By Maddy Bonner, Monuments Toolkit
This article highlights several Indigenous-led initiatives that work to influence different landscapes. Diverging and intersecting at different points, the projects touch upon monumental, cultural, sacred, artistic, built, and natural landscapes, among others.
Only three initiatives of many are highlighted here. They are a small piece within the long-standing practice of honoring and maintaining Native culture, traditions, beliefs, and values. Many of the efforts listed here involve a form of reclamation or rematriation required due to the enduring impact of settler colonialism. The Forge Project Association provides an example of the creation of a new space, on the unceded lands of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck, that supports Indigenous artists, cultural practitioners, and knowledge keepers.
Sacred Red Rock Project
Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe, or the “Sacred Red Rock,” is of immense spiritual significance to the Kanza people (Kaw Nation). It was deposited in Kansas at the junction of Shunganunga Creek and the Kansas River by a glacier during the last ice age. In 1929, people of Lawrence, Kansas, took the large rock, moved it to Robinson Park, and made it a monument to the town’s “founders.” A plaque was added to Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe for the sacred rock’s dedication. It stood in Robinson Park, part of the historic homeland of the Kanza people, for almost 100 years as property of Douglas County.
The Sacred Red Rock Project began in 2015. After aggregating and building upon decades of research, the project team initiated conversations between the Kaw Nation, the City of Lawrence, and Douglas County to explore the possibility of Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe’s return to the Kanza people.
Kaw citizens voted in favor of making a formal request for the return of Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe in 2020 and following extensive collaborative efforts, Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe was returned to Kaw Nation on August 29, 2023. It is now located in Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park, owned by the Kanza people, near Council Grove, Kansas. To learn more about the rematriation of Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe, explore the story map.
Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition
Bears Ears National Monument is located in southeastern Utah and encompasses “one of the most significant cultural landscapes in the United States, with thousands of sacred cultural sites and important areas of spiritual significance,” according to the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition (BEITC).
The BEITC is comprised of the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and Zuni Tribe. In 2015, the Coalition submitted a formal proposal to President Barack Obama that called for the designation of Bears Ears National Monument to protect the region of profound significance. The National Monument was established by a presidential proclamation the following year that also established the Bears Ears Commission to ensure Tribal participation in the management and stewardship of the land. According to the BEITC, the co-management structure “represents a new model of public land management that honors Tribal sovereignty and incorporates Traditional Indigenous Knowledge (TIK) to protect the Monument’s cultural belongings.”
In 2025, the Coalition celebrated its 10 year anniversary. The BEITC supports the work of Bears Ears Commission, conducts community outreach, and leads projects such as the Bears Ears Conservation Corps and the Bears Ears Youth Council. They also work to advocate for visiting with respect and protecting Bears Ears National Monument from looting, vandalism, and resource extraction.
Indigenous Place Names Project
The goal of the Indigenous Place Names Project is to highlight and honor the Indigenous place names that have long existed for places and spaces in the built environment of Anchorage, Alaska. Through place name signs, visitors and residents are invited to learn more about places culturally significant to the Dena’ina. Thus far, the Project has planned 32 public art installations across the Native Village of Eklutna and Anchorage. The place name signs include the Dena’ina place name, the story of the place, and a sculptural element that is the Project’s symbol: the Dena’ina fire bag.
The Project notes that it is important to recognize that establishing place name signage is only one step toward recognizing and honoring Indigenous heritage in place. According to the Project, the movement must also include “a shift in processes, recording, mapping, experiencing, and celebrating.” In addition to signage, the systems that have long worked to suppress Dena’ina culture within the various landscapes of Anchorage must be addressed.
To hear from Aaron Leggett (Native Village of Eklutna Chair and CEO, Anchorage Museum Curator, Dena’ina scholar, and founder of the Indigenous Place Names Project), watch the Monuments Toolkit Webinar “Reconciling Historic Trauma with Monuments and Sites.”
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November is Indigenous Heritage Month. The First Nations Development Institute reminds people to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Americans year-round, investigate the myth of Thanksgiving, “help reclaim Native truth,” and support growth in Native communities.