Whose Land?

From colonial times to the Revolution and beyond, Native peoples have been forcibly removed, experienced broken treaties, and genocide while protecting their homeland. Today’s Tribal land protectors are working hard to remedy centuries of legal fights. Join us as we discuss the meaning of land, whose land is Tribal and non-Tribal, and what Native communities are doing about it at our next Community Conversation on April 21, 2022 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern. There will be time for questions and comments from the attendees.

Reports show that Indigenous people in the United States have lost 99% of the land they historically occupied (Science 2021). Researchers reported that “…tribes with land today were systematically forced into less-valuable areas, which excluded them from key sectors of the U.S. economy, including the energy market.” The negative effects continue as modern Indigenous lands are at increased risk from climate change hazards, including extreme heat and decreased precipitation. Join America250 and our panelists for this engaging conversation.

The Community Conversation series is a place to connect, and to share the stories, and histories that shape America. It’s with your support that we can continue to have these conversations and explore themes important to our country. Learn more about America250’s mission and consider supporting us with a donation to the Foundation.

We look forward to seeing you on April 21.

Date: April 21, 2022
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET
Location: Online
Register: https://bit.ly/CCindigenous

Image pictured above: Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii is the name for the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park spanning Arizona and Utah and nestled in the Navajo Nation. The phrase translates to rocks, or streaks that go around in the sandstone rocks. The buttes here tower at heights from 400 to 1,000 feet. For more information on Monument Valley visit navajonationparks.org. (Photo by Shardulsathe)

MEET THE PANELISTS

Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais
Chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah is located on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts. They are part of the Great Wampanoag Nation. In her 4th term as Tribal Chairwoman, Mrs Maltais also serves on the Board of Directors of the United South and Eastern Tribes, and as the Eastern Region Delegate on the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Self Governance Advisory Committee, the Indian Health Service Office of Self Governance Advisory Committee, the Tribal Interior Budget Council, and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Advisory Council. She also serves on the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Cultural and Historic Commission and is the Chairwoman of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Gaming Corporation. Before being re-elected to her 3rd term as Chairwoman, Mrs Maltais also completed a Presidential appointment in Washington DC for the Obama Administration as the first Tribal Leader to become a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs.

Dan Lewerenz (Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska)
Staff Attorney Native American Rights Fund
Dan Lewerenz joined the Native American Rights Fund as a staff attorney in 2017 and works on the Tribal Supreme Court Project.  Before joining NARF, Dan was an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Division of Indian Affairs; a law clerk to the Hon. Claudia Wilken (N.D. Cal.) and the Hon. Leo I. Brisbois (D. Minn.); and an associate in the Oklahoma City office of Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP. Dan earned his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif.  Before going to law school, Dan spent more than 10 years as a reporter and editor for The Associated Press, and was a board member, officer, and president of the Native American Journalists Association.  He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University. He is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

Neil J. Kahoʻokele Hannahs
Founder & CEO Hoʻokele Strategies LLC
Neil J. Kahoʻokele Hannahs is the Founder and CEO of Hoʻokele Strategies LLC, a consulting enterprise to support the emergence and growth of values-driven leaders and enterprises that forge a thriving environment, robust economy, and social equity.  Hannahs previously directed the Land Assets Division of Kamehameha Schools, responsible for 358,000 acres of agriculture and conservation lands in Hawai`i.  He also co-founded the First Nations Futures Program and Hawaiʻi Investment Ready Program.  Hannahs is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and received BA and MA degrees from Stanford University.  In 2019, he was inducted into Stanfordʻs Alumni Hall of Fame in celebration of his “distinguished accomplishments and outstanding contributions to our community and society.”  Hannahs currently serves on the boards of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hawaiʻi Land Trust, Aloha Kuamoʻo ʻĀina, Hawaiʻi Investment Ready, Awaiaulu and the State of Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resources Management.