programs.

Accessible funding is a foundation for Guardians’ work. The network pools federal funds and other investments and creates a streamlined process for Guardians programs to apply for support through an application process that is shaped by First Nations perspectives and Guardians’ lived experience.

By shifting the management of First Nations Guardians funds from the federal government to a network run by First Nations, the NGN is helping establish a new kind of partnership between First Nations and Canada—one that enables us to come together on equal footing to care for lands, waters, plants, and animals.

The NGN Council governs the organization and sets its goals and objectives. The Council does this with a deep understanding of the challenges First Nations face and the value of First Nations approaches to caring for lands and waters.