Native Land Law Project – Making Positive Change for the Future

For far too many years, Indian Country has found itself at the mercy of other people’s political and legal agendas. Whipsawed by laws and regulations that are not their best interests, tribes and Indian people have spent incredible amounts of time and resources trying to undo gross injustices. The issues facing Indian people are little known or understood by those outside of the Native American community, and for this reason there is little public outcry at the legal framework surrounding Indian land issues. The ability of tribal nations and Indian landowners to use their land as they wish, to live or work on their own land, and to exercise jurisdiction over that land is severely limited. The effects in Indian Country are staggering – poverty and unemployment rates on reservations are some of the most visible.

But identifying the instances of historical and current injustices just isn’t enough; a new and better way to deal with the issues facing Indian people must be presented. And the change must come from within the community. ILTF’s Native Land Law and Proactive Agenda initiatives do just that. We need your support for the Native Land Law Fund to advance a more just and fair legal framework for Indian people.

We know through years of experience and the feedback of thousands of Indian landowners and leaders that the system of Indian land ownership is severely flawed. US law and policy have resulted in:

-Tribes’ loss of more than 90 million acres, more than two-thirds, of their reservation land over the past century and a half;
-Tribal governments’ significant loss of jurisdiction and control over one of their greatest resources – their land; and
-Reservation land that is still under Indian ownership has become essentially unmanageable due to the complexity of the federal system of Indian land inheritance and federal “permission” requirements.

ILTF has partnered with the Indian Land Resource Center (ILRC) to analyze current legal principles related to Indian land ownership. The analysis focuses on the law as it is experienced by those practicing and living in Indian Country. ILTF and ILRC have created a set of legal principles that proposes a more just legal system around Indian land issues. So far more than 1,000 Indian law practitioners, tribal attorneys, and tribal leaders have weighed in on the ideas the Native Land Law Project sets forth. Our hope is that even more of Indian Country will lend their expertise to the initiative. Through a series of regional meetings of tribal leaders and tribal attorneys, the Native Land Law Project and resulting Proactive Agenda will continue to be directed by Indian people to best serve Indian people. By making a gift to the Native Land Law Fund, you can support Indian people in leading positive, empowering change.