We must return land to Indigenous communities.
The Community Based Global Learning Collaborative states: “The Land Back movement advocates for a transfer of decision-making power over land to Indigenous communities. The movement does not ask current residents to vacate their homes, but maintains that Indigenous governance is possible, sustainable, and preferred for public lands.”
It goes on to say: “In the territory currently known as the United States, much of the land belongs to Indigenous people and has been declared so by hundreds of treaties over the years. Since then, the United States government has violated every single treaty it has signed with Indigenous people. Indigenous communities have been pushed to reservations on a small fraction of land and denied access and power over their ancestral territories. In addition, the effects of environmental racism have and continue to negatively impact Indigenous communities on reservations… Hazardous waste sites, oil pipelines, and other forms of pollution threaten the last remnants of recognized Indigenous land with contamination and degradation. Thus, many Indigenous people are calling for both better land and biodiversity protection as well as the transfer of power over the land back to Indigenous caretakers.”
There are many ways to return land and sovereignty back to the indigenous people who it was stolen from.
DONATE:
Land Back is a decentralized movement that exists “to get Indigenous Lands back into Indigenous hands.” https://landback.org/
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation works to get "land within the original boundaries of every reservation and other areas of high significance where tribes retain aboriginal interest [into] Indian ownership and management." https://iltf.org/
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust “is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust based in the San Francisco Bay Area that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people.” https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/
Real Rent Duwamish “calls on people who live and work in Seattle to make rent payments to the Duwamish Tribe. Though the city named for the Duwamish leader Chief Seattle thrives, the Tribe has yet to be justly compensated for their land, resources, and livelihood.” https://www.realrentduwamish.org/
We also must support indigenous voices.
DONATE:
Native American Media Alliance supports indigenous voices in film, television, and news media. https://nama.media/mission/
Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance is an Indigenous-led organization which states: “News and information are critical to economic development and sustainable, thriving communities. We’re dedicated to creating a news environment where citizens can control their destiny by making informed decisions.” https://imfreedomalliance.org/
We Need Diverse Books is an organization that supports and provides funding to all voices that are underrepresented in children’s literature. https://diversebooks.org/
SOURCES:
Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative. (n.d.). Land Back Movement. Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative. https://www.cbglcollab.org/what-does-land-restitution-mean#
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