appalachian
rekindling
project
REMATRIATE, RETURN, RESTORErekindle relationship to land
rekindle relationship to one another
decolonize // Indigenize
“[This Rematriation work] is for the ability for the repeated return of Native people. For the rebuilding of relationships and the collective preservation of the land, our relative. We know that real ecological safeguarding has always been rooted in Indigenous wisdom and defense. This work is for the dismantling of barriers. For kinship. For the restoration of wellbeing, personal and collective. This project aims to rekindle relationships with homelands, one another, and with our traditional practices/arts.” The mission is: to conduct collective and Indigenous-led land care and restoration, to acquire land to prevent extractive or harmful industries in Appalachia, and to promote cultural homecoming and the wellbeing of Indigenous people in or from Appalachian states.
realizing an intertribal
center
The Appalachian Rekindling Project is a region-wide initiative that began to establish and sustain an intertribal Indigenous center where Native people can physically return and gather in central Appalachia as well as to care for and protect land collectively. The work expands beyond it, but it is still our cornerstone.
This intertribal center will be a free space to be reserved, shared, and engaged with by Indigenous communities and individuals. By nature of being intertribal, involving more than one Tribe, we invite Indigenous people from any tribal community to use the space. We particularly look forward to Natives who have been removed from the region to be able to return to their homelands.
set up your
land tax
Our work is sustainably funded through a voluntary land tax system, which creates a meaningful pathway for residents of Appalachia to support Indigenous justice.
If you:
want to see Appalachian land be cared for
believe in climate justice
want to prevent further exploitation of land
desire reconciliation with Indigenous people
want Appalachia to be known as a place that is recognized for returning, rather than leaving or pushing out
you seek to leave a legacy that feels right
then, join us.
We encourage you to consider paying your voluntary land tax either as an individual, an organization, or a business. If you are donating for only one time, simply select “one time.”