Stewardship

Tribes and Native communities have long upheld deep relationships with their Tribal homelands based on Native values rooted in care, responsibility, and reciprocity and with rich knowledge cultivated and passed down over generations.

First Nations’ Stewardship Initiative is centered on restoring these relationships to maintain and strengthen the connections between Native peoples, places, and animal and plant relatives. It invests in Native-led solutions that center traditional knowledge and build local capacity. Projects under this initiative are multi-faceted, including the restoration of eco-cultural species on Tribal homelands and the revilatalization of traditional stewardship practices, such as cultural burning. to enhance ecosystem, biodiversity, and community health.

This initiative is supported by generous contributions from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, The Freeman Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, and many other donors.