NEWS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, D.C., January 23, 2025 – National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO), is excited to announce the recipients of its 2024 Protecting Native Places Grants. Unfortunately, public lands management has traditionally excluded the involvement of Native peoples. To help change that, and recognizing the interconnectedness of efforts to protect Indigenous culture and the natural world, NATHPO, in partnership with The Wilderness Society (TWS) and the WIlburfource Foundation, established a fund in 2022 to support Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs) in these important efforts, and in 2024, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) joined TWS in partnering with NATHPO to fund these grants. The goal of the Protecting Native Places Grant is to support efforts to protect and manage Tribal cultural places, increase the role of Tribes in management and stewardship of culturally significant areas, and address racist and offensive place names. The focus of these efforts is on the management of public lands. Specifically, the grants will assist efforts to ensure cultural sites are well managed and protected and that Tribes have an adequate say in the management of cultural resources and the incorporation of traditional knowledge on public land. “For many Tribal Nations, the work of protecting sacred places and culturally responsible management of public lands are inextricably linked,” said NATHPO Executive Director Valerie Grussing. “NATHPO is proud to help provide some remedy by directly supporting Tribal Historic Preservation Officers through these Protecting Native Places grants. We are grateful to our partners at The Wilderness Society and the Tennessee Valley Authority for their support, and we look forward to growing this program in the years to come.” Protecting Native Places provides grants of nearly $6,000 to NATHPO Member THPOs, issued through an application process managed by NATHPO staff and Board members. Recipients can use the funds to support their work to ensure that Tribal cultural resources and places are managed and protected, including the incorporation of traditional knowledge, from upgrading mapping technology and document preservation to building structures and creating opportunities for education on Tribes’ connection to and the importance of preserving ancestral lands. 2024 was the third year NATHPO has awarded Protecting Native Places grants to Member THPOs, and the number of recipients has nearly doubled since the program began in 2022. The 2024 Protecting Native Places grant recipients include:
NATHPO is further excited to be expanding the size and scope of this grant program in 2025, thanks to a three-year $5 million grant we received from the Mellon Foundation late last year. If you or your organization are interested in supporting this work and helping grow the Protecting Native Places Grant program, please contact Melissa@nathpo.org. Who we are – NATHPO is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization, founded in 1998, of Tribal preservation leaders protecting culturally important places that perpetuate Native identity, resilience, and cultural endurance. Connections to cultural heritage sustain the health and vitality of Native peoples. We provide guidance to preservation officials, elected representatives, and the public about national historic preservation legislation, policies, and regulations. We promote Tribal sovereignty, develop partnerships, and advocate for Tribes in governmental activities on preservation issues. For more information visit our website at www.nathpo.org. |
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