2024 Indigenous Lands Program Report

The Indigenous Lands Program (ILP) builds the capacity of Native American Tribes in the Western U.S. to manage their natural resources through conservation planning and restoration activities on sovereign Tribal and ancestral lands. By blending western science and Indigenous stewardship values, we aim to improve climate resilience and preserve cultural lifeways of Native Peoples in the Southwest.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • New agreement with the Santa Fe National Forest to catalyze co-stewardship opportunities in Capulin Canyon, NM.

  • Developed & co-hosted the first annual Tribal Forest and Fire Summit in New Mexico.

  • New staff to increase administrative capacity and programmatic support.

OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

  • Supported  4 Native American women students in natural resource management programs or related fields. 

  • 10,000 native Conifer seedlings ordered for fall planting in New Mexico.

  • 3 miles of completed fencing with Tri-Pueblo Coalition. 

  • 200 native plants delivered to Kwiyagat Community Academy.

OUR WORK WITH LOCAL PARTNERS

Tribal partners

  • Tri-Pueblo Coalition (TPC): The TPC is an inter-Tribal coalition, composed of the Pueblos of Jemez, Cochiti, and Santo Domingo. TWP has been a partner with the TPC since 2019, co-developing and implementing post-fire restoration and prevention projects in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. 

  • Ute Mountain Ute Natural Resource Department (UMU NRD): TWP holds an MOU with the UMU NRD to complete wildfire prevention and mitigation, ranchland management, and support Tribal water infrastructure.

Tribally-led organizations and/or regional partners

  • High Water Mark LLC (HWM): HWM is a Native-woman-owned environmental engineering business with expertise in watershed management and rehabilitation, GIS support, hydrological studies, watershed assessments, wetland delineation, geomorphic surveying.

  • Montezuma Land Conservancy (MLC): MLC is a Colorado-based organization that partners with local community members, private landowners, and nonprofits to conserve natural resources in Southern Colorado. 

  • Kwiyagat Community Academy (KCA): KCA is a Colorado-based charter school that focuses on revitalizing Nuchiu language and culture for members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. 

  • Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF): SFNF is part of the New Mexico chapter of the United States Forest Service. TWP and SFNF will collaboratively engage in post-fire restoration projects in New Mexico.

OUR TEAM

James Calabaza - ILP Director/james@twp.org 

Michael Martinez - ILP Manager/mike@twp.org 

Philip Chavez - ILP Outreach Coordinator/philip@twp.org

Treston Chee - ILP Content Creator/treston@twp.org 

Zoe Bashkin - ILP Resource Coordinator/zoe@twp.org