Landback
E’lip Tilikum
Native Land Conservancy
Native Lands in Native Hands
In 2021, the Na’ah Illahee Fund introduced the E’lip Tilikum (First Peoples) Land Conservancy program, marking the inception of the first Native land conservancy in the Pacific Northwest. E’lip Tilikum aims to address centuries of dislocation, displacement, and forced separation from Mother Earth by reuniting Native land to Native hands. Through this initiative, E’lip Tilikum works to restore, preserve, and protect the natural habitats and sacred traditional sites across rural and urban landscapes.
Envisioning a
Native Neighborhood
in Seattle
sləp̓ iləbəxʷ (Rising Tides) Indigenous Planning Group
Since 2018, the sləp̓ iləbəxʷ (Rising Tides) Indigenous Planning Group, consisting of Indigenous architects, planners, knowledge holders, and community members, has been collaborating to envision a Native Neighborhood in Seattle. This vision is centered on providing urban Native People with a strong sense of community and belonging, enabling them to lead happy, healthy, and self-determined lives. The group’s goal is to create a city that embraces cultural, social, and economic inclusivity for Tribal and urban Native communities.
sləp̓ iləbəxʷ actively engages cultural knowledge keepers, Tribal nations, community leaders, and Native professionals in city and regional planning processes. By doing so, the group ensures that Indigenous perspectives and voices are integrated into planning efforts. Moreover, sləp̓ iləbəxʷ aims to raise awareness about Indigenous cultures and histories, particularly regarding settler colonization, as a way to advocate for Indigenous-driven approaches to planning, community building, and cultural preservation.
Native Neighborhood Community Study Report
A Place of Belonging for Seattle's Native Community
The Native Neighborhood Community Study Report marks the initial stride towards empowering Seattle’s urban Native community by acknowledging, uplifting, and rejuvenating Indigenous voices and perspectives in urban development. This report envisions a transformative Indigenous future for the city, emphasizing community-based design and traditional ecological knowledge.
The study encouraged Indigenous communities to radically dream of urban environments that are healing, safe, multi-functional, and intergenerational – places that holistically care for current and future generations, our plant and animal relatives, and the land and water.
Join Us
Subscribe to be in touch.