It’s been a practice of mine to leave flower seeds behind when I move from one house to another. I suppose it’s a small act of reciprocity, trust, leaving something for the next temporary stewards.

At TWP, I’ve come to realize how much the organizations we support are doing this every day, in the big ways. 

They are investing everything in outcomes they will never see, because they know it’s the right thing to do. 

We all need to learn to do the same.

It’s been more than 20 years since we met Chief Henry Red Cloud.

At the time, he was building the foundations of Lakota Solar Enterprises – one of the first Native-owned renewable energy companies in the U.S. – to support his community in the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota.

When our partnership with them started in the late 90s, AHDESA was formed by only a few individuals who were investing everything they had in protecting local forests.

Today, the motivation remains the same, but that small nonprofit has grown into a robust organization serving thousands of families every year.

In the 2026 Stewards of the Southwest summit, TWP and partners brought forward the vital roles of Indigenous women in land stewardship. For the first time, we coordinated an Indigenous Women in Stewardship Panel as part of the summit, and we are honored to share some of the insights offered by our incredible panelists.