Position Mandate
The Indigenous Land Steward position exists to advance Indigenous stewardship, land-based practices, and Indigenous self-determination across University of Victoria lands and within partner Indigenous communities. The role is central to the university’s commitments to Indigenous resurgence, reconciliation, ecological restoration, and community-engaged land management. Indigenous Land Stewards are hired from local First Nations and serve as key decision-makers in the stewardship, restoration, and cultural use of campus lands. The position provides Indigenous leadership in the management of cultivated and natural ecosystems for Indigenous food and medicine cultivation, harvesting, ceremony, and teaching, while ensuring that Indigenous laws, values, and relational responsibilities meaningfully guide campus land-use decisions. The role is intentionally designed to operate across campus and community contexts. Approximately half of the Steward’s time is dedicated to supporting land-based priorities, stewardship activities, and cultural practices within the Songhees, Xʷsepsəm, and W̱SÁNEĆ communities, ensuring that campus-based work remains grounded in community values, knowledge systems, and needs. This integrated mandate strengthens reciprocal relationships between the university and Indigenous Nations and ensures that Indigenous stewardship on campus reflects living community governance and practice.
Position Objectives
The Indigenous Land Steward will achieve the following objectives:
- Provide Indigenous leadership and decision-making authority in the stewardship, restoration, and use of campus lands, including both cultivated and natural areas.
- Advance Indigenous-led ecological restoration practices on campus, grounded in local knowledge systems, cultural responsibilities, and ecological priorities.
- Enable and support Indigenous harvesting of food, medicines, and materials for use by Indigenous community members and for shared teaching and learning on campus.
- Facilitate the respectful transmission and application of local Indigenous laws, protocols, and relational frameworks within campus land-based activities and decision-making processes.
- Serve as a trusted bridge between Indigenous community members and campus spaces, prioritizing safety, relationship-building, and cultural integrity.
- Support the long-term regeneration of Indigenous land relationships and stewardship capacity both on campus and within partner communities.
Success in this role is reflected in strengthened Indigenous governance of campus lands, meaningful access to land-based practices for Indigenous community members, improved ecological outcomes through Indigenous-led restoration, and sustained, respectful relationships between the university and local Nations.
Exceptional or Unusual Working Conditions
Work Location: The position is split between on-campus work at the University of Victoria and off-campus work within the territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ Nations. Off-campus work may include travel to community lands, cultural sites, and stewardship areas.
Work Environment: The role involves regular outdoor work in natural and semi-natural environments, including forests, meadows, gardens, and restoration sites, in varying weather conditions.
Schedule and Autonomy: The position requires a high degree of autonomy and flexibility. Work hours may vary and may include evenings or weekends to accommodate cultural activities, harvesting seasons, ceremonies, or community needs.
Safety Considerations: The role may involve physical labor, use of hand tools, and participation in land-based activities such as harvesting and restoration. Appropriate safety protocols, training, and equipment will be provided in accordance with university and community standards.
