Graphic Design by JayCee Beyale, Graphic Designer for NDN Collective.

As warmer weather greets us and the days get longer, we are energized and emboldened in our collective power. For many Indigenous Peoples, this is also a season of traditional gatherings, celebration, and ceremonies. As we approach summer at NDN Collective, we hold close our goals to defend, develop, and decolonize, continually organizing and building toward a better world for all people and Mother Earth.

In this month’s newsletter, we share original NDN stories about the historic Guna Yala revolution of 1925, about the successful land return deals in the Copper River Delta of Alaska, and NDN Collective insights in the wake of federal funding freezes. We also share updates from the NDN Collective ecosystem, and more! Thank you for organizing and building alongside us in this work.

Indigenous organizers and activists gather around the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., awaiting the executive decision on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which was upheld in a 7-2 ruling, confirming its constitutionality. Photo by Steph Viera for NDN Collective.

Since the start of Trump’s slew of executive orders began in January, NDN Collective has heard from hundreds of comrades, grant recipients, loan relatives, and communities, about the impacts of these federal funding freezes on our work. While our organization is not immune to the impacts of this authoritarian administration, we remain steadfast in our mission to continue supporting our people and protecting our land and waters…continue reading.

NDN Collective was invited by the Guna Yala to their homelands, a chain of hundreds of islands a few miles off the Southeast coast of Panama, for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Guna Yala Revolution. In 1925, the Guna Yala organized their communities to rise up against colonial police who tried to force a change in their traditional way of life. Their revolution was successful and resulted in the Guna Yala becoming the first Indigenous people to gain independence and political autonomy in Latin America…continue reading.

NDN Collective is working to gather public comments to stop a mining proposal aimed at Pe’sla in the Black Hills. The site has been used for ceremonies of the Lakota, Dakota and other nations for generations and is currently under threat by a mining company proposal that would conduct exploratory drilling for graphite…continue reading.

In this illustration, Janene, the author of this column, is centered in her existence, offering prayers to all that sustains her, and surrounded by symbols of protection: a rainbow, arrowheads, blue birds. and medicinal plants. Illustration by JayCee Beyale.

Less than four months into the second Trump presidency, we’ve witnessed a barrage of destructive policies, aggressive actions, and increasingly alarming rhetoric driven by greed and authoritarian ambition. While I am appalled by this, what unsettles me more is the collective response of quiet compliance. It is deeply troubling to witness how quickly so many have chosen to keep their heads down, clinging to the hope that we can simply white-knuckle it through the next four years until another election offers another hollow chance at change….continue reading.

Photo Courtesy of Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture.

Based in the Village of Kykotsmovi on the Hopi Reservation, Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture has been planting seeds for a powerful Hopi future since 2004. They work to create community-based solutions in order to pass knowledge to future generations and rebuild resilient and healthy communities, engaging the community to revitalize Hopi culture, knowledge, and traditions. The focus of their work is to equip their community with the tools, training, and practical experience to rebuild a vibrant community based on traditional Hopi values and worldview.

Back in March, NDN Fund closed its second loan with Native Conservancy in Alaska helping the organization secure land to support their ongoing efforts to protect Eyak ways of life, habitat restoration, and food sovereignty. NDN Fund supports Indigenous-led organizations and business build capacity and power-building through their braided capital funding model. The Native Conservancy loan is a great example of how NDN Fund sets up loan relatives for success and sustainability…continue reading.

Janene Yazzie, Director of Policy and Advocacy for NDN Collective, leads a press conference organized by a coalition of Diné grassroots organizers in Window Rock, Arizona.

LIVE on Dinétah in Window Rock in front of the Navajo Nation Council Chambers for a press conference organized by a coalition of Diné grassroots organizers. The coalition formed to demand transparency and accountability for the actions of the Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and his administration that affect Diné people, land, water, and beings. WATCH NOW.

Graphic Art by JayCee Beyale. Graphic Designer for NDN Collective.

For generations, Indigenous Peoples have been preparing for this moment. NDN Collective has built power through grantmaking, storytelling, frontline action, and sustainable investing.

The For The People Campaign is designed to provide critical resources directly to Indigenous communities through our existing grantmaking programs and organizing work to strengthen our movement, enhance the resiliency of frontline actions, and continue making transformative change under this authoritarian administration.