Grant Agreement Signed to Launch $300M Investment in Indigenous-Led Conservation Initiative in NWT

July 21, 2025: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: Today representatives of the Government of Canada and the Our Land for the Future Trust signed a grant agreement to release $300 million in federal funds for Indigenous-led conservation, stewardship, and economic development across the Northwest Territories. This launches the implementation phase of an historic agreement reached in November 2024 and will enable funds to flow to Indigenous partners in the coming months.

NWT: Our Land for the Future (NWT OLF) is an unprecedented partnership between 21 Indigenous Governments, the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and private donors to advance Indigenous stewardship in the north for the benefit of all Canadians. It will be one of the largest Indigenous-led land conservation initiatives in the world.

The grant agreement signed today by the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Danny Yakeleya, Chair of the OLF Board of Directors, will transfer $300 million to the OLF Trust. Philanthropic partners will then deliver $75 million for a public/private match. Once funds are received and application processes have been confirmed, the Trust hopes to begin disbursing money to Indigenous Governments and communities within the next several months.

These investments will generate tangible benefits—for Indigenous communities, the economy, and the country. They will support Indigenous Guardians programs, for instance, in caring for lands and waters, responding to climate impacts like wildfire and drought, and helping restore caribou and other threatened animals. Guardians have been shown to support food security, safety, emergency response, and community health and wellbeing, including by revitalizing language and culture. Their presence on the land can help bolster sovereignty in the Arctic region.

Investments like these will also diversify the economy and support northern development. The conservation initiatives they support will provide greater certainty for industry. And they will help create hundreds of jobs per year, including seasonal, part-time, and full-time positions, over the first 10 years alone.

The initiative is designed around the conservation financing model known as Project Finance for Permanence. PFPs lead to comprehensive funding agreements between partners including governments at multiple levels and private philanthropies that are designed to sustain healthy lands and local economies. Within the Northwest Territories, this means building on a strong foundation of collaboration among Indigenous and public governments.

Representatives of NWT OLF partners shared the following quotes:

“Indigenous-led stewardship helps communities, lands, and waters thrive, and NWT: Our Land for the Future is a powerful example of how Indigenous peoples are modelling this leadership for the world. This agreement marks a significant step forward, moving from vision to implementation by providing the resources needed to begin work on the ground. It reflects our shared commitment to reconciliation, protecting nature, fighting climate change, and building a more sustainable future for all Canadians.”—The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada

“Signing this grant agreement marks a major shift. Our historic partnership is moving from the planning phase into action and implementation. Funds will soon flow to Indigenous partners to care for lands and waters and generate sustainable opportunities for the North. The vision we have created together is becoming a reality on the ground.” —Danny Yakeleya, Chair of the Our Land for the Future Trust

“The passage of the Our Land for the Future Agreement and its associated funding represents an important step forward in the collective stewardship of Dene land and water in the Northwest Territories. With this milestone achieved, meaningful work of implementation now begins in collaboration with all partners.” —Chief Ernest Betsina, Yellowknives Dene First Nation

“We belong to the land, and the land belongs to us. The investment announced today will help us steward our sacred responsibilities. We are creating something beautiful with this partnership. We are offering a shining light to inspire others. We honour our leadership as Dene in protecting the spirit of the land while also honouring the collaboration and partnership achieved together.” —Grand Chief Herb Norwegian, Dehcho First Nations

“These funds will enable Indigenous Governments to pursue our stewardship aspirations for our territories. Indigenous leadership includes being able to set our own priorities for our lands, waters, and resources. The partnership we have built respects this spirit of self-determination and supports Indigenous Governments as we care for our lands and build our economy at the same time.” —Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, Tłı̨chǫ Government

“This partnership is about investing in our people and taking care of our land. It’s about generating jobs that strengthen our cultures and create economic opportunities across the North. We have so much work to do to care for the land, guided by our Elders, our youth, our Guardians. The funds released today will help us honour that responsibility.” –Ɂek’wahtı̨dǝ́ Danny Gaudet, Délįnę Got’įnę Government

“The Our Land for the Future Trust is more than an investment—it’s about building up the strength and wellbeing of our people. For the Gwich’in, it means we can grow our Guardians program, establish new protected areas within our region, reconnect our youth with their culture, and create meaningful jobs rooted in the land, tied to our people's way of life. These investments will help restore the health of our lands and waters, support food security, but just as importantly, they will support self-determination—giving us the tools to care for our communities in the ways our ancestors intended.” —Grand Chief Frederick Blake Jr., Gwich'in Tribal Council

“The Our Land for the Future funds will greatly help the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation sustain its responsibility to engage its youth, land-users, and elders in taking care of the water, wildlife, birds, fish and all wildlife in Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area. This is a great opportunity for LKDFN and we are very happy to see the funding flowing now.”—Chief James Marlowe, Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation

“Today is a testament to what we can achieve by working together. NWT: Our Land for the Future has united an unprecedented number of partners around a shared vision of supporting Indigenous-led stewardship. Not only does it acknowledge the need to protect our lands, but it also recognizes Indigenous People as the rightful caretakers of the land.” —President Garry Bailey, Northwest Territory Métis Nation

“It is time to pay back the debt that can never fully be paid back to our lands and waters, but, these investments, here today, are a good start. They will expand stewardship-based opportunities that sustain our lands and our communities. This is how we will diversify the Northern economy and create more jobs, in good ways, jobs that focus on caring for the land and prepare our youth for a better future.” —President Marc Whitford, North Slave Métis Alliance

“Today we moved closer to getting investments into our communities so we can steward our lands, address the impacts of climate change, and prepare our youth for the future. These are concrete results, and they will ripple across the North. We are just getting started, but what we will achieve together will create lasting benefits.” —Chief​ Steve Vital, Nahanni Butte Dene Band

“This historic initiative is a powerful example of what we can achieve when we work together toward our common goals. By supporting Indigenous leadership, we are not just supporting stewardship of the land, we’re strengthening cultural identity, creating good jobs, conserving our ecosystems, and driving long-term prosperity in the North.” —The Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

“The NWT: Our Land for the Future agreement is a significant step forward for conservation, stewardship, and economic growth in the North. This Indigenous-led initiative brings together communities, governments, and donors to build a legacy that supports reconciliation and create new opportunities for Northerners. Together we are safeguarding the lands and waters we cherish, honouring traditional knowledge, and securing a healthy, sustainable future for the territory.” —The Honourable Jay Macdonald, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories

“Pew proudly celebrates today’s milestone alongside Indigenous leaders and the Government of Canada. Philanthropic partners from Canada and around the world remain deeply committed to advancing the vision for NWT: Our Land for the Future. This inspiring collaboration is a powerful model for Indigenous-led conservation at scale, rooted in long-term stewardship and deep cultural connection. It reminds us that bold and inclusive partnerships not only are possible—they are essential for the prosperity of future generations.”  —Shubash Lohani, Senior Director for Global Conservation Initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts

“This initiative represents one of the most ambitious and inspiring conservation efforts we’ve seen in Canada. What is unfolding in the Northwest Territories will have a lasting impact across the country. We are honoured to be a part of this work and to invest in Indigenous leadership in conservation and stewardship.”—Jamison Steeve, President & CEO, Metcalf Foundation