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    The Alliance seeks to support practitioners working in Indigenous land protection, stewardship and land back initiatives across private landscapes in North America, and to meaningfully honor the unique role that Tribes and Indigenous communities have played as the first stewards of the lands and waters we live and work on.

    The Alliance’s objectives for this work in the coming years have been informed by ongoing listening and dialogue with leaders in Indigenous land protection and feedback from our member land trusts across the country.

    Resources for land conservationists about Indigenous land conservation

    The Alliance is committed to highlighting and developing resources for conservation practitioners working in or interested in Indigenous land conservation.

    • Partnerships for Indigenous Land Access and Return: A Summary of Legal and Relational Pathways

      Partnerships for Indigenous Land Access and Return introduces a spectrum of approaches to land access and return, focusing on strategies and solutions that have been developed in partnership by land trusts and tribes or Indigenous-led organizations. The approach descriptions are supplemented with case studies highlighting successful partnerships, wisdom and lessons learned from those leading this work and a collection of resources for continued learning.

    • Self-paced training for allies

      We recommend that allies begin with foundational learning to grow their cultural and historical understanding. We always recommend that individuals and organizations do their own homework and build relationships with local Tribes and Indigenous communities to grow their knowledge, but there are several options for foundational training that can complement these efforts. Below are some examples that have been developed by leaders in this space:

    First Stewards Summit

    The Summit is a one-day in-person gathering that takes place every other year in conjunction with Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference. It is a networking and peer learning space for those who are engaged in Indigenous land conservation and stewardship through land trusts and other non-public land conservation mechanisms. Individuals working on behalf of a Tribe, Indigenous land trust or Indigenous-led conservation non-profit or working or volunteering in a role that is primarily focused on Indigenous land conservation are invited to attend.

    In 2023, the Land Trust Alliance partnered with a planning team to host the first ever Indigenous Land Conservation Summit (now called the First Stewards Summit) in conjunction with Rally.

    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 Alliance is partnered with Native Americans in Philanthropy and a planning team to host the next Summit in Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 16, 2026.

    To learn more about the 2023 and 2024 Summits, check out the programs and reports linked below.

    First Stewards Network

    The Network is a space for practitioners working in Indigenous land protection, stewardship and land back initiatives across private landscapes in North America, co-hosted by the Land Trust Alliance and Native Americans in Philanthropy.

    Learn more and register

    Questions?

    Reach out to ccc@lta.org.