For generations, Indigenous communities have wisely stewarded the natural resources of North America through their knowledge, culture, and practice.
NWF recognizes that achieving the conservation and climate goals of the 21st century requires better understanding and recognition of this stewardship, reaffirmation of Tribal rights for resource conservation, and ensuring sufficient resources and capacity for policy advancements and on-the-ground-efforts.
“NWF will listen to and follow the guidance of Indigenous leaders to forge authentic relationships and partnerships across the country that advance Indigenous policy priorities, help achieve greater place-based conservation, and help rectify environmental injustices.”
CREDIT: COLIN RUGGIERO
Indigenous food and ecological knowledge systems based on cultural responsibilities and relationships with the environment that assert self-determination and success with foods and practices.
Water is life and a human right, and so is access to clean water for Tribal communities and the surrounding wildlife and land. Water must be accessible to not only support human requirements, but also to meet historical, cultural, ecological, and rights-based needs.
CREDIT: JACOB BYK
“Indigenous people have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generation their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.” – Article 13 of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
The National Wildlife Federation is dedicated to implementing its Tribal and Indigenous Partnerships Enhancement Strategy in a manner that honors the decision-making authority of Indigenous partners. For more information, contact TIPES@nwf.org.
Special thanks to the Indigenous knowledge holders whose subject matter expertise lead the co-creation of TIPES.
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