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Organization

Native Conservancy (Cordova, Alaska)

Not yet reviewed by this nation. What follows comes from public records and research. It does not speak for the nation.

Native Conservancy, founded in Cordova, Alaska in 2003, runs LandBack, OceanBack and PeopleBack programs led by Alaska Native communities.

Kind
501(c)(3) Native-led land conservancy
Native-led
yes-self-described
Works with
Eyak and other Alaska Native communities
Region
Alaska; AK
Focus
LandBack, OceanBack and PeopleBack programs: Native-led conservation trusts, regenerative mariculture, return of lands to Native stewardship
Registry
EIN 30-0131766 (ProPublica: Native Conservancy, Cordova AK)

What happened

Native Conservancy is a nonprofit based in Cordova, Alaska, on the homeland of the Eyak people. Its own website says it was founded in 2003 and describes itself as an Indigenous-led organization working across land, ocean and community. The site lists Dune Lankard, Eyak Athabaskan, as President and Founder.

The organization groups its work under three names. LandBack programs, in its words, protect ancestral lands "through Native-led trusts and partnerships." OceanBack programs build regenerative ocean farms, including a Native Sea Trust meant to secure long-term access to ocean farming sites for Alaska Native coastal communities. PeopleBack programs focus on education, training and local economies.

The land pages the organization publishes describe programs and priorities, not completed transfers. They cover a planned Eyak totem pole carving and a wild-foods program that delivers harvested foods to Elders. Those pages do not state how many acres Native Conservancy holds or has returned, or who holds title.

IRS records shown by ProPublica list Native Conservancy of Cordova, Alaska as a 501(c)(3) with its tax exemption issued in May 2003. Donors should know that the website's LandBack language describes aims and partnerships. A reader who wants a specific acreage or deed should ask the organization directly.

Good to know. Its LandBack language describes programs and aims; it states no acreage held or returned.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Supported by the sources below; some details rest on one source.

  1. Native Conservancy is an Indigenous-led organization based in iiyaaG (Eyak Cordova, Alaska), working to restore balance across land, ocean, and community.Native Conservancy | About Us
  2. Dune Lankard, Eyak Athabaskan President & FounderNative Conservancy | About Us
  3. founded in 2003, Native Conservancy protects ancestral lands, revives ocean abundance, and supports thriving Indigenous communities.Native Conservancy | Homepage
  4. Through Native-led trusts and partnerships, Native Conservancy protects ancestral landsNative Conservancy | Impact & Focus | Land
  5. Native Conservancy’s Native Sea Trust is securing long-term access to ocean farming sitesNative Conservancy | Ocean

Research notes. No acreage held or returned, and no deed or title holder, is stated on the pages read. The LandBack language describes programs and partnerships. The donate button is a PayPal hosted button whose payee was not verified at checkout. Leadership and mission statements are the organization's own.

Visit the organization’s website or give directly on its own page. This site takes no money.

Connections

These links were matched automatically by name or date and have not yet been reviewed by a person.

Works in 1

Works with 1

Sources

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The record’s fields
Vetting notes
2026-10-17: ProPublica hit matches name and city (note: not the same entity as Native Land Conservancy MA or Native American Land Conservancy CA, both in the seed). Site says founded by Indigenous peoples of Eyak territory and led by Alaska Native communities; team page names Native leaders. Donate button on its own site is a PayPal hosted button; payee name not verified at checkout. Source: https://www.nativeconservancy.org/ ("Founded by Indigenous peoples of iiyaaG (Eyak, Cordova, Alaska) our work at Native Conservancy stands on three pillars of responsibility")
Kind
Organization
Confidence
Medium
Nation review
Not yet reviewed by this nation

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