Open October 1 - 31st

Upcoming Funding Dates

This stream will next open for applications in Fall 2025. Please check back here for more information, and review previous funding guides (at the bottom of the page!). 

Description

Funding of up to $20,000 will be provided to projects/groups that seek to create impactful community change and increase the wellness, resiliency and engagement of Indigenous youth.

The Land and Food Sovereignty Funding Stream aims to increase opportunities to participate in land-based programming, learn about food and medicines and engage with knowledge keepers. Projects in this stream need to be Indigenous-led and youth-focused, although community-focused and intergenerational activities can be run. The intention of launching this program in the Fall is so that the grant can support projects that cover a full growing season (from planting to harvest), and provide opportunities for multi-seasonal opportunities to engage with and on the land.

There is a priority in this stream to support:

  • Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives
  • Groups that have experience running programming and projects, but are looking to scale to a new level or try something new
  • Projects that have an appropriate scale and scope for the funding provided (i.e., engagement numbers and frequency make sense for the funding requested)
  • Projects that are multi-dimensional (i.e., are doing more than just one thing, and are looking to improve wellness overall)

Focus Areas

We’re looking to fund projects that focus on one or more of the following areas:

Projects that focus on increasing access to foods, knowledge about traditional and healthy foods and building skills around planting, growing and harvesting. Projects in this focus area can include: community gardens, initiatives to start family gardens, workshops about cooking, harvesting and preserving etc

Projects will support youth to access food and land teachings in the digital space. This can include online social media campaigns, videos, digital workshops, etc. Projects can be focused on sharing knowledge, but also on preserving knowledge from Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

Projects will engage youth in participating in programming on the land. These can include overnight camps or workshop series. Projects will work to increase the youth’s connection to the land and knowledge of food and land teachings. Projects in this focus area can include: medicine walks, ceremonies, foraging activities, water-based projects (such as water walks), recreational land-based recreation activities (e.g., canoeing), language camps, traditional hunting and fishing and other activities.

Projects will focus on revitalizing traditional food systems, including increasing the knowledge of the community around preservation and re-emergence. The project can include activities such as improving soil health, mapping territory to identify risk factors (such as chemical runoff, and invasive species), learning the stories of food, planting projects, and protecting water ecosystems (wild rice revitalization, etc.).

Eligibility

Creation will prioritize funding grassroots youth groups consisting of a minimum of 2 Indigenous youth.

Please note: for the purpose of this program IYR defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada, living both on and off reserve.

Eligible groups and projects include:

  • Unincorporated/grassroots youth groups and collectives
  • Small, incorporated youth groups (note: IYR defines a small organization as groups that have 1-8 full-time employees and an operating budget of less than $500,000)
  • Youth Councils

Ineligible groups and projects:

  • Individuals
  • Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of the leadership is 30+)
  • Non-Indigenous organizations
  • Projects taking place outside of Canada
  • For-profit corporations and businesses
  • Groups that have an organizational budget of over $500,000

Examples of Funded Projects

Learn about some projects that have been funded in this stream:

The Waterways Collective will work to support the revitalization of wild rice within their home territory. Youth leaders will participate in an introduction to whitewater paddling course to increase their canoeing knowledge and skills. They will also attend the Manoominkewin gathering, to learn more about reseeding wild rice and to purchase green seeds, which they will bring back to their community for youth and community to plant together. Throughout the project, they also intend to paddle to sacred sites and to host a community feast and celebration. This project engaged 35 Indigenous youth and 21 community members.  

Techa Oaye will work to restore the native prairie grasses and ecosystems of their territory to create a meaningful space for ceremonies. Youth will participate in training, lead ceremonies, work with other youth volunteers and host a feast. This project engaged 20 Indigenous youth and 5 community members.

Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family will host a cultural exchange between youth from the Taku River and Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. They will host a five-day gathering in each territory to give youth the opportunity to learn from knowledge keepers in each community. This project engaged over 48 Indigenous youth and over 15 community members. 

The Maamwi noojmadaa “Let’s Heal Together” Project will host a two-day event where youth from any of the seven reserves surrounding Manitoulin Island will have the opportunity to attend wellness and empowerment workshops, access land-based teachings and listen to guest speakers and knowledge keepers at the Rising Youth Gathering they will host in August 2023. The theme for this event is around mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, which will be split into 2 days, one inside and one on the land. This project engaged over 50 Indigenous youth. 

Stream Specific FAQ

See the general FAQ here.

Activities that take place out on the land (like a medicine walk through the woods), or activities focused on learning about the land (language classes related to land, learning about traditional land use in your area, learning how to care for the land in your area, etc.) 

Yes! As long as your camp includes activities related to the land or to food sovereignty, you can run a culture camp! 

Yes! Hunting is a land-based activity that strengthens knowledge and connection to land, and it also strengthens food sovereignty and connections to traditional foodways. Taking youth out hunting is for sure an eligible activity for this grant! 

Ex: podcast sharing traditional knowledge and stories about the land; social media posts sharing language related to the land; virtual workshop series on food preservation, etc. 

Stream Impact & Reports

IYR has run 3 rounds of the Land and Food Sovereignty Funding Stream. In total $762,000 in funding has been given to 32 projects. Funded projects have reached 2,880 Indigenous youth. What excites us about this stream is that we can target funds into projects that promote youth being on the land and connecting with the land. We see so many cool projects in this stream that cause impacts across generations! 

2021 Impact Report View English Report

Past Land & Food Sovereignty Funding Guides

2024

October View English Guide  |  View French Guide

2023

November View English Guide  |  View French Guide

2022

November View English Guide  |  View French Guide

2021

June View English Guide  |  View French Guide

Grant Contact Name and Pronouns

Forrest Eaglespeaker

(he/him)

Program & Community Engagement Coordinator