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- By Kim Pate, NDN Fund
- Opinion | Op-Ed
Guest Opinion. Seven years ago, when NDN Fund set out to finance large-scale loans across Indian Country, the LandBack movement was a growing rallying cry for the return of land to Indigenous hands. Today, it thunders as a full-throated demand for justice, especially now that federal funding for community-driven investment is in peril. It's more than a slogan — it's a profound indictment of America's extractive land ownership model, born from centuries of genocide against Indigenous peoples.
The Landback movement envisions a world where land isn't commodified for profit but stewarded for collective healing and sovereignty. Yet, here's the revolutionary twist: to make LandBack real, we must navigate the very financial systems we critique. The blueprint for funding this transformation exists—but the ink is still wet, and it's time for Native organizations, community development financial institutions, banks, impact investors and philanthropists to grab the pen and finish the plan.
Consider NDN Fund’s braided capital model: an Indigenous-centered financing approach that weaves together grants, low-interest loans and investments that has empowered LandBack victories. To date, NDN Fund has deployed over $10 million in regenerative loans to support a diverse portfolio of projects and businesses — our “Loan Relatives” — that prioritize ecological balance, cultural preservation and long-term community prosperity. Of that $10 million, $5.8 million has supported seven LandBack deals to achieve over 23,000 acres of land back.
Over seven years, NDN Collective and NDN Fund have facilitated 121 LandBack transactions through their braided capital approach — pairing grants with loans — totaling $40 million and securing more than 126,000 acres. LandBack allows for land restoration, food sovereignty, revival and protection of traditional ceremonies, medicine and community care.
An early recipient of NDN’s braided capital, Cordova, Alaska-based Native Conservancy, focuses on habitat restoration, land protection and food sovereignty through preserving, repatriating and restoring ancestral homelands, traditional food sources and subsistence practices to revitalize Native culture, habitat, health and spirituality.
The power of LandBack isn't theoretical; it's proven. Tribes and Native-led groups have layered philanthropic dollars with low-interest loans from Native CDFIs to reclaim ancestral territories. The result? Land returned to Indigenous hands, free from the clutch of external extraction.
This model isn't confined to Indian Country — it offers a replicable path for any community fighting dispossession. Imagine urban land trusts or rural cooperatives adopting braided capital to combat gentrification or corporate sprawl. Braided capital proves that finance can be a tool for liberation, not exploitation, if we insist on blending patience with purpose.
Equally transformative is no-strings grantmaking, often the fastest route to successful Indigenous LandBack. Traditional funding often drowns recipients in bureaucracy and metrics, stifling innovation. But when philanthropists trust Indigenous leaders with unrestricted capital, results follow. This approach dismantles the paternalism baked into philanthropy, empowering communities to define success on their terms. It's a clarion call to donors everywhere: loosen the reins, and watch self-determination bloom.
Other Native CDFIs are stepping up too, crafting LandBack strategies that prioritize sovereignty over short-term gains. These institutions offer flexible financing tailored to tribal needs — patient capital that respects seven-generation planning. They're not just lenders; they're partners in decolonization, proving that community finance can support Indigenous conservation, land ownership, economic development, access to resources, loan consolidation and homeownership.
Then there's the federal 105(l) program, an underutilized tool that derisks loans for tribal projects. By guaranteeing repayment through lease revenues, it shields lenders from default fears, unlocking billions in potential capital. This isn't charity — it's smart policy that aligns government resources with justice. Banks hesitant to engage with Indian Country? The 105(l) program lowers barriers and builds trust.
LandBack isn't just a moral imperative; it's economic genius. These deals foster stability in volatile times — creating jobs in renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and tourism that honor the land. They support ecological sustainability, countering climate chaos with Indigenous knowledge that predates industrial folly. In an era of financial instability, where markets teeter and inequality festers, LandBack offers a stabilizing anchor. It's time to finance it aggressively. Native leaders, CDFIs, banks, impact investors and philanthropists: the blueprint is here. Let's ink it dry with action, healing a nation one acre at a time. The future of finance — and justice — depends on it.
Kim Pate is of Eastern Band Cherokee, Mississippi Choctaw and Black descent. Pate is the managing director of NDN Fund, the lending and investing arm of NDN Collective. NDN Fund, an emerging Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) provides integrated "braided capital" solutions and power building resources for Native Nations, Indigenous changemakers, community developers and enterprises.