The Pawanka Fund - Shifting Power to Indigenous Peoples

Established in 2014, the Pawanka Fund is a global participatory grantmaker created and governed by Indigenous leaders. Operating in more than 50 countries, it supports Indigenous communities to strengthen their knowledge, self-determination, and resilience in the face of climate change.

Unlike traditional donor-driven models, Pawanka channels resources directly to Indigenous organizations and ensures they decide priorities and strategies. The fund emphasizes intergenerational knowledge transfer, cultural revitalization, and advocacy for land and territorial rights—key foundations of climate resilience.

Between 2015 and 2021, Pawanka supported 285 projects, including 69 directly focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation. These initiatives span nine Indigenous strategies, from strengthening food systems and water management, to language revitalization and land governance. Some location-specific examples of their work include:

• Tanzania: Maasai, Barbaig, and Hadzabe communities developed adaptation plans and policy dialogues to secure recognition of their climate resilience strategies.

• Indonesia: Indigenous women in West Kalimantan defended customary forests while creating sustainable enterprises based on traditional knowledge.

• Peru: Quechua farmers documented and revitalized ancestral agricultural practices with potatoes and quinoa to sustain food sovereignty in changing climates.

• South Africa: San communities established community gardens, recorded traditional knowledge, and built intergenerational learning spaces.

Despite their role in stewarding 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples receive less than 1% of climate finance directly. Lack of legal recognition for territories often criminalizes their defense of land, while large-scale projects—from mining to industrial agriculture to large wind farms—further threaten their survival.

Lessons Learned

• Indigenous knowledge, rooted in centuries of interaction with the land, offers proven, place-based solutions to climate change.

• Empowering Indigenous women and youth is essential to ensure resilience for future generations.

• Indigenous-led funds like Pawanka can close the gap between global climate finance and community realities.

Looking Ahead

Pawanka is more than a funding mechanism—it is part of a movement to re-center climate solutions in Indigenous values and rights. By investing in Indigenous-led organizations, donors can help protect the ecosystems that sustain all humanity while ensuring communities thrive with dignity and self-determination.