About the Foundation

A diverse community with a shared vision

The Indian Land Tenure Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is community organized and community directed. The community includes Indian landowners, Indian people on and off reservations, Indian land organizations, tribal communities, tribal governments and others connected to Indian land issues.

The Foundation's focus is to educate, support activities and raise funds to carry out goals related to Indian land tenure. The goals come from the hearts and souls of tribal community members striving to make reservations a better place to live, now, and for future generations.


A formidable mission

The mission of the Foundation is to ensure that "land within the original boundaries of every reservation and other areas of high significance where tribes retain aboriginal interest are in Indian ownership and management."


Strategies offer hope

This mission will be achieved with four strategies:

• Educate every Indian landowner about Indian land management, ownership and transference issues so that knowledge becomes power when decisions about land assets are made.

• Increase economic assets of Indian landowners by gaining control of Indian lands and creating financial models that convert land into leverage for Indian owners.

• Use Indian land to help Indian people discover and maintain their culture.

• Reform legal mechanisms related to recapturing the physical, cultural and economic assets for Indian people and strengthening sovereignty of Indian land.


Guiding principles

The Foundation promotes the following principles to create positive futures for all Indian people:

• Inclusion of diverse voices and interests from throughout the Indian land community.

• Self-determination of tribes and Indian people.

• Knowledge and the ability to take action.