For thousands of years, Tribes and Native communities have led the way in stewarding healthy lands and waters through Traditional Knowledge (TK)—adapting to shifting climates with ingenuity, resilience, and care. Today, this leadership is more critical than ever. As climate change accelerates, Native communities face increasing threats from wildfire, drought, flooding, and ecosystem disruption—often without the resources or land access needed to respond. 

This session will spotlight the Advancing Tribal Nature-Based Solutions project, launched by First Nations Development Institute to amplify Native-led climate action rooted in TK and place-based stewardship. Attendees will learn about the growing demand for tribal nature-based solutions: a recent national grant opportunity garnered 67 proposals totaling $12.6 million in funding requests—underscoring the urgent, unmet need across Indian Country. 

Through compelling presentations and dialogue, the Stewarding Native Lands team will introduce a new Social Impact Fund designed to catalyze investment in tribal disaster preparedness, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation. This fund aims to scale the proven solutions Native communities are already advancing—solutions that not only restore biodiversity and protect ancestral lands, but also support traditional lifeways and self-determined futures. 

This is an invitation to local leaders, practitioners, and donors alike: come learn, listen, and engage in meaningful partnerships that honor the deep interdependence between Native knowledge, healthy ecosystems, and climate resilience. Investing in tribal nature-based solutions is not just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic path toward a more just, sustainable, and biodiverse future.