RIGHTS

of Nature

Cohort

Status: Closed     Overview     Details     How to Apply    Participants

Rights of Nature Grant & Cohort

Support for people or groups leading the development process of Rights of Nature framework for their Indigenous territories to recognize the rights of ecosystems to exist, thrive, and evolve in natural cycles.

Overview

There is growing worldwide movement calling for a shift towards recognizing the Rights of nature—recognizing the rights of ecosystems to “exist, thrive, and evolve in natural cycles,”[1]. Rights of Nature is often led by Indigenous people whose cosmology is rooted in the idea of reciprocity with the Earth and living in balance with the Earth’s offerings. Until we embrace the fundamental rights of Tribal Nations to set legal frameworks that sustain all life, governments and major corporations will continue to harm ecosystems and erode tribal sovereignty. Rights of Nature efforts in part seek to end “sacrifice zones”, the areas given over to the most hazardous activities that are nearly always situated where low-income, communities of color, and Indigenous people live.

The Earth is Sacred, and we as humans thrive when we are in an interdependent relationship with everything else in the circle of life; there is no separation between us and the water we drink or the sun that warms us. As environmental degradation is advancing around the world, there is growing recognition that we must change the relationship between humankind and nature. To repair and protect the ability of Mother Earth to sustain life as we know it, everyone must make a fundamental shift, first by acknowledging our interdependence with nature and respecting our need to live in harmony with the natural world.

To protect local environments, we must challenge the idea that ecosystems are only property and that nature is defined as “property to be owned, commodified, and destroyed at will for profit”. The Rights of Nature ensure that human activities and human developments must not interfere with the ability of ecosystems to absorb their impacts and regenerate their natural capacities.

Native people have always been stewards and protectors of this land. Indigenous people and communities retain Traditional Knowledge and sovereignty over the natural ecosystems they have evolved with. To recognize and follow the natural laws of nature necessitates the elevation of the Traditional Knowledge of local indigenous communities.

Na’ah Illahee is looking to fund efforts seeking the highest societal value for Mother Earth. “Nature, or Pachamama, where life is reproduced and occurs, has the right to integral respect for its existence and for the maintenance and regeneration of its life cycles, structure, and evolutionary processes.”[1]

Status: Closed
 

A growing worldwide movement is calling for a shift toward recognizing the Rights of Nature – recognizing the rights of ecosystems to exist, thrive, and evolve in natural cycles.

We are excited to see the selected Indigenous people/groups leading the development process of Rights of Nature legal frameworks for their Indigenous territories.

Rights of Nature is often led by Indigenous people whose cosmology is rooted in the idea of reciprocity with the Earth and living in balance with the Earth’s offerings. Until we embrace the fundamental rights of Tribal Nations to set legal frameworks that sustain all life, governments and major corporations will continue to harm ecosystems and erode Tribal sovereignty. Rights of Nature efforts in part seek to end “sacrifice zones”, the areas given over to the most hazardous activities nearly always situated where low-income, communities of color and Indigenous people live.

The Na’ah Illahee Fund grantmaking committee selected 5 groups to receive funding and participate in a series of online workshops to facilitate the advancement of community-led projects that advance Rights of Nature strategies.

 

Criteria:

We Seek to Support (Who is Eligible)

Who Should Apply?

Applicants must be located in the Pacific Northwest region: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, and are eligible for funding under this program.

    1. Indigenous or First Nation-led nonprofit organizations: 501(c)3 or Canadian Registered Charities; or community groups with Fiscal Sponsor (Sponsorship Agreement must be included in the application)
    2. Indigenous Individuals, Alaska Natives or First Nation Individuals with Tribal Affiliation
    3. Native American Tribes, Alaska Native Corps, First Nation Bands or Departments of Tribal Governments/First Nation Bands

What Types of Groups Are We Unable to Support?

We are passionate about our beliefs, and we want to be sure that the organizations that we support match our ethics. As a result, our Rights of Nature grant does not provide grants to:

  • Groups that practice or promote racism, sexism, homophobia, or any form of oppression or exploitation of other humans or the natural world.
  • Promote or support violence, aggression, or oppression or any infringement on other people.
  • Force, coerce or exclude others based on religious or spiritual beliefs.
  • Are not making an effort to be environmentally responsible.
  • Are connected to political parties, political rallies or otherwise partisan in their work.

 

 

Status: Closed

How do you apply?

Applications are submitted via our online granting system or platform called Submittable. Submittable is an online platform that you can pull up on your phone or computer and it is a free service to applicants. Please go to www.Submittable.com to create an account, then fill out the step-by-step application. Through Submittable we ask for your basic contact information, organization name, project name, name of Tribal community served, governance structure and 501(c)3 EIN #, Registered Charity number; groups Fiscally Sponsored (signed agreement must be attached). The budgetary information we will ask for will be total project budget (will ask for general breakdown) and total organization budget. We ask for: a brief history, what inspired you, how it will address concerns in your community, who is involved, what benefits will result, and other resources you have access to. To save you time during the application process, we suggest you prepare answers to those questions in a document in advance to think your answers through, then when you apply in Submittable it easily allows you to copy and paste into your application. Most questions about your project leave you the space (500 or so words) to discuss in your own words with questions like: “Can you please explain the history of your Rights of Nature work to date?”, “What inspired you to do this Rights of Nature work?”, and “How will it benefit your community?”. Please take the time to thoroughly explain your dreams and vision – we truly want to hear. We understand that access to online platforms can be its own form of exclusivity. If you need to fill out an application in writing, by email, or by phone please contact the Grants Program Officer.

