What is the Ohio Native Land Initiative?

The Ohio Native Land Initiative

THROUGH ITS NEW OHIO NATIVE LAND INITIATIVE,

The UNC seeks to establish a broader platform to promote Indigenous perspectives on sacred sites, encourage land rematriation efforts, and assert Native sovereignty as foundational to some of the region’s most important natural resources and public spaces.

The Ohio Native Land Initiative is an effort intended to (1) promote greater involvement with and protection for sacred Indigenous sites in Ohio; (2) broaden alliance-building efforts leading to deeper engagement with movements that support the protection of Indigenous sovereignty and cultural rights; (3) encourage serious efforts toward the re-indigenizing of public and private spaces in order to create opportunities that honor Indigenous lifeways and promote spiritual freedom; and (4) broadening education and public outreach around Indigenous culture, lifeways, and Native habitats. The overarching purpose of the initiative is to protect Indigenous lands, sacred sites and natural resources, while advancing awareness of the critical connection between Native sovereignty and environmental preservation.