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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Sovereignty
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has named Megan Minoka Hill as director of its new Native self-determination program, formalizing a philanthropic initiative developed over more than two years of consultation with Indigenous leaders and organizations.
Hill, a citizen of the Oneida Nation, will begin the role on Feb. 3, 2026. She brings two decades of experience spanning philanthropy, government and community-based organizations, according to the foundation. Her appointment follows MacArthur’s June 2025 announcement that it would launch a dedicated Native self-determination program and increase long-term funding and partnerships with Indigenous communities.
MacArthur, which has an endowment of more than $8 billion, said the program is designed to increase resources for Native Nations and Native-led organizations while reshaping how the foundation works with Indigenous communities. The effort builds on more than $109 million in grants awarded to Indigenous organizations over the past decade, according to prior Tribal Business News reporting.
As director, Hill will lead the development and implementation of the program’s strategy, including grantmaking priorities, relationship-building with Native Nations and collaboration with other funders. The foundation has said the program will focus on increasing financial support, strengthening trust-based relationships and supporting Indigenous leadership across sectors.
“Hill brings deep expertise and experience not only on issues impacting Indigenous Peoples today, but also in collaborating with Native leaders and communities to build lasting impact,” John Palfrey, MacArthur’s president, said in a statement announcing her appointment.
MacArthur launched the program after more than 100 conversations with Indigenous leaders, artists, entrepreneurs and researchers, and after commissioning a study that found Native communities receive a small share of overall philanthropic funding. In a companion essay published when the program was announced, Palfrey said the process involved “listening, learning, and unlearning” and emphasized that long-term impact requires trust and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities.
The foundation has also established a compensated advisory council to help guide the program’s strategy and funding decisions. Initial members include Carla Fredericks, CEO of The Christensen Fund; Dr. Shelly C. Lowe, former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and Nichole June Maher, president and CEO of the Inatai Foundation. MacArthur has said it plans to expand the council and integrate Indigenous perspectives across its broader grantmaking portfolio.
Before joining MacArthur, Hill served as senior director of the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, where she worked on research and initiatives centered on tribal sovereignty and self-governance. Earlier in her career, she was a senior program officer at the Institute of American Indian Arts, focusing on economic opportunities for Indigenous artists and tribal communities.
Hill holds a master’s degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. She serves on the boards of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Native Governance Center and MASS Design Group. In 2025, she co-authored Beyond Blood Quantum: Refusal to Disappear with her father, Norbert Hill, examining Indigenous identity, citizenship and belonging.
