First Stewards Summit 2026
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About This Event
The Alliance and Native Americans in Philanthropy will co-host the next First Stewards Summit on Sept. 16, 2026, at the Denver Indian Center in Denver, Colorado. The agenda is being informed by feedback from past Summits and shaped by a planning team of Indigenous land conservationists. The full day event will include time for ceremony, knowledge sharing and relationship building. Further details will be available in the coming months.
The one-day First Stewards Summit precedes Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference, the largest land conservation conference in the United States. Rally takes place Sept. 17-19th at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel. Summit attendees are invited to join the larger conference, which will include workshops on a wide range of land conservation topics, including Indigenous land relationships.
Scroll to the bottom of this page to apply to join us at the First Stewards Summit.
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The First Stewards Network story
In 2023, the Land Trust Alliance partnered with an Indigenous planning team to host the first ever Indigenous Land Conservation Summit (now called the First Stewards Summit) in conjunction with Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference.
The First Stewards Summit was created at the request of Indigenous land conservation leaders who sought a space to build community, exchange knowledge and address shared challenges in their land relationship, access, return and stewardship efforts. Over 80 Tribal and nonprofit leaders came together at this inaugural gathering, building the foundation for a second summit with over 100 participants in Providence, Rhode Island, in 2024.
The conversations and relationships at these events catalyzed new commitments from the Alliance to support Indigenous-led conservation and launched a partnership between the Alliance and Native Americans in Philanthropy. Together, the Alliance and NAP have established a virtual network to provide ongoing space for networking and peer learning between biennial in-person summits.
The 2026 summit
The Alliance and NAP will co-host the next First Stewards Summit on Sept. 16, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. The agenda is being informed by feedback from past Summits and shaped by a planning team. The full day event will include time for ceremony, knowledge sharing and relationship building. Further details will be available in the coming months.
The one-day First Stewards Summit precedes Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference, the largest land conservation conference in the United States. Rally takes place Sept. 17-19 at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel. Summit attendees are invited to join the larger conference, which will include workshops on a wide range of land conservation topics, including Indigenous land relationships.
Registration
To attend the First Stewards Summit, apply using the form at the bottom of this page.
Past events
To learn more about the 2023 and 2024 summits, check out the programs and reports linked below.
Is this right for you?
This space is created for those who are engaged in Indigenous land conservation, stewardship and community leadership through land trusts and other non-public land conservation mechanisms. To respect the integrity of this space, we ask that participation be limited to individuals who:
Are working on behalf of a Tribe, Indigenous land trust or Indigenous-led conservation non-profit, OR,
Are working or volunteering in a role that is primarily focused on Indigenous land conservation
Space is limited and capacity will be determined by available funding. We encourage those who do not fit the criteria above to consider supporting the event in some of the ways recommended in the FAQ below.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the First Stewards Summit and Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference? Can I attend just one or the other?
The Summit is a one-day event for Indigenous land conservationists. It takes place on Sept. 16 before the official start of Rally. Rally is a larger conference that takes place Sept. 17-19 . The larger conference includes an Indigenous Land Relationships workshop track and will feature other relevant content and opportunities.
We invite Indigenous land conservationists to attend both but also understand if other commitments require you to prioritize one or the other.
What can I expect from the Summit?
The Summit will take place on Sept. 16 from approximately 9-5 p.m. The agenda typically includes a welcome from Tribal leadership, dedicated time for cultural exchange, networking and relationship building and presentations on topics related to land access, return, stewardship and relationships. Past presenters and attendees have included Indigenous non-profit and land trust staff and volunteers and Tribal elected officials and staff. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.
Will stipends be available to support attendees?
Stipends will be available to cover the travel, lodging and registration expenses for the Summit. Summit attendees who choose to stay and attend Rally will also have their lodging, basic registration and a ticket for the welcome dinner covered for that event. All other Rally à la carte items are the responsibility of the attendee.
The stipend award amount is dependent on the needs of each individual attendee. Attendees will share their stipend need at the time of registration and will need to submit a W9 and payment authorization form via a secure online portal to receive their stipend. The number of stipends available will depend on fundraising results.
Want to support the Summit?
You can support this gathering by helping to spread the word to partners and colleagues who might be interested in attending. We are also seeking sponsorship partners to make the event possible. The Alliance and NAP are currently fundraising to cover meeting costs, honoraria for presenters and travel and lodging stipends for attendees.
Please direct questions and sponsorship inquiries to Forrest King-Cortes at king-cortes@lta.org and Ikhlas Ahmed at Iahmed@nativephilanthropy.org.