The Hopi Land Team

Year

Reclaiming traditional lands has been a primary concern of the Hopi Tribe for the last century. In 1996, significant land purchases became possible under the terms of a settlement with the United States. The tribal government was faced with the problem of developing a plan for reacquiring lands, prioritizing various goals for the land, and evaluating potential purchases. In response to this challenge, in 1998, the Tribe created the Hopi Land Team, a committee of the Tribal Council. With the goal of striking a balance between preservation and the future, the Team works to identify potential purchases, evaluate their cultural and economic significance and potential, and recommend purchases. The work of the Team leads not only to new development initiatives that increase tribal revenues, but it also brings critical cultural resources and sacred sites back to the Tribe.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

"The Hopi Land Team". Honoring Nations: 2005 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2006. Report. 

Permissions

This Honoring Nations report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. 

Related Resources

Thumbnail or cover image
Ahwahsiin (The Land/Where We Get Our Food): Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Contemporary Food Sovereignty on the Blackfeet Reservation

Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and food systems are fast disappearing but are of the utmost importance, not only for sustaining Indigenous Peoples but also for providing alternative paradigms for coping with diverse ecosystems in a changing global environment. This research examines Blackfeet…

Thumbnail

This seven-minute video presents the founding, development, and current work of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund (HEEF), which won an Honoring Nations award (High Honors) from the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development in 2006. The video chronicles HEEF's work in support of…

Image
Exercising Sovereignty and Expanding Economic Opportunity Through Tribal Land Management

While the United States faces one of the most significant housing crises in the nation’s history, many forget that Indian housing has been in crisis for generations. This report seeks to take some important steps toward a future where safe, affordable, and decent housing is available to Native…