“Politically, it can be difficult to get groups to work together but technically, it’s amazing how similar the issues are as well as the training needs. The Guardians themselves echo how much they value the peer and technical support through our network. We coordinate training that wouldn’t be possible without a network. We also purchase equipment such as drones and make it available for Nations to use.” .

“When providing support to the network, it’s important to do what you say you are going to do, respond quickly, and engage at the different levels – political, managerial, technical. We established trust by communicating regularly with everyone so that we’re all on the same page. We constantly check in on what our members need and what their priorities are. Our most important lesson is to emphasize the autonomy of each Nation.”