How do we make decisions?

NIF funding priorities & how proposals are evaluated:

  • Applications must be submitted by the Indigenous applicant
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered
  • The Rights of Nature Grant Opportunity awardees must be willing to attend all IRON cohort meetings
  • We make grants in support of innovative, solutions-oriented projects that are rooted in cultural traditions
  • We support community projects that help connect people to the things that grow (plant relatives), Na’ah Illahee (Mother Earth), four leggeds (animal relatives), fish, birds (those that fly & swim) and cultural teachings
  • We will award grants that reach those most vulnerable, often in hard-to-reach places
  • We aim to support those populations with little or no access to financial resources
  • Grantees receiving Year 2 funds for 2021 Green Infrastructure Capacity Building grants are not eligible Please understand that applications often exceed available funding. Our goal is to fully fund all applications, but the amount provided will be based on the availability of funds and the number of requests under review

What is Our Grant Making Process?

  1. Apply Indigenous-only applicants will completely fill out the application via Submittable before the deadline.
  2. Review Once the grant period has ended, the Grants Committee (made up of community members, NIF staff & a board member) will convene to review all applications, select recipients and award funds.
  3. Notify Recipients will then be notified via U.S. mail, so please ensure your current address is on file. If approved, an award letter will be sent along with a check for the approved amount.
  4. Reflect We expect follow up from you about the impact and benefits your project provided to your community.

What are the Next Steps if Your Application is Approved or Denied?

The grantmaking committee review of submitted applications will occur May 13-23, 2022, award letters and denials will be sent late May 2022. Na’ah Illahee Fund will send checks with award letters via U.S. mail. Na’ah Illahee Fund appreciates your efforts and the contributions your work adds to your community. Our reporting requirements are not burdensome and we will follow up to find out what impact your efforts have had in your Native community. That is all we ask of you!

Need assistance?

If you have questions, seek clarification or assistance with your application, please contact: Joni Crines, Grants Program Officer via email: joni@naahillahee.org or phone: (206) 565-8041.

 

Participants

2022 Rights of Nature Grant Participants & Projects

Brief Report

A growing worldwide movement is calling for a shift toward recognizing the Rights of Nature – recognizing the rights of ecosystems to “exist, thrive and evolve in natural cycles.”

Rights of Nature is often led by Indigenous people whose cosmology is rooted in the idea of reciprocity with the Earth and living in balance with the Earth’s offerings. Until we embrace the fundamental rights of Tribal Nations to set legal frameworks that sustain all life, governments and major corporations will continue to harm ecosystems and erode tribal sovereignty. Rights of Nature efforts in part seek to end “sacrifice zones”, the areas given over to the most hazardous activities nearly always situated where low-income, communities of color and Indigenous people live.

The Na’ah Illahee Fund grantmaking committee selected 5 individuals or groups to receive funding and participate in a series of online workshops to facilitate the advancement of community-led projects that advance Rights of Nature strategies.

We are excited to see the selected Indigenous people/groups leading the development process of Rights of Nature legal frameworks for their Indigenous territories.

2022 Rights of Nature Participants & Projects

Reconnection to Marine Mammal Hunting, AK

Participant: Hope Roberts, Southcentral Alaska Tlingit | Athabascan  Location: AK 
Program: Rights of Nature  Year: 2022

Goal to reconnect Indigenous people of Alaska to the marine mammals they respect, honor and actively preserve. Educate the Alaska native population on marine mammal hunting rights, traditions, regulations (state and federal) Actively teach stewardship of resources.

Building Kinship: Indigenous Climate Justice Project, OR

Participant: Renea Perry, Oregon Portland Urban Native Community  Location: OR 
Program: Rights of Nature  Year: 2022

We seek to embed Indigenous values, knowledge and methodologies into how people (communities, agencies, businesses) interact with the land, water and beings in our urban communities to build a system of care that includes our ecosystem. We hope for implementation of these values into policies and implementation plans for land stewardship.

With One Heart, We Swim Together, WA

Participant: Joaquin Marchand, Confederated Tribes of Colville  Location: WA 
Program: Rights of Nature  Year: 2022

We are inspired to do this work as it is our duty and responsibility to practice our traditional teachings (tamanwit and captikwl). In order to do this we need to build allies/coalitions to codify these Traditional Teachings into existing regulatory processes (water use, land use, zoning, forest practices, shoreline management, etc.). In addition working to educate land managers and academic institutions that Indigenous people’s native plants need culturally appropriate research support to identify climate vulnerability.

Nimiipuu & Rights of Nature, WA

Participant: Julian Matthews, Idaho, Nez Perce  Location: WA 
Program: Rights of Nature  Year: 2022

Working to protect the lands, water, forests primarily within our Treaty of 1855 area and Usual and Accustomed Places for the next generation. We want to protect the Earth and all species (animal and flora that live) and learn better methods to coexist as our role is part of nature rather than the domineering force.

Recognizing the Personhood of Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, WA

Participant: Raynell Morris, Lummi Nation  Location: WA 
Program: Rights of Nature  Year: 2022

Our late hereditary Chief Tsilixw Bill James told us if we heal the salmon (qwe’lhol’mechen). the killer whales (Sk’aliChelh) and the Salish Sea (Xw’ullemy), we will also heal ourselves, the Lhaq’temish. Work to heal any one of those aspects is work to heal the whole. We are dedicated to working for the protection and revitalization of Xw’ullemy as it gives us life and we are dependent upon it.