First Nations is helping develop new pathways to grow and sustain Native stewardship of land through greater financial investment.
Funding support for land return remains a significant issue in Native communities. Tribes have been predominantly excluded from western systems for conservation funding, despite the disproportionate environmental impacts they experience. This systematic underinvestment by western conservation frameworks perpetuates environmental, social, and economic inequities.
New frameworks are needed to support equitable funding access and investment for Tribes to restore their adaptive capacity and traditional stewardship practices across ecosystems, which has become increasingly urgent due to climate change. As Tribes confront this inequitable distribution of and access to financial resources, there are opportunities to modify finance mechanisms – and create new ones – that invest in tribal capacity and stewardship, providing benefits to tribal communities and society at large.
In the spirit of reciprocity, Native stewardship of land cultivates carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and the revenue generated can be directly invested back into the community-led stewardship of the land, which will to have net-positive impact on carbon and biodiversity.
Through this project, First Nations will help retool two key conservation frameworks – carbon and biodiversity crediting – to better align with tribal values, priorities, and Tribal Sovereignty and ensure direct investment in Native-led stewardship. A new culturally relevant model for carbon and biodiversity crediting will be designed. Further, research and planning, in partnership with tribal and community partners, as well as implementing and evaluating pilot projects, will establish a strong foundation for scaling these opportunities.
Check back for updates as this project evolves.
This project is made possible through funding from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.
