Current
Indigenous Nations in Canada are leaders of positive environmental change. CIER supports Indigenous Nations in building sustainable communities that use the best of western and Indigenous Knowledge while helping create a world in balance that supports the well-being of all living things. Learn more about some of CIER’s current and ongoing projects below. To give to the health of our environment and wellbeing click here.
Collaborative Leadership Initiative (CLI)
Focus Areas: Water, Governance
Partners: BHP Foundation
About the Project: The Collaborative Leadership Initiative is a facilitated process that helps Indigenous and municipal governments find a way to form relationships and work together on issues of common concern. The CLI brought leaders together successfully in Manitoba for the first time in 154 years and has since included the Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders from the Okanagan, Fort Smith NWT, Mackenzie River Basin Board, and the City of Winnipeg. Each site has unique needs, and reconciliation plays a central role in turning collaboration into meaningful actions that benefit community well-being and the environment.
Species at Risk Act (SARA) Consultation, Cooperation and Accommodation Project
Focus Areas: Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge
Partners: Environment and Climate Change Canada
About the Project: This multi-year project will facilitate Indigenous communities’ and organizations’ participation in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) listing and recovery planning processes for terrestrial species as part of implementing the federal Species at Risk Act. CIER’s role is to support a range of activities between Indigenous communities and organizations and ECCC on developing recovery documents, sharing knowledge and language, addressing threats to terrestrial species at risk survival and recovery, and land use planning for species at risk on reserve lands and within traditional territories.
Wildfire Smoke Project
Focus: Environment, Health, Indigenous Knowledge
Partners: Health Canada
About the Project: Health Canada is collaborating with CIER to co-lead multiple engagement sessions with Indigenous communities and organizations across Canada as part of the first phase of a multi-year project. The aim of these sessions is to exchange knowledge on smoke from wildfires and wood heating, identify knowledge gaps, information needs and project priorities
Energy InSites- Accelerating Indigenous Community Energy Retrofits
Focus: Energy Efficiency, Environment, Climate Change
Partners: The Leap Group, Natural Resources Canada
About the Project: Energy InSites is a building retrofit program that reduces energy consumption and emissions from existing buildings in Indigenous communities.
First Nations Health Impact Assessment Workshop Series
Focus: First Nations understanding their rights and be equipped with information regarding the environmental, health, social and economic conditions of their communities.
Partners: Indigenous Services Canada’s Impact Assessment and Health Service (IAHS)
About the Project: The purpose of the First Nations Health Impact Assessment Workshop Series is to prepare First Nations for the federal impact assessment process from a health and social determinants of health perspective by providing knowledge, tools, and resources.
Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation: Adapting to Climate Change
Focus: Addressing the increase in demand for action for climate change adaptation within the community by increasing the amount of initiatives to support Sandy Bay First Nation.
Partners: Wawanesa and Donner Canadian Foundation
About the Project: To better prepare Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation for adapting to climate change through numerous resilience-building initiatives including food sovereignty and beneficial tree planting as well as emergency preparedness.
Empowering Indigenous Women in Nepal through Climate Action
Focus: Climate Change, Capacity Building
Partners: Salasan, NIWF, Government of Canada
About the Project: A three-year initiative that mentors 50 Indigenous Women and Girls (IWGs) in rural Nepal to become climate leaders in their communities.
Climate Resilient Health Systems Initiative (CRHS)
Focus: Community Health, Climate Change
Partners: Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
About the Project: The purpose of CRHS is to better understand climate-related gaps and needs within health services for Indigenous communities.
Success Stories
CIER is proud to showcase a sampling of its many projects through the years that have helped contribute to building sustainable Indigenous communities.
Milestones
Since CIER’s inception in 1995, we have worked on more than 450 environment focused projects with over 300 First Nations across Canada.
