TWP Priortiy: Indigenous Sovereignty 
By TWP’s Indigenous Lands Program

At Trees, Water & People (TWP), we unequivocally celebrate the autonomy of Tribes within the United States and advocate for Native sovereignty in decisions that affect their territories, cultures, and communities. There are 574 Federally recognized Tribes in our country, each with rich histories, traditions, and governance structures that deserve our respect and attention. 

Native communities are seeing the toll climate change is taking on ancestral lands, agriculture, water availability, soil quality, and cultural resources, and require funding to support local approaches to mitigation and adaptation. These are long-term challenges, with existential implications for the communities that have lived on these lands since time immemorial.

By blending Western science and Indigenous stewardship values, we aim to improve climate resilience and preserve cultural lifeways of Native Peoples in the Southwest. Our approach is to consult, involve, and empower Native Peoples in our efforts to protect and preserve ancestral landscapes and cultural values.

TWP’s priority to strengthen Indigenous Sovereignty shows up through our partnerships, project designs, local hiring practices, and funding relationships. We help Tribal partners refine ideas, plan and design project activities, and interact with agencies, funders, consultants and other stakeholders. We also hire local, Native professionals and students to implement the work and build local capacity to solve local challenges. 

This week we want to honor and celebrate Native American Heritage Day by highlighting the importance of this work. When you support TWP’s Indigenous Lands Program, you can be assured that your donation goes to fund Indigenous priorities with benefits for all of our future generations. We thank you for your trust in supporting Indigenous Sovereignty through Trees, Water & People.