LandBack Leadership Summit will bring tribal leaders and scholars to university

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Office of Sovereign Partnerships & Indigenous Initiatives and partners will host tribal leaders and scholars April 21 to discuss leadership skills and strategies related to land reclamation and land stewardship initiatives led by Native nations and communities.  

This event will feature tribal leaders, scholars and expert practitioners working to advance the sovereignty of Native nations through tribal land reclamation and stewardship projects. 

Attendees will hear about land reclamation stories that demonstrate the legal, economic, political and technical skills needed to engage in successful projects. Speakers and panelists will also address the notion of collective relationships with lands and waters as members of Native nations who have learned from these lands and waters while serving as the primary stewards long before European arrival. 

The program contains two nationally known keynote speakers:

Cris Stainbrook (Oglala Lakota) from the Indian Land Capital Company will offer two presentations on "LandBack Leadership: An Introduction," then on "LandBack Leadership: Legal and Fiscal Considerations." 

Megan Bang (Ojibwe and Italian descent) will offer a keynote on "Indigenous STEAM: Learning with Lands and Waters."

These speakers will be joined by tribal leaders from multiple nations with historic ties to Kansas and the Great Plains, as well as Indigenous studies scholars from KU and their collaborators. 

The interdisciplinary event will feature representation across research and professional domains across several fields of study, including Indigenous studies, geography and geographic information systems, legal studies, education, environmental studies and business.  

Register for free to attend the event, which is co-sponsored by KU's Indigenous Studies Program and The Commons.