The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced on Indigenous Peoples Day that the ASLA officially adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), strengthening its support for Indigenous rights, Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK), the protection and restoration of ecosystems, and climate equity.
Although the adoption is a landmark decision of the ASLA, it would not have been made possible without the efforts of the Indigenous Collective Group (ICG), a network of Indigenous landscape architects, designers, and allies that aims to uphold Indigenous voices, celebrate diverse worldviews, and centralize care for community and land.
“Our unwavering collective efforts to have ASLA adopt UNDRIP is momentous,” said Paul Fragua, Affil. ASLA, MIG. “ASLA’s adoption fortifies the purpose and vision of the Indigenous Collective Group, ‘…a future where Indigenous voices are amplified, equitably represented, and integrated into all aspects of landscape architecture.’”
“The adoption is a great way to assure that we hold ourselves accountable in respecting Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination,” said José de Jesús Leal Loera, ASLA, MIG Principal and Native Nation Building Studio Director. “Where Indigenous sovereignty is lived, people, culture and land thrive, and our collective future is strengthened.”
The ICG held an informal meetup at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. at last year’s ASLA conference. ASLA had approached MIG’s José de Jesús Leal, FASLA, Principal and Native Nation Building Studio Director, and Nathaniel Willing, ASLA, APA, to convene the meeting. The goal was to understand the needs of Indigenous groups and jump start a grassroots effort to foster connection and collaboration between Indigenous communities and the field of landscape architecture.
Since then, the ICG has become a leading voice in expanding recognition of Indigenous landscape architects and had a robust Indigenous presence at this year’s ASLA conference in New Orleans.
At this year’s ASLA conference, ICG led the led the development of the first Indigenous youth workshop with high school students from Native nations in the New Orleans region and Indigenous landscape architecture undergraduate students. They cultivated relationships with Host Nations in New Orleans, inviting the United Houma Nation to welcome everyone as part of the General Session, hosted multiple educational sessions by collective members from South America, the U.S. and Canada, a discussion forum, and an Indigenous gathering in celebration of the ICG and Indigenous Peoples’ Day
We celebrate this milestone and thank the ICG for its advocacy efforts, with special recognition for the following MIG Native Nation Building Studio members who led the way:
- José de Jesús Leal Loera, FASLA, Spanish, French, Nāhua
- Nathaniel Willing, First Nation Annishinaabe/Ojibwe
- Paul Fragua, Affil. ASLA, Pueblo of Jemez
You can learn more about the ICG and the ASLA’s goals for working with Indigenous landscape architects and communities at:
- Indigenous Collective Group (ICG)
- ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan
- Call to Action – Co-creating a Future that Heals Land and Culture
You can also learn more about MIG’s Native Nation Building Studio on our website.