April 2026 eNewsletter - Building Community

Dear Friends of AMLT,

This month, I had the privilege of joining Native leaders, funders, organizers, and community‑builders from across the country at the Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) Conference in Riverside. 

I arrived hoping to learn. I left feeling part of a collective movement rooted in relationships, responsibility, and community, both professionally and personally. 

Through this gathering, I was able to reconnect with former colleagues from my time working with the Indigenous leaders in my home state of South Dakota. The relationships I formed there gave me the foundation for the work I do today, and I was reminded of how they taught me to show up with integrity, to understand land as relative, and to recognize that stewardship is a responsibility carried across generations. I’m profoundly grateful and proud to have learned from incredible Native voices like theirs, and to be able to carry that forward for AMLT and the Tribe.

The conference, which originated in 1989, was designed as a space for funders and nonprofits to come together to share successes and challenges that arise as we move our work forward amid uncertainty—in other words, exactly what we all need in this era.

Throughout my three days there, what struck me most was how aligned the stories were across all regions of our country. From coast to coast, the Great Plains to the Southwest, from Alaska to Hawaii, Indigenous organizations are advancing land return, cultural revitalization, youth leadership, and education. Each community is doing this in its own way, shaped by its own teachings and individual cultures—and the momentum is palpable.

There is a growing recognition that when one Tribal nation succeeds in reclaiming land or revitalizing ceremony, it strengthens all. When one Indigenous nonprofit builds a model for community‑driven stewardship, like the Amah Mutsun have done, it becomes a blueprint that others can look to for inspiration. And when funders invest in long‑term partnerships, instead of funding short‑term projects, the effects reach far beyond a single grant cycle. We are not simply asking for support; we are inviting people into a movement and ensuring that Indigenous‑led organizations have the resources they need, now and for future generations or, as we say at AMLT, “until the last sunset.” 

The path ahead is one we walk together with funders, Tribal nations, nonprofits, and YOU as community members. That, more than anything, gives me hope, knowing that if we work together, we will weather today's storms and come out stronger than ever before.

With gratitude,

Jodi Litz

Director of Development, Amah Mutsun Land Trust