DEADLINE: IJNR/IJA/SEJ Virtual Workshop on Land Back

Land Back has been described as an effort by Indigenous people and nations to reclaim land taken from them during the colonization of North America. But #landback is about so much more than land: It’s about Indigenous people reasserting sovereignty over homelands, resources, sacred spaces, and stewardship choices.

And Land Back is gaining momentum. From southern California to Maine and points between, Indigenous people are using a wide array of tools to reclaim their heritage. Some Tribes have established land trusts to accept transfer of public land. Others are using land leases and similar agreements to gain co-management status over resources. Still others buy land outright.

As the Land Back movement grows, each new advancement raises a wide range of legal, economic, cultural and jurisdictional questions that journalists across the country must understand to accurately report on them.

To properly prepare journalists to cover this topic, the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources, in conjunction with the Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), will present a two-day virtual workshop, Dec 11-12, 2024. Potential topics include:

What is Land Back?

• The history of U.S. land appropriation
• The legal landscape
• The many methods of Land Back
• Sovereignty, repatriation/rematriation and governance
• Sacred spaces
• Reporting in and about Indigenous communities

Applicants must submit a resume, one clip and a statement of goals via Submittable.

We will select up to 25 applicants who represent diversity in geography, outlet, race, gender, experience, and journalistic medium. Priority consideration will be given to journalists of color.

Participation is free.

Deadline to apply: Friday, November 22