Indigenous Guardians help communities manage traditional territories. They draft land use plans, study wildlife and monitor development projects. They also honour Elders’ knowledge and connect youth to the land. Indigenous-led Guardians programs empower communities to manage ancestral lands according to traditional laws and values. Guardians are employed as the “eyes on the ground” in Indigenous territories. They monitor ecological health, maintain cultural sites and protect sensitive areas and species. They play a vital role in creating land-use and marine-use plans. And they promote intergenerational sharing of Indigenous knowledge—helping train the next generation of educators, ministers and nation builders.
