Help Put Indian lands in Indian Hands

As Americans, we take the ability to control and manage our own assets for granted. We can decide when and if we want to invest our money, build a home or transfer property to our future heirs. American Indians do not enjoy those same freedoms. Unfortunately, due to the complex terms and conditions by which Indian people hold land – or “Indian land tenure” – they are regularly denied these basic fundamental rights. Moreover, loss of Indian land over the past 120 years is staggering; more than two-thirds of the reservation land guaranteed by federal treaties is now in non-Indian ownership. Lack of Indian control over the most fundamental asset – land – has contributed to the social, cultural and economic hardships experienced by tribes and individuals throughout Indian Country.

Without access to land as an economic resource or as leverage for generating resources, tribal communities are limited in their capacity to grow economically, socially and culturally. Despite treaty guarantees from the federal government about use and occupation of their land, tribes still find themselves in desperate need of new and less costly methods for recovering and utilizing their land.

ILTF has developed a number of strategies to address the problems of land loss and federal approval requirements in Indian Country. Through education, legal reform, economic empowerment and cultural preservation, ILTF will assist tribal nations on the road to land recovery, economic growth and self-governance.

Your support to ILTF’s Land Recovery Fund gives tribal nations and their leaders a variety of options to consider when making strategic plans for healthy and strong futures. By supporting land recovery, you are empowering Indian communities to meet the needs of their people and foster positive, empowering change.