FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2025
RAPID CITY, SD – NDN Fund, the impact investing arm of NDN Collective, today announced the closing of a LANDBACK loan with the Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) – an inter-tribal fish and wildlife commission authorized as a tribal consortium 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
The loan from NDN Fund allows CRRC to own the 1.52 acres the organization’s current building sits on, as well as to expand their facility and programming. The loan also allows for co-stewardship of natural resources among the seven Tribes, and the use of the Bureau of Indian Affairs 105(l) leasing program under the Indian Self-Determination Education and Assistance Act (ISDEAA), 25 U.S.C. § 5324(l) to reimburse CRRC for facility operating costs.
A 105(l) lease used in this way can serve as a model for other LANDBACK efforts across the globe.
The NDN Fund loan follows three previous grants from NDN Collective to fund CRRC’s innovative mariculture work. This “braided capital” model enables the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute to play an integral role in carrying out the mission of CRRC, supporting food security, ocean health, economic development, and Tribal sovereignty in the seven communities they serve.
“Successfully navigating the 105(l) process has been transformational for CRRC – by securing our lease agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, we are not only ensuring stability for our programs, but also leveraging that opportunity into long-term ownership of our facility,” said Willow Hetrick, Executive Director of CRRC. “NDN Collective’s support—both as a funder and as a lender—has been critical in making this possible. This is what LANDBACK looks like in practice: Native-led organizations reclaiming space, strengthening sovereignty, and building for generations to come.”
“NDN Collective is proud to support the Chugach Regional Resources Commission in this historic achievement,” said Serene Lawrence, NDN Collective Resourcing Director. “This milestone demonstrates what is possible when braided capital approaches bring together grants, loans, powerbuilding resources, and municipal support to advance Indigenous sovereignty.”
“NDN Collective applauds the Chugach Regional Resources Commission in leveraging the 105(l) BIA program to support their work. This is a model for future tribal development nationally,” said Wizipan Garriott, President NDN Collective.
“The 105(l) program helps CRCC exercise tribal sovereignty, protecting not only tribal food security but also food safety and the economic development needs for all Alaskans along this region’s coastline,” said Kim Pate, NDN Fund Managing Director. “We are honored to support CRRC’s leadership in supporting resilient systems for food security, sustainable resource management, and community wellbeing for their tribal citizens.”
CRRC serves the seven Tribes spanning from the Lower Cook Inlet through the Prince William Sound and east to the Lower Copper River: Chenega, Eyak, Nanwalek, Port Graham, Qutekcak, Tatitlek, and Valdez. This partnership operates the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute – an innovative mariculture technical center that protects dozens of species of shellfish, grows kelp seed for the state’s growing kelp industry to preserve this endangered sea plant, and conducts research and development related to sea life. Located in Seward, Alaska, Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute (APMI began operations in 1994 as the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery. APMI was built by the State of Alaska with criminal settlement funds from the Exxon Valdez oil spill as Alaska’s only shellfish hatchery and Mariculture Technical Center. Following completion of the construction in 1998, the City of Seward leased the building to the Marathon Native Tribe, now Qutekcak Native Tribe and the Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) and heavily supported the startup and operations. In 2004, CRRC took over the operations of the facility, maintaining the physical plant and continually upgrading and improving the hatchery systems so it remains a state-of-the-art facility.
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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.