Sacred Fire Foundation

In Their Own Words

Founded in 2007, Sacred Fire Foundation supports initiatives seeking to ensure the continuance of Indigenous wisdom traditions worldwide. Through programs such as Protecting the Sacred, in-person events like Voices of Wisdom, digital media, and our annual Wisdom Treasure Award, which honors the life of an Indigenous Elder, the Foundation serves as a bridge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. We honor the wisdom of Indigenous worldview and believe all life can flourish when humanity embraces our responsibility to care for the living world for the benefit of unborn generations. From 2012 to 2020, the Foundation distributed nearly $625,000 in Protecting the Sacred funds to projects throughout North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand that support Indigenous wisdom-keepers, knowledge-holders, and their communities in strengthening their worldviews, sacred teachings, and lifeways. Our project giving model is focused on 5 main areas: 1. Indigenous worldviews or Cosmovision 2. Sacred Values 3. Community Participation 4. Youth and Elder Exchange 5. Culture and Lifeways Indigenous cultures embody the wisdom of sustainable living through a respectful, cohesive relationship to all living things. They see the world as interconnected. When you harm the planet, you are essentially harming yourself. We believe these values are critical for the very survival of all cultures. There are 370 million Indigenous people around the world making up less than 5% of the world’s population. As they’ve done for thousands of years as the original caretakers, they’re protecting 80% of our remaining global biodiversity When Indigenous communities are healthy and thriving, we all benefit. For countless generations, human beings lived in relationship with the natural world, guided by their deep connection to the earth and cosmos and the wisdom passed on through their traditions by Elders. This ability to listen, connect, respect and honor all life as sacred is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. We believe that Indigenous knowledge traditions and the Elders that guide them, hold the wisdom and values the world needs. Every aspect of the work we do is informed by Indigenous voices, rooted in the values of respect, responsibility and reciprocity.