In recent months, amidst an unstable socio-political landscape, NDN Collective has undergone an organizational overhaul and made major programmatic shifts. These shifts include staff layoffs and overall changes in programming. Leadership at NDN Collective released the following statement:
“Over the last seven years, NDN Collective has resourced an incredible network of Indigenous leaders, organizations, Nations, and businesses through our central lens of Defend, Develop, Decolonize. Through grantmaking, lending, organizing, political advocacy, and community development we have transformed the landscape and built up the infrastructure that exists today for the LANDBACK movement.
“We recognize now that it is time to pivot our strategies to respond to the time we are in. Organizing has always been at the heart of our work — now, it’s time to double down and activate the network of Indigenous Peoples who are pushing for equity and justice for all people and Mother Earth.
“Our revolutionary work and unapologetic values have put us in the cross hairs of many individuals, groups, and systems who have sought to repress our voice and work since we opened our doors – and in this moment of mass destabilization that has directly impacted our budget and organizational sustainability, we have no choice but to make major strategic shifts.
“We will continue to support the defense, development and decolonization of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island and globally, activating the widespread network of empowered Indigenous people we’ve built since our inception to mobilize when it matters most.
“In order to continue our work amidst an unstable economic and political environment and have the impact that is needed in this moment, we have made the decision to restructure our organization. This is a heavy time for us – we’ve had to make difficult decisions around programmatic shifts and reducing or eliminating whole bodies of work.
“All of the decisions we have been pushed to make in an uncertain and volatile funding landscape have been challenging, yet the most heartbreaking and life-changing decisions have included having to carry out layoffs.
“The people being laid off are not just staff— they are our relatives. They have contributed their brilliance, skills, and experience to help make the NDN Collective ecosystem what it is today. They have committed countless hours and put themselves at risk for this work – for the people. We have deeply impacted Indigenous people and communities globally and we have WON incredible victories because of them. They will always be our relatives and we know we will continue to fight for a better world together, even if in other formations. We will continue to support our relatives during this time of transition, and will celebrate them in their next chapters.
“We may be smaller and scrappier with leaner monetary resources, but NDN Collective will remain steadfast in our mission and commitment to building the collective power of Indigenous Peoples and fighting for the liberation of all people. Through the grief of losing some of our team members and the honoring of all we accomplished over the past 8 years – we have clarity and a sharpened spear heading into this next chapter of our work and how it fits into the ongoing fight against fascism.
“We call upon philanthropic organizations and wealthy individuals to distribute their resources in a way that is responsive to our current reality, where the federal government’s efforts to repress freedom of thought, ideology, and speech, basic human rights, and environmental protections through massive funding cuts could lead to over a third of nonprofit organizations shuttering within months of losing government grants.
“As Indigenous people, we have the ancient methodologies of living with the Earth, of representative governance, of wellness for every aspect of human, animal, and plant life – all of which still have viability today. We will continue to build on the strength of our ancestors, who always adapted to evolving sociopolitical climates and are the reason we’ve been able to accomplish so much over the years. In these challenging times, we draw upon our ancestral strength, teachings, and ceremonies to guide us.”
Donations to NDN Collective’s For the People campaign can be made here.
NDN Collective’s leadership also discussed these changes on the LANDBACK For The People podcast.
NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.