NWT’s $375M conservation trust reports back on spending for first time

More than half of the $18.4 million distributed by the Our Land for the Future Trust in its first year went toward Indigenous Guardian programs across the Northwest Territories. 

The funding supported the launch of eight new Guardian programs and the continuation of 10 existing ones, alongside efforts to establish and manage protected areas, the trust said in its first annual report since being created.

The investments are expected to create job opportunities in northern communities. The number of jobs created to date isn’t stated in the annual report that was published on Thursday – the trust told Cabin Radio it is working to gather more detailed information. The report does, however, set out the amount of funding distributed to each Indigenous group and government.

Established in 2024, the Our Land for the Future Trust manages $375 million provided by the federal government and private donors for initiatives involving 21 Indigenous governments and organizations. The money is designed to support Indigenous-led conservation, protect land and water, and create economic opportunities across the NWT over the next decade. 

Dahti Tsetso, the trust’s chief executive officer, told Cabin Radio more detailed information about the funding’s impact is expected in the trust’s second annual report. The trust began distributing funding toward the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year.

“Right now, what we know is that we’ve infused the money into the hands of our Indigenous partners,” Tsetso said. 

She explained that Indigenous partners are responsible for deciding how to use those resources, whether that means hiring local workers or obtaining legal and technical expertise. 

The trust is also finalizing an evaluation and monitoring framework to track the results of its investments, with implementation expected to begin in the new year. 

Funding reaches communities

According to the trust’s first annual report, approximately $9.6 million went toward Indigenous Guardian programs.

These community-led initiatives employ people to care for traditional lands and waters through activities such as monitoring wildlife populations, testing water quality, tracking environmental changes and protecting culturally significant sites. The programs also incorporate Indigenous knowledge into conservation efforts.

Another 25 percent of funding went toward establishing protected areas, while 15 percent supported the management of existing areas and eight percent went toward identifying potential new ones. 

Tsetso said she is already seeing examples of the funding put to work. 

The Gwich’in Tribal Council recently launched a regional Guardian program, she said, while communities including Fort Simpson are planning additional stewardship activities. 

“It’s so exciting for me to see the rollout of their leadership kind-of come to life with the resourcing,” she said. 

The trust’s funding is distributed through a financial model developed collaboratively with Indigenous partners. 

Tsetso said the model considers the estimated costs of different conservation activities and applies adjustments to reflect individual partners’ circumstances and needs.

The Tłı̨chǫ Government received the largest allocation documented by the first annual report, approximately $2.7 million, followed by the K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę Foundation in Fort Good Hope at $2.5 million and the Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government at $2.49 million. 

Looking beyond 10 years

The funding provided to the trust is designed to support Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship over 10 years. Tsetso said ensuring the work continues beyond that period is already a major consideration.

“How do we plan for year 10 in year one?” she said. 

With most of the initial funding expected to be spent over the agreement’s lifespan, Tsetso said finding ways to sustain the programs and conservation efforts being established now will be a priority. 

The trust is also reviewing expressions of interest from potential new partners – Indigenous governments that were not signatories to the original agreement – whose participation would require consensus among existing partners. 

For Tsetso, the first year represents a significant step in turning years of planning into action. 

“Now the resources are in their hands, and they can bring this agreement to life,” she said.