The Seven Principles of Stewardship

In the last lesson, we looked at land as a relationship rather than an inventory. In this lesson, we widen that idea into seven principles that guide how an enterprise should be designed and run. We call them STEWARD, and they are the values at the heart of this course.

Principles matter because every project faces hard choices. Should we take the bigger contract or protect the land? Hire locally or hire the cheapest contractor? Grow fast or grow carefully? When those moments come, a clear set of principles helps a team decide consistently, and explain its decisions to the community.

Where the principles come from

STEWARD draws on values that Indigenous peoples on this coast have practised for thousands of years, and on the lessons of building circular enterprises on the Sunshine Coast. They are not exclusive to any one culture. They are principles any community, organization or business can use to make better decisions. In the next lesson, we look more closely at their Indigenous roots, and at how to honour them properly.

S: Strengthen Community

An enterprise should leave its community stronger: more connected, more capable and more confident. That means local jobs, local suppliers, shared benefits and decisions made with the people affected, not just for them.

In practice: hire and train locally where you can, buy from local businesses, and share the story of what you’re building so people feel part of it.

The question to ask: does this decision make our community stronger, or does it just make the project bigger?

T: Think in Generations

Decisions should be judged over decades, not quarters. Many Indigenous teachings ask how today’s choices will affect people several generations from now. A project that looks profitable over five years can look very different over fifty.

In practice: protect the natural base the enterprise depends on, assess the long-term implications of debts and contracts, and plan how benefits will continue beyond the current leadership team.

The question to ask: will our grandchildren thank us for this decision?

E: Enable Local Economies

Value should circulate locally before it leaves. Every dollar spent with a local supplier, every product made at home instead of imported, and every profit reinvested in the community does more work for local people.

In practice: substitute imports where you can, add value close to the source, and choose ownership structures that keep profits at home.

The question to ask: where does the money go, and how much of it stays?

W: Work with Purpose

Work should mean something. People do their best work when they can see the result and know why it matters. Enterprises with a clear purpose attract committed people, keep them longer and build pride in the community.

In practice: make the purpose visible, create dignified jobs with room to grow, and connect younger and older workers so skills pass between generations.

The question to ask: would the people doing this work be proud to explain it to their families?

A: Advance Reconciliation

Economic reconciliation means Indigenous peoples sharing fully in the economy built on their lands: as owners, leaders, partners and decision-makers, not only as employees or consultees. It is practical, not symbolic.

In practice: involve Indigenous Nations early, respect title and rights, seek consent, share ownership and benefits, and build relationships that last beyond one project.

The question to ask: does this project put Indigenous people in a position of ownership and decision, or only of consultation?

R: Regenerate Resources

Use resources in a way that leaves them healthier, not depleted. This is the heart of the shift from extractive to regenerative. Waste becomes an input, soil is rebuilt, water is protected and materials stay in use.

In practice: follow the waste hierarchy, return organic matter to the soil, restore what you disturb and measure the condition of the land over time. For example, locally made compost can help bring degraded farmland back into food production.

The question to ask: will this resource be in better or worse condition after we use it?

D: Design with Nature

Work with natural systems. Investigate whether protecting or restoring a watershed, wetland or soil system can provide the service your project needs. Compare performance, maintenance, costs and site conditions with other options.

In practice: include the condition of watersheds, wetlands, forests and soils in design decisions, and compare suitable processes for the materials you will handle. Gibsons’ natural asset work provides a useful example of bringing ecosystem services into asset management.

The question to ask: are we working with the land here, or forcing it?

How the principles connect to CRISIS

The seven principles answer the six pressures you studied in Chapter 2.

• Climate Crisis: answered by Regenerate Resources and Design with Nature.
• Resource and Waste: answered by Regenerate Resources and Enable Local Economies.
• Identity and Purpose: answered by Work with Purpose and Strengthen Community.
• Systems Failure: answered by Strengthen Community and Advance Reconciliation.
• Industry and Insecurity: answered by Enable Local Economies and Think in Generations.
• Skills Gap: answered by Work with Purpose and Strengthen Community.

If CRISIS describes the problem, STEWARD describes the way of working that solves it.

When principles pull in different directions

The principles won’t always agree. A contract with an outside company might bring jobs (Strengthen Community) but send profits away (Enable Local Economies). A faster build might help the economy now but harm the land (Think in Generations). These tensions are normal.

When principles conflict, don’t hide it. Name the trade-off, talk it through with the people affected, and choose the option that does least harm to the principles you can’t afford to give up. Often there is a third option that serves more of them, if you look for it.