Indian Country 101 Integration Series

Description

Movements for land, water, and wildlife conservation in the United States are inseparable from the history, sovereignty, and lived realities of this continent’s Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations. A few years ago, the Native-owned Whitener Group launched Indian Country 101, a free online Tribal engagement training course designed specifically for natural resource practitioners. Grounded in the understanding that you cannot work with Tribal Nations without understanding the long and complicated history of Indigenous Peoples and the current context of Tribal identity, culture, and governance, this vibrant, engaging, and comprehensive series has been widely used across conservation and environmental organizations.

The course is available online for free, but scrolling through modules on a screen is not the same as integrating the learning with others. If we want to shift how we engage, we need community, accountability, discussion, and ideas for application.

That’s where this series comes in.

You’ll complete the Indian Country 101 modules independently and then come together for powerful, interactive integration sessions featuring facilitated discussions, activities, and guest speakers, all designed to help you apply what you’ve learned. We will send over a syllabus once registration closes.

Session Details

Your facilitator for each session: aparna rajagopal is a former natural resources and Tribal lawyer and DEI consultant who brings her experiences to the TREC team, where she provides organizational development support as part of the consulting team and helps steward TREC’s commitment to Indigenous allyship and partnerships.

• Session 1: May 12, 2026 | 10 am–12 pm PT: Building Community & Exploring Native History: Time Immemorial to Allotment & Assimilation
• Session 2: May 26, 2026 | 10 am–12 pm PT: More History & Modern-Day Impacts: From Reorganization to Self-Determination to Today
• Session 3 June 9, 2026 | 10 am–12 pm PT: Tribal Governance, Sovereignty, & Frameworks for Addressing Colonialism in Conservation

Participants will learn

• Build community with others in the sector who are interested in being in right relationship with Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations
• Deepen your understanding of U.S. Tribal history, governance, identity, and sovereignty
• Reflect on how colonialism continues to shape conservation practice
• Learn directly from Indigenous leaders and experts
• Strengthen your organization’s approach to engagement with Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations
• Translate knowledge into action in your specific conservation context

Who this is for

• Wilburforce Grantees
• CLF/FGN Partners

Acknowledgements: We are grateful to many people and organizations on whose ideas and knowledge this series is built. We credit the incredible work of the Whitener Group, the Nature Conservancy (who initially sponsored the creation of this course), and The Wilderness Society (whose analogous series for their staff inspired us to host one for our own community).

Presenter Biography

Dr. Kim Paul (Amskapi Piikani):): A Blackfeet Bundle, Pipe, and Knowledge Carrier, Founder and Co-Executive Director of Piikani Lodge Health Institute, Kim brings a lifetime of Blackfeet Nation “Ways of Being” and leadership in Culture as Medicine, Traditional Homelands/biosystems environmental protections, Land Back efforts, community health research, and relationship-building. Her lived experience and scholarship ground this history in human impact, resilience, and responsibility.

Rochelle Morgan-Verdin (United Houma Nation): An international Indigenous rights advocate and founder of In Our Ways Strategy Group, Rochelle brings over 20 years of experience in human rights law, environmental justice, and global negotiations to support Tribal Nations, multilateral organizations, and community-led initiatives in advancing rights-based solutions and participatory governance.

Brett Lee Shelton (Oglala Sioux Tribe): Senior Staff Attorney at the Native American Rights Fund with more than 25 years in Indian law, Brett focuses on Tribal sovereignty, peacemaking, Native lands and sacred places, and advancing legal frameworks that shape conservation partnerships today.