ABOUT 

Decolonizing Wealth Project is an Indigenous-led racial justice organization that envisions a world where racial equity has become a societal norm – where new systems ensure everyone can live their best lives, thrive in their cultures, and heal from generations of colonial trauma. Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) was established in 2018 to disrupt the existing systems of moving and controlling capital by offering truth, reconciliation, and healing from the ails of colonization through education, radical reparative giving, and narrative change. 

The California Truth & Healing Council (the “Council” or “CTHC”), created by Executive Order N-15-19, bears witness to, records, examines existing documentation of, and receives California Native American narratives regarding the historical relationship between the State of California and California Native Americans in order to clarify the historical record of such relationship in the spirit of truth and healing. The Council’s mission is facilitated by the Governor’s Tribal Advisor and includes representatives from California Native American tribes, relevant state and local agencies, and other relevant non-governmental stakeholders. The Council works in consultation with California Native American tribes to shape the overarching focus and develop the work of the Council and will endeavor to accurately represent the diversity of experience of California Native Americans within the State of California. 

“California Native Americans have a huge opportunity to help our communities and our state heal together – but only if we have a seat at the table,” Mark Macarro, Tribal Chairman of Pechanga Band of Indians said. 

“These resources will directly help more Native people begin healing deep wounds and will help many take a critical step toward restoring the balance between California Native people and the State,” Kouslaa Kessler-Mata, Truth & Healing Council-member, Yak Tityu Tityu Chumash, said. 

To support this process, Liberated Capital, a fund of Decolonizing Wealth Project, is launching a new multi-year grantmaking initiative, the California Truth and Healing Fund, to support the engagement of California Native American families, communities, tribes and organizations in the healing opportunities presented in this process and advance the broader objectives of the Council, including to galvanize philanthropy to support the recommendations from the Council’s report.  Funding decisions will be guided by an advisory board of CA Native Americans.

Year 1 grantees for the California Truth & Healing Fund 

• Ione Band of Miwok Indians – Plymouth, CA
• Blue Lake Rancheria California – Blue Lake, CA
• Heritage: Indigenous Research Project – Nevada City, CA
• Scott Valley Indian Community – Woodland, CA
• yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini – Northern Chumash Tribe  San Luis Obispo County and Region – Arroyo Grande, CA
• Tolowa Needash Society – Crescent City, CA
• Redbud Resource Group – Santa Rosa, CA
• Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians – Willits, CA
• Wukchumni Tribe – Visalia, CA
• Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians – Redwood Valley, CA
• Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians – San Fernando, CA
• Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation – Santa Barbara, CA
• Tsnungwe of California – Salyer, CA

CURRENT ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA

• California Native American tribes  (Note: non-federally recognized tribes are eligible to apply through a 501(c)(3) or be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3))
• California Native-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, coalitions, or projects fiscally-sponsored by a 501(c)(3) based in California.
  • Native-led defined: the organization’s Board of Directors and Executive leadership must be majority California Native-led, and must primarily service California Natives.
  • California Native-led organizations, coalitions, or projects must name and provide Letters of Support from the CA tribe(s) they propose to engage, or tribally-affiliated references. 
• Individuals are not eligible at this time. 
• Funding must be used for charitable purposes (no lobbying).  
• Funding cannot be used for efforts in opposition to other tribes or tribal entities. 
• Grant amounts will range from $5,000 to $50,000.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

Funding priorities of the California Truth and Healing Fund are listed below in order of priority and will shift over time as the work progresses. Current funding priorities should include activities that directly support the goals of engagement with the Truth and Healing process, such as:   

• Efforts to spread awareness and increase community engagement of CA Native Americans in the Truth and Healing process of the Council.  The fund will prioritize statewide and regional organizations and coalitions that can provide awareness, community engagement and logistical or capacity support to engage with the Council.  

• Logistical or capacity support to attend and engage in the Council meetings and hearings.  These activities may include: 
  • Funding for transportation, lodging, childcare, meeting space and other supports that address potential barriers to CA Native participation in the statewide process.
  • To Find a schedule of the CA Truth & Healing Council meetings and hearings, visit: https://tribalaffairs.ca.gov/cthc/meetings/

• Efforts to bring together California Native Americans intra or inter-tribally to discuss, plan or otherwise prepare for engaging in the Council process or to engage in independent truth and healing work with and among tribes. 

• Tribal history, research and narrative work that supports the goals of the Council process, such as the digitization of tribal history, research, narratives, documentation of land loss, cultural items, or archival material, etc.  This may include: 
  • Efforts to record first-hand accounts and first-person narratives that capture oral history, clarifies and correct the historical record, address grievances, and/or promote truth-telling. 

• Support for traditional healing programs or efforts connected to tribal or intra-tribal Truth & Healing processes

• Capacity-building for Tribes, like research and planning, to support California Native land-back efforts. This can include resources for legal support, capacity-building for land back claims, retrieving historical documentation, engaging anthropological or scientific support to support claims, capacity building for how to create tribal land trusts, capacity building regarding tribal co-management, and/or other tribal planning needs. This does not include resources to purchase land.

***Please note again: Funding cannot be used for land-back efforts or land-back claims that are in opposition to other tribes or tribal entities.***

CONTACT US 

For questions, or if you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to our team at info@decolonizingwealth.com, subject line: CA Truth and Healing Fund.

For technical assistance with the JustFund platform, contact info@justfund.us.

Funders/Donors

If you’re interested in supporting the California Truth and Healing Fund, please email us at info@decolonizingwealth.com, subject line: CA Truth and Healing Fund.