Focus Area

Stewardship of Ancestral Lands and Waters

Each community differs in its approach; examples include mapping land bases, managing land donations, fighting for water rights, and incorporating traditional ecological knowledge on land formerly under tribal control.

Awarded Grants

2026

The Yurok Tribe Cultural Fire Inventory and Mapping Development Project

2026 The Yurok Tribe Cultural Fire Inventory and Mapping Development Project

$75,000
Yurok Tribe ca Created with Sketch. Klamath, CA

Description

This project seeks to enhance the capacity of the Yurok Tribe to steward lands and waters within the Yurok Reservation and Ancestral Territory that come under Yurok ownership, creating a culturally responsive model for traditional land stewardship.

2026

Returning to Pimu and the Bay: Gabrieleno‑Tongva Marine Stewardship and Monitoring Program

2026 Returning to Pimu and the Bay: Gabrieleno‑Tongva Marine Stewardship and Monitoring Program

$75,000
Gabrieleno / Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians ca Created with Sketch. San Gabriel, CA

Description

Returning to Pimu and the Bay: Gabrieleno‑Tongva Marine Stewardship and Monitoring Program will build Tongva-led capacity to access, study, and care for Santa Monica Bay and the Channel Islands through culturally grounded environmental engagement, monitoring, and youth leadership development.

2026

Tip of the Spear: Modoc Regenerative Crew and Cultural Monitoring Project

2026 Tip of the Spear: Modoc Regenerative Crew and Cultural Monitoring Project

$75,000
Modoc Nation ok Created with Sketch. Miami, OK

Description

To strengthen our Homelands Dept to lead land return, restoration, and cultural monitoring in our homelands, building stewardship capacity with our regenerative crew lead, trained cultural monitors, and intergenerational knowledge-sharing that guide present and future care for lands and waters.