The Winter Territorial Stewardship or Winter Guardians Program focuses on preparing the next generation of stewards of the land through environmental competencies such as archaeology, environmental indicators, and navel navigation. The program supports ethical practices within Secwepemcúĺecw (meaning homeland/the Secwépemc territory) by creating positive change, providing a sustainable landscape both economically and ecologically for our future generations. With Stewards on the land promoting and practicing the key principles of yecwemínem (stewardship), we are ensuring holistic land-management practices so that our territory and those who call it home may thrive.
2022 Winter Guardians
2022 was the inaugural year for the Winter Guardians' program. The four-month program ran from January to April 2022 with the aim to build capacity through training and education in signatory communities. The full-time experience worked to provide individuals with direct and transferable skills to their line of work in the Natural Resource Sector. Participants left with training and certifications in ethnobotany and invasive plant species identification, NRTG and UTV certification, danger tress training, RISC and cultural heritage training as well as CFX (cumulative effects) modeling, to name a few.
Protecting the Tmícw
