Indigenous Research

Think critically about land acknowledgements. While it is important to understand the history of the land you are on and the people who were here first, a statement about history alone is rarely useful to Native peoples. Land acknowledgements should be a first step toward restorative measures and efforts to strengthen Indigenous sovereignty.  

See Land Acknowledgments Meant to Honor Indigenous People Too Often Do the Opposite - Erasing American Indians and Sanitizing History Instead 

Support treaties and land repatriation efforts. Learn about local, state, and federal political initiatives that affect Native peoples, and support measures to enforce current treaties and restore landownership to Indigenous nations. 

Example of a proposal for land reparations: David Treuer makes the case that the National Parks should be returned to Native Americans. Read his Atlantic article or listen to the interview: Should Native Americans control national parks? Examining an argument for reparations. 

Example of treaty enforcement: The Treaty of New Echota, 1835 guarantees the Cherokee Nation a delegate in Congress. Read about the initiative to give the Cherokee Nation a seat in Congress or reach out to your representative to encourage them to honor the treaty. 

Example of a tax policy beneficial to Native land and preservation efforts: “Snoqualmie Tribe Implements Ground-Breaking Lands Protection Tax: New tax is first of its kind in North America” 

Financially contribute to Native organizations and aid funds. 

Local organizations supporting the Native American community include the Baltimore American Indian Center and Native American LifeLines 

See Organizations and Web Resources for more potential places to donate