“We pursue funds from anywhere and everywhere including Band Council, Coast Funds, community fundraising, non-profit partners, and university partners. We are always looking for more secure funding for core positions.”

“Supporting people to be out on the land and water, stewarding their territories, is the heart of healthy landscapes, wildlife, people, and communities. I feel honoured to be part of this work, and continually inspired by the dedication of the people operating Indigenous Guardian programs.” - Jonaki Bhattacharyya, TST Coordinator

I feel pride in the Ahousaht stewardship guardians knowing we are once again, as our ancestors did, taking care of the land and waters. Knowing that by doing so, it is an expression of our laws. For generations to come the lands and waters will continue to care for us.

“The best place to start is right where you are. Build your program off work you’re already doing, capacities you’ve built up, and connections you’ve nurtured. Sometimes starting small is exactly what you need to do to build support and confidence, demonstrate value, and attract attention within and from outside the community. With your feet solidly under you, you can then get more ambitious and stretch your program further into new areas of effort and activity. Conditions will never be right for the perfect program launch. Don’t wait for all your ducks to be in a row.”  

“Planning is about the process, it’s about getting people together to get excited about what they’re doing and on the same page, to talk about what’s important.  Even though planning can sometimes feel frustrating and reality can get in the way of following the plan, it’s always worthwhile to get people together to have these conversations.  The plan provides a guide and a direction for the year.”

“The work of Indigenous Guardians needs to feed into decision-making so that it’s part of building and strengthening nationhood.  Guardians are a critical component of how we collect, analyze and use information to make decisions about governing our lands and water.”

Something I've learned from the Kitasoo/Xaixais elders in Klemtu is the importance of traveling on the ocean with humility. The sea changes moods quickly and with little warning. And doing the little things right is important in keeping you safe on the water: do you have the required safety equipment, spare parts, a tool kit, emergency communication devices, flares? Do you check the oil every day and do you check your belts and coolant? These small things need to become a habit and they might just save your life one day.

“Training for Indigenous Guardians needs to include a focus on spiritual connection to the land and cultural responsibilities of caring for the land so it is there for future generations.  There needs to be a commitment to working with the earth and with spirit, we can’t just think about training from a western science perspective.”

“Scientific research work has been a game changer in terms of dynamics at negotiating tables – we now have published data that is better than DFO’s data and are willing to share it.”

“Regular communication keeps people informed and on board. Engage your community at the front end about their concerns and priorities and then communicate with them once the guardians are out on the land. Share information at community events, on Facebook, in community newsletters or by inviting community members to come out and see what the guardians are doing.”  

“We respect our youth, we honour the role they will play in all of our futures and we accept our responsibilities to them with open commitment and a strong sense of responsibility. To that end we seek to provide them an opportunity to experience social and educational success, a strong sense of cultural connections, a strong attachment to traditional Heiltsuk values and the self-confidence to be bold in their leadership.”  

Creating space for people to come together in person is so important - building relationships from the ground-up between individuals and communities is a critical part of developing an effective network. And a network needs to meet the needs of it's member communities and be responsive and nimble as opportunities and issues arise.

“We hold regular meetings with agency staff and Conservation Officers. We give them a chance to meet with members and Chiefs. It takes a while to build trust, both ways. It has been helpful to get out into the field where the monitors and Conservation Officers have a lot of interaction.”