Act Now: Take Action Resources
The PATH project is an educational tool and call to action that centers Indigenous worldviews, movements, artists, authors, and histories.
We invite you to learn more about Indigenous ways of stewarding and protecting the environment and take action to build healthier and more just communities.
We welcome collaboration through student and community projects that develop the PATH further.
Explore the following resources to learn how to get involved in this important work…
- State- and Federally-Recognized Tribes of Virginia
- Native Plants, Ethnobotany, and Indigenous Foodways
- Indigenous Artists and Artwork*
- Reclaiming Native Truths – The Power of Education*
- Repairing Harm, Environmental Justice, and Land Back*
State- and Federally-Recognized Tribes of Virginia
DONATE or VOLUNTEER your time to support the Native nations and tribes of Virginia.
- Mattaponi
- Pamunkey
- Chickahominy
- Eastern Chickahominy
- Rappahannock
- Upper Mattaponi
- Nansemond
- Monacan – SUPPORT the Monacan Nation Cultural Foundation
- Cheroenhaka (Nottoway)
- Nottoway
- Patawomeck
“Allies need to support Native-controlled and -led organizations by directly investing in these organizations’ efforts to strengthen their communities through developing effective solutions that advance their work.” -First Nations Development Institute*
Native Plants, Ethnobotany, and Indigenous Foodways
- Nourishing Native Foods and Health – First Nations Development Institute (Brochure)
- Host screening of First Nations’ film GATHER (Screening Toolkit).
- Learn about food sovereignty initiatives at the First Nations’ Knowledge Center.
- Visit First Nations’ interactive map to find current grant opportunities and fellowships for Native tribes and nonprofits.
- Buy seeds from the Alliance of Native Seed Keepers and Native Seeds SEARCH.
- Support the Indigenous Seedkeepers Network of the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.
- Participate in mentorship programs, virtual courses, and immersion retreats from Sierra Seeds.
“We believe through the power of cultivating creative supportive learning spaces and circles, we can work together to seed the change for a more equitable and beautiful food system that centers around a deep sense of belonging and connection.” – Sierra Seeds
- Support Indigenous producers of maple syrup: Wabanaki Maple, Spirit Lake, and Native Harvest.
- Promote eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture: How To Grow A Three Sisters Garden
- Participate in the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Throwing Shade VA Program to plant native trees and create more biodiversity in VA.
- Support Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture and the Plot Against Hunger.*
Indigenous Artists and Artwork – Support Indigenous Artists!
“Art is an integral part of Native culture, serving as a way to visually address complex issues, emotions, and ideas, while preserving and perpetuating Native knowledge systems. In this virtual gallery, curated by Danielle SeeWalker, select Native artists share their artwork or an artistic production that depicts or reflects Native justice in their communities through the artist’s eyes.” Justice Through the Eyes of Native Artists – First Nations Development Institute
- Support the MU PATH Featured Artists (and learn more about their work here).
- Donate to the First Peoples Fund to honor and support Native artists.
- Support SRTAG – State Recognized Tribal Artists Guild.
- Support Indigenous Museums, Art Markets, and Festivals
- Indian Arts and Crafts Board – Museums and Virtual Exhibitions
- Indian Arts and Crafts Board – Indian Art Markets and Events
- Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists – Minneapolis Institute of Art
- WYLD Gallery – Original Native American Artwork – Austin, TX
- Art and Activism: Environmental Protection and Contemporary Indigenous Art – The Met*
- 2024 Virginia Powwows
- What to Know Before Attending a Powwow – Tachini Drums
Reclaiming Native Truths – The Power of Education
“Reclaiming Native Truth is a national effort to foster cultural, social and policy change by empowering Native Americans to counter discrimination, invisibility and the dominant narratives that limit Native opportunity, access to justice, health and self-determination.” –Reclaiming Native Truth Project – First Nations Development Institute
CENTER Native Culture and History in the Classroom – Educational Resources:
- NMAI Native Knowledge 360 – We Have A Story To Tell: Native Peoples of the Chesapeake Region – Teacher Guide
- VA Department of Education Teacher Resources on VA’s First Peoples Past & Present
- Native Art, Native Voices: A Resource for K-12 Learners – Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Native Hope – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) – Take Action to End the MMIW Crisis
- Developing Stamina for Decolonizing Higher Education: A Workbook for Non-Indigenous People by Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures
- The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
EXPLORE Native Museums and Exhibitions:
- NMAI Exhibition – Return to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake – Washington, D.C.
- Indigenous Perspectives: An Exhibition – Library of Virginia – Richmond, VA
- Pamunkey Museum & Cultural Center – King William, VA
- Patawomeck Museum & Cultural Center – Fredericksburg, VA
- Monacan Nation Museum – Amherst, VA
SUPPORT Native American Youth:
- The Kwek Society – End Period Poverty
- Native Forward Scholars Fund
- Center for Native American Youth*
Repairing Harm, Environmental Justice and Land Back
“The goal of the Stewarding Native Lands program is to provide financial and technical assistance to support Native ecological stewardship and improve Native control of and access to ancestral lands and resources to ensure the sustainable, economic, spiritual and cultural well-being of Native communities.” –First Nations Development Institute
SUPPORT: First Nations Development Institute. Mission: “To uplift and sustain the lifeways and economies of Native communities through advocacy, financial support, and knowledge sharing.”
Environmental Justice
- Read Supporting Native Ecological Stewardship and Land Protection 2012-2020 Outcomes Report – First Nations Development Institute – This report outlines “emerging models that assert Native control and protection of natural resources to safeguard tribal members’ health, lands, sacred sites, cultural traditions, foodways, and sustainable economic development.”
- Read Climate Change and Building Adaptive Capacity Across Indian Country – First Nations Development Institute
- Explore this toolkit to support the #THRIVE4NDNCOUNTRY initiative.
- Support the work of the Indigenous Environmental Network.
- Watch We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and TAKE the Earth Steward and Water Protector Pledge. See the We Are Water Protectors kit for more kid-friendly activities.
Land Justice and Voluntary Land Taxes
“Voluntary land taxes function similarly to paying rent or a home mortgage. Our rent and mortgage payments give us access to living space; voluntary land taxes recognize our access to stolen Indigenous land. Each month (or on a set time interval), land tax participants pay an amount that goes directly to Native nations and/or organizations in their area.” -Native American Governance Center
- Land Reparations and Indigenous Solidarity Toolkit – Resource Generation
- Resources for Land Justice – “This guide is not intended to be a map, but rather an offering in support of movements towards land justice. It is an offering towards what is possible – a world where wealth, land, and power are distributed equitably.” –Resource Generation
- Voluntary Land Taxes – Native American Governance Center
- Native American ‘Land Taxes’: A Step on the Roadmap for Reparations – The Guardian
