About Us

The World We Want To See

Wayfinding has been a way of life shared by the vast majority of Indigenous Peoples. Today, in a time of unprecedented global change, these wayfinding skills and practices are more important than ever.

Reciprocal relations with community, deep connections with Mother Earth, and guardianship of traditional lands and waters are forms of ancestral knowledge that are transmitted from one generation to the next. This wayfinding wisdom is a key to survival as well as resilience in maintaining Indigenous Peoples' identity and self-determination.

Why We Exist

Inspiring Courage and Transformative Action

The Wayfinders Circle was established to amplify Indigenous leadership that manifests a time-tested understanding of human responsibility to Mother Earth. Wayfinders demonstrate resilience and maintain the cultural and spiritual continuity of Indigenous communities. The Wayfinders Circle inspires strong courage for transformative actions to protect Mother Earth and the well-being of all life.

Our Name Origin

Wayfinding has been a way of life shared by the vast majority of Indigenous Peoples. It refers to the traditional navigation method used by Indigenous Peoples, where the properties of stars, weather, winds and navigational routes are shared through oral tradition from one generation to another.

How We Work

Members And Agreements

The Wayfinders Circle members are a global network of Indigenous Peoples, organizations, and communities from around the world who work to strengthen self-determination in managing their lands and territories and maintain cultural and spiritual continuity through intergenerational transmission.

Pawanka Fund, Nia Tero, and the World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners (WUISP) serve as the three convener organizations, offering technical and financial support to the Wayfinders Circle members. In addition, WUISP, also known as the Council of Elders, actively contributes with their spiritual wisdom to the Wayfinders Circle.

Common Elements of WayfinderS Circle Members

Governance Systems

Governance systems vary greatly among the Wayfinders, as do their ecosystems, which include a diversity of tropical forest communities, temperate Boreal forest communities, oceanic island communities, as well as semi-arid areas, grasslands, and mountain communities. In each case, the Wayfinders practice a broad array of self-governance formations rooted in their respective bioregions and in full realization of their own self-determination.

Robust governance structures, rooted in Indigenous worldviews, are paramount for the flourishing of each member's cultures and territories. Such frameworks enhance Indigenous Peoples' capacity to forge pathways toward constructive and respectful engagements with the State, affirming their right to self-determination.

Holistic Management and Guardianship of Collective Territories

Wayfinders members are driven by intrinsic motivation to uphold guardianship over their ancestral territories and ecosystems. With proven wisdom and experience, they have led processes that have fostered robust guardianship practices, ensuring a sustainable legacy for future generations.

Transmission of Traditional Knowledge, Spirituality and Ancestral Continuity

Spirituality holds a central role within the Wayfinders, integral to their way of life. The Wayfinders Circle is committed to safeguarding and preserving ancestral knowledge passed down from generation to generation. This knowledge serves as a cornerstone for developing management practices aimed at protecting traditional lands and waters.

The profound wisdom embedded within the Wayfinders' collective experience is not only crucial for survival, but also instrumental in cultivating resilience amidst challenges, playing a pivotal role in sustaining the identity and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples.

Conveners of the Wayfinders Circle

The Wayfinders Circle started as a collaborative initiative and platform convened by the Pawaka Fund and Nia Tero, with the guidance of the Council of Elders of the World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners (WUISP).

Nia Tero works in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples who sustain thriving territories and cultures to strengthen guardianship of Earth and all beings. Their vision is to contribute to a world where Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship of thriving homelands and waters is enabled everywhere possible on Earth.

Nia Tero establishes and nurtures long-term, trust-based partnerships with Indigenous Peoples to support their guardianship of collective territories. They also work to increase recognition and support of the vital role of Indigenous Peoples in maintaining a healthy planet – through their leadership, knowledge systems, and longstanding cultural practices.

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Pawanka Fund is an Indigenous-Led Fund striving to support and empower Indigenous Peoples around the globe. It is committed to the concept of intercultural philanthropy, based on ancestral practices of solidarity and reciprocity of Indigenous Peoples.

Pawanka responds to the needs of Indigenous Peoples building relationships of trust, networking and promoting articulation between local and global processes. It provides direct support to community led organizations for the recovery and revitalization of Indigenous knowledge and learning systems in seven sociocultural regions of the world including North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Arctic, Pacific, and Russia.

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World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners (WUISP) is an open voluntary alliance of Indigenous spiritual practitioners, shamans, healers, sacred sites guardians, cultural activists, holders of traditional Indigenous knowledge and values, Indigenous organizations and clans committed to working together with the common goal of achieving the mission and vision for protection of Mother Earth and strengthening of pristine ties human-nature- culture for the survival and wellbeing of generations to come.