Manitou Summit
An Indigenous-led platform for youth leadership, stewardship, and measurable action.
Launching in Boulder, Colorado in October 2026, Manitou brings together Indigenous youth, elders, mentors, and aligned partners to support leadership development, stewardship learning, and real-world action grounded in cultural responsibility and braided science.
Jane’s Message to Us
A Vision Ready to Launch
Manitou began with a shared vision between Dr. Jane Goodall and Jeremy Gregory of Tindakan: to support Indigenous youth leadership through story, stewardship, and action.
Inspired by Jane’s work with Indigenous youth through Roots & Shoots, Manitou is designed to help the next generation protect land, water, culture, and biodiversity.
Now the vision is ready to launch.
Why Manitou Exists
Climate finance is growing, but Indigenous leadership remains structurally underfunded and under-heard. Too much capital still moves through large institutions instead of trusted Indigenous-led pathways grounded in place, consent, and responsibility. Manitou is designed to help close that gap.
Global climate finance exceeded $2T in 2024 and continues to grow
Indigenous communities receive less than 1% of international climate finance directly
UNEP estimates $310–$365B per year by 2035 is needed for adaptation
Local adaptation funding remains 12–14x below what is required
Manitou Summit exists to bring hope and solutions to the world.
The Manitou Model
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Leadship Lab
Supports youth leadership through mentorship, stewardship, and braided-science learning.
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Cultural Festival
Music, Ceremony, and Celebration that builds trust, cultural grounding, visibility, and partner alignment.
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Project Incubator
Incubating Youth-Led Solutions
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Online Community
Maintains continuity, coordination, consent-based verification, and protected storytelling.
Indigenous communities have long stewarded land, water, and culture through systems rooted in reciprocity, responsibility, and respect for all life.
Why this Model Works
Built to Launch Credibly. Built to Endure.
Manitou is built as a pragmatic Year 1 platform, not a new standalone institution. Its design is intentional.
Fiscal Home in Place
Tindakan serves as the 501(c)(3) fiscal and operating backbone.
Indigenous Governance
The Advisory Council anchors legitimacy, safeguards, and cultural accountability.
Connected to Real Work
Fellows engage with Indigenous-led stewardship and buffalo restoration efforts already in motion.
Substance and Visibility
The fellowship carries the year-round substance; the Boulder gathering brings the work into public view.
Right-Sized Budget
Funding supports execution, not institutional bloat.
Why Now?