The race to put Indigenous land on the map

Under the structure of unique treaties called final agreements, Yukon First Nations are able to exercise the powers of self-governance over projects proposed on their land. Implementation of the agreements isn’t always smooth, but 11 of the 14 First Nations have entered into these creative accords with the territorial and federal governments, which aims to foster participation and grant decision-making authority in these Indigenous communities.

After decades of failed legislation, over 17,000 acres of public land was finally restored to the Umpqua Tribe with the passage of the Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act. The land was a constant source of tension between the tribe, the government, and environmental conservation groups, “under the pretext that Native peoples didn’t know how to manage them.” But in December 2018, with the passage of the Act and the return of 3% of the land that was originally seized, a sense of justice was felt.

In Benin, indigenous beliefs, knowledge, and traditional governance systems are helping communities protect biodiversity and adapt to climate change. Vodun, a spiritual practice that protects fragile and vital ecosystems, has enabled the preservation of more than 1,200 acres of mangroves over the last decade.

Honor the Earth is an anti-data center coalition monitoring the construction of hyperscale data centers in or near indigenous land. Through their efforts, town halls, doorknocking, attending tribal council meetings and more, they’ve formed a community with people in agriculture and beyond, working to push back against data center construction and enact protections for communities. As a result of their efforts, the Tulsa City Council signed a 9-month moratorium on data centers, and the Seminole Nation also unanimously passed its own moratorium.

When proposed development projects threatened the future of ancient forests in Goa, a group of young activists came together to coordinate projects across art, science, law, writing, press and social media raising awareness and advocating against destruction of the environment. The group, known as Team Mollem, helped to highlight economic and ecological concerns around the projects, one of which was eventually halted by the Supreme Court.

An Indigenous-led grassroots organization, Malinggai Uma Tradisional Mentawai, works to protect endangered primates in Indonesia's Mentawai Islands by reviving traditional hunting practices, forest patrols, and conservation education; initial qualitative evidence suggests incremental community mindset shifts, though broader systemic impacts remain limited by socioeconomic challenges.

The Karuk Tribe of Northern California is revitalizing its ancient practice of cultural burning as both a proactive wildfire management strategy and a revival of crucial cultural traditions. Through coordinated, culturally-focused prescribed burns called KTREX, the tribe is restoring the ecosystem, improving community wildfire resilience, and strengthening traditional ecological knowledge.

Indigenous peoples across the western United States are bringing back native plants that disappeared many years ago by practicing natural regeneration. By slowly bringing ecosystems that were disrupted by human activity back to their natural state over time, the seeds and roots preserved underground are given the chance to flourish.

A community of mananambal, or healers, in the Philippines are helping to conserve the forests around their community by practicing their sustainable, healing traditions and spiritual beliefs. They protect the nature around them because it is considered a source of healing and home to spirits, and they only prune trees and gather herbs in ways that promote growth.

Two nonprofits came together to manage Hawai'i's Kaua‘i’s Hā‘ena State Park in a community-led way, creating a more equitable relationship between the tourism industry and the local community. Native Hawaiians work at the park, lead restoration projects and run educational programs. And to prevent overtourism, tourists must make reservations and pay to enter.