INDIGENOUS LANDS
Indigenous Lands Program Introduction
TWP’s Indigenous Lands Program was founded in 2005 to support Native American Tribal communities and organizations in the preservation of their lands, natural resources and cultural lifeways. The Indigenous Lands Program continues to evolve, and this document lays out the vision and philosophy of the program, partnerships, and ongoing projects in our portfolio.
Program Purpose
The Indigenous Lands Program exists to build the capacity of Native American Tribes in the Western U.S. to manage their natural resources through conservation planning and resto- ration activities on sovereign Tribal and ancestral lands.
The Climate crisis is affecting resource availability, and Native communities are seeing direct effects across ancestral land- scapes, affecting agriculture, water availability, soil quality, and cultural resources.
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 collaborative efforts to protect and preserve their landscapes and cultural values.
Our Philosophy
Community-led, regenerative, natural resource projects improve the economic, environmental,
social, and cultural lifeways of Tribal Peoples in the U.S.
—
Our Approach
Engage in equitable partnerships with Tribes to restore and steward Indigenous and ancestral lands affected by habitat degradation and natural disasters resulting from climate change;
Promote the traditional values and stewardship practices of Indigenous Peoples to ensure cultural preservation and sovereignty; and
Promote and value the inter-generational and cross-cultural transmission of Traditional Ecological Knowledge so that Tribes can conserve and protect Indigenous cultural lifeways.
Where We Are Most Effective
TWP is most effective as a convener of expertise and resources for the benefit of Tribal communities. We help Tribal partners raise funds, refine ideas, plan and design project activities, and interact with agencies, funders, consultants and other stakeholders. We support capacity building and skills development opportunities for Tribal Natural Resources Departments by hosting workshops focused on grant writing, project management, in-field project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, data collection and report writing.
We engage with Tribal Natural Resources Departments, cultural programs, schools, and leadership groups associated with Indigenous communities in the Southwest.
Tribal Partners
Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico
Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico
Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico
Ute Mountain Ute, Colorado
ILP ENGAGEMENT & PLANNING
ILP approach to engagement with Tribal partners is based on respecting Tribal Sovereignty, establishing trust & reciprocity, having community engagement and respecting Tribal cultures and knowledge systems. ILP collaborates with Native Peoples through a holistic view of stewardship that all is interconnected (see figure) and collaborate with Native Peoples through these three principles of engagement:
Pro-Indigenous (for Indigenous people)
Para-Indigenous (with Indigenous people)
Per-Indigenous (by Indigenous people)
Originating from Pueblo-led forest restoration projects in New Mexico, the collaboration of Trees, Water & People and The Nature Conservancy was developed to share vision, experience, determination, and our Pueblo connections, in order to further the efforts of stewarding valuable Tribal forests.