Honouring Nations Canada Award

Honouring Nations Canada is an Indigenous-led and Indigenous-informed national awards and learning initiative of Fulbright Canada, established to recognize, celebrate, and elevate outstanding examples of Indigenous governance, leadership, and innovation across Canada.

Inspired by the Honoring Nations program at Harvard Kennedy School’s Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, Honouring Nations Canada adapts this internationally respected model to reflect the unique constitutional, legal, cultural, and political realities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

At its core, the program identifies Indigenous-led solutions achieving meaningful results for communities and nations. These solutions may take the form of policies, laws, institutions, programs, partnerships, or governance practices that strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and improve outcomes for citizens. The program recognizes demonstrated achievement and transferable learning—not intention or effort alone. The program is guided by its Circle of Advisor and National Advisory Council

Program Goals

•  Publicly recognize excellence in Indigenous governance
•  Share practical governance innovations through case studies
•  Support Indigenous leadership and nation-building
•  Strengthen governance ecosystems across Indigenous nations
•  Foster peer learning and knowledge exchange among Indigenous nations
•  Elevate Indigenous leadership to inform decision making and influence policy

Assessment Criteria

•  Indigenous leadership and authority
•  Demonstrated results and measurable impact
•  Sustainability over time
•  Community legitimacy and engagement
•  Cultural grounding in Indigenous values and law
•  Learning value for other Indigenous nations