Media Release: Collaborative to Support 35 On The Land Projects in 2017

On the land programs promote community, family, and individual wellbeing, and are vital to healthy ecosystems and economies. This year, the NWT On The Land Collaborative will distribute $634,845 to 35 projects across the territory that connect NWT residents with their land, culture, and community.

This is the second year that the Collaborative has been administering grants to on the land programs in the NWT. Coincidentally, the Collaborative also supported 35 projects in 2016. However, the average grant has risen by 62% to just over $18,000:

“Although we are supporting the same number of projects this year, we have been able to fully fund more projects, which means that they don’t have to go elsewhere for funds to make their programs happen,” shares Steve Ellis of Tides Canada, one of the driving forces behind the Collaborative. As the funding pot grows, the Collaborative is better able to meet its mandate of making it easier and less time consuming for people to access funds for land-based programs. 

Grants range from $3000 to support a canoe trip for grade nine students in Fort Smith to $60,000 for healing and wellness camps for youth in Rádeyįlįkóé (Fort Good Hope). Other funded projects include Trails on the Land, a 10-day trip beginning in Tuktoyaktuk that will take youth and elders through the traditional hunting territory of their ancestors; a land-based youth mentorship project coordinated by the Deh Gah Gotine First Nation; a boating program for Tłįchǫ youth that teaches traditional knowledge and skills; and a hide tanning camp in Łutsel K’e. In addition to financial support, funded projects may also receive equipment, training, and program support.

 Quick Facts

• The NWT On The Land Collaborative was founded in 2015.
• The Collaborative is a collective of diverse organizations that supports land-based programs through funds, resources, and expertise. Current funding partners include the Government of the Northwest Territories; Tides Canada; Dominion Diamond Corporation; NWT Recreation and Parks Association; TNC Canada; Indigenous Leadership Initiative; The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation; Diavik Diamond Mine; Health Canada; and The Gordon Foundation. Participating Indigenous governments include Inuvialuit Regional Corporation; Gwich’in Tribal Council; Tłįchǫ Government; Dehcho First Nations; NWT Métis Nation; and Akaitcho Territory Government.
• The Collaborative supports projects that: get people out on the land; connect community members to their land, culture, and traditions; build or strengthen partnerships; enhance community capacity; and promote sustainability.
• All of the funding partners who participated in the pilot year of the Collaborative renewed their commitments. We also welcomed three new funding partners in 2017: Diavik Diamond Mine, Health Canada, and The Gordon Foundation.
• The Collaborative welcomed a new Community Advisor in 2017: Diane Giroux of the Akaitcho Territorial Government. Community Advisors are appointed by Indigenous governments in each region to serve as representatives for the Collaborative. They provide on-the-ground support to projects throughout the process, while also assisting in the selection of recipients and in providing strategic direction to the Collaborative. 

 
Contacts
​
Steve Ellis
Northern Lead
Tides Canada
Email: steve.ellis@tidescanada.org
 
Jess Dunkin
Director, On the Land Programs
NWT Recreation and Parks Association
Email: jdunkin@nwtrpa.org

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