Native Education

Indigenous Land Stewardship Certificate

In – Person
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.

Online

Students from anywhere in BC 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: 

  • January 2025 – Online
  • September 2024 -Online & in person

This program is Full-time, Monday to Friday, 9 months long.
Classes are in-person in Vancouver  B.C.

Admission Requirements

High School Applicants
Mature Applicants
Tuition and Fees
  • B.C. secondary school (Grade 12) or equivalent (B.C. Adult Dogwood Graduation Diploma or General Education Diploma).
  • English 12 “C” grade or higher
  • Letter of Intent
  • 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.

  • 18 years old or older
  • Completed written assessment with “C” grade or higher
  • Letter of Intent
  • 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 & backpack) $8,190.00

Occupation upon Completion

Program graduates find jobs with employers involved in land and resource administration including First Nations Bands, Indigenous organizations, resource, utility, and land development companies; environmental groups; municipalities, and others.

Indigenous Land Stewardship graduates may further their post-secondary studies through block credit transfer agreements with our academic partners. ILS credits can be counted towards degrees at Capilano University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.

Why choose NEC to study ILS?

Stewardship means acting responsibly to serve the needs of a community

Career with high demand & salaries

Graduates of this program leave with skills that will improve your resume and therefore better job opportunities.

 

Flexible

This 9-month certificate is offered Online & in-person.

This program has been approved by the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training.

Transferable credits to university

Indigenous Land Stewardship graduates may further their post-secondary studies through block credit transfer agreements with our academic partners.

CAPU
KPU
SFU 
UBC

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

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.”

ILS - Student 2023