Indigenous Land Stewardship Certificate
On Campus Delivery:
The Indigenous Land Stewardship (ILS) Program offers students career preparation in land and resource management as well as a gateway to higher education. This one-year certificate program consists of ten courses rooted in Indigenous knowledge of land, community, and ecology.
Asynchronous Online Delivery:
Students from anywhere within Canada and with Internet access may join the ILS Online Certificate Program. Course content is identical to the regular ILS certificate program but offered online. Asynchronous delivery means classes run more flexibly, with students accessing class materials during different hours and from other locations. However, coursework and assignments follow the same weekly schedule as the regular program. Course offerings are limited to the current academic semester offerings.
Intakes:
Winter 2025
Fall 2025
Admission Requirements
- B.C. secondary school (Grade 12) or equivalent (B.C. Adult Dogwood Graduation Diploma or General Education Diploma).
- English 12 “C” grade or higher
- Please contact our admissions department if you require any additional information.
- NEC prioritizes Indigenous education for Indigenous learners, but we accept all people who are seeking a distinctly Indigenous educational experience. However, at this time, we do not accept international students.
If you do not meet high school graduation requirements or need to boost your high school grades before applying to a program, NEC can help you.
- Minimum 18 years old
- If transcripts not available Accuplacer assessment required
- Accuplacer scores: Reading Comprehension = 240 Writing Comprehension = 240
- NEC prioritizes Indigenous education for Indigenous learners, but we accept all people who are seeking a distinctly Indigenous educational experience. However at this time, we do not accept international students.
| Program Tuition: | $5,800.00 |
| Registration: | $75.00 |
| Graduation: | $30.00 |
| Student Association: | $30.00 |
| Student Record and Student Card Fee: | $15.00 |
| Transportation – Upass | $414.00 |
| *Books & Supplies (w/tax) | $776.00 |
| *Laptop (w/tax - optional) | $1,050.00 |
| TOTAL: | $7,140.00 |
| TOTAL:(with laptop) | $8,190.00 |
Become a Steward
Begin your education and develop a deeper understanding of the need for careful land use planning and an ecosystem-based management skills. Become a knowledge keeper in the need to care for our terrestrial lands and vulnerable areas for our future – connect with industry partners while guiding responsible resource development.
Transferable Credits
Indigenous Land Stewardship graduates may further their post-secondary studies through block credit transfer agreements with our academic partners.
CAPU
KPU
SFU
UBC
Flexibility
This nine month certificate program is offered on-line & in-person to meet the needs of adult education.
Financial Aid
Students will procure funding sources and student loans, Nation funding and other funding agencies. NEC scholarships are available for Indigenous applicants.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Indigenous Land Stewardship Certificate, the learner will be able to
Apply Indigenous principles of stewardship to land and resource management
Articulate the benefits of an ecosystem approach to land and resource decisions
Explain the effects of colonialism on traditional land management and the implications of recent legal decisions
Synthesize traditional and contemporary methods of Indigenous land mapping and knowledge sharing
Contribute to the design, planning and development of projects on Indigenous and other lands that address environmental challenges
Engage in key issues relevant to Indigenous communities based on traditional principles of environmental and social justice
Course Descriptions
Fall Semester / 14 weeks
ILS 100 | Introduction to Land Stewardship | 70 hrs |
ILS 110 | Academic English | 70 hrs |
ILS 120 | Indigenous Environmental Knowledge | 70 hrs |
ILS 130 | Ecosystems | 70 hrs |
Winter Semester / 14 weeks
ILS 140 | Climate Crises Strategies | 70 hrs |
ILS 150 | Indigenous Governance, Law and the Environment | 70 hrs |
ILS 160 | Contemporary Issues in Indigenous Land Stewardship | 70 hrs |
ILS 170 | Leadership and Project Management | 70 hrs |
Spring Semester / 4 weeks
ILS 180 | Field Studies – Contemporary Indigenous Mapping | 50 hrs |
ILS 190 | Field Studies – Community-Based Planning | 50 hrs |
Course Duration:
32 Weeks totalling 660 hours / Monday to Friday
Brian Davis
“It is a legacy for me to be able to tell what I have accomplished with my studies at NEC. My father did not have the opportunity to complete his education, and I grew up in a foster family, which encouraged me to further my adult education purpose and I am grateful to add that I am currently finishing my Indigenous Land Stewardship certificate at NEC. I’m doing things I never would have imagined doing before. At NEC, I made friends, felt a sense of community, and was welcomed into a cultural environment.”