Across the Peruvian Amazon — in the territories of Ucayali, Huánuco, and Loreto — deforestation and climate change are reshaping the lives of the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations. Bari Wesna was created in response, working alongside the Shipibo-Konibo, Ashaninka, and Yanesha peoples to restore local ecosystems by combining ancestral knowledge with modern conservation practice. At … Read More
Inspiration at Mountainfilm Festival 2026
With strong Indigenous representation at Mountainfilm Festival last week, and stories from every corner of the Earth, it is so clear that building bridges between ancient wisdom ways and the power of contemporary knowledge brings us closer to the future we are all hoping for. Last week, Tribal Trust Foundation Founder and Executive Director Barbara Savage was able to attend … Read More
Honoring Our First Mother
Before there were any of the mothers we know and love, there was the first one — our Mother Earth. Indigenous wisdom keepers have kept this knowledge alive and continue to tend to her care. Many others have lost there way and while we hear a lot about environmental destruction in the news, one of the biggest threats to Indigenous … Read More
Gratitude from A Partner in Bhutan
For sixteen years, the Tribal Trust Foundation has walked alongside the Monpa people of Central Bhutan — not as distant benefactors, but as genuine partners in one of the most meaningful cultural preservation relationships in our 30-year history. This past February, we received a letter of gratitude from a partner in Bhutan, Karma Lotey, pictured above, President of Yangphel Adventure … Read More
Internship Opportunities
Tribal Trust Foundation Internship Opportunities The Tribal Trust Foundation welcomes high school and college students to learn about Indigenous wisdom traditions and work with us to support a thriving future through Indigenous-led storytelling, partnerships, and collaboration. Join TTF in Our Mission The Tribal Trust Foundation carries on a 30-year history of supporting Indigenous-led projects and programs that preserve and uplift … Read More
Continuing Global Impact
Photo courstesy of Bari Wesna As we close out 2025, I’m reaching out with gratitude — and a simple request. We asked for your support recently, to raise $110,000 and inspired donors have already given $95,000! Today, a $20,000 matching grant means that if you MAKE A DONATION TODAY, the value of your donation will be doubled! CONTINUING GLOBAL IMPACT … Read More
Traveling to Bhutan for Documentary Film and Friendship
In 2006, the Tribal Trust Foundation answered a call from the Monpa people of Bhutan to document their ancient culture, one of the last Indigenous communities in the Himalayas still living in close harmony with the natural world. Upon their request, while the government had begun plans for a genocide of these peace-loving people, we began filming in order to … Read More
Honoring Our Elders: A New Home for Shipibo-Konibo Teachers
One of the many critical values we can learn from Indigenous peoples is the deep respect for, and care of, our Elders our wisdom keepers. They are the carriers of story, the transmitters of tradition, and the guardians of ancestral knowledge. In early 2025, we received a powerful request from our trusted partner, Bari Wesna, an Indigenous-led intercultural nonprofit based … Read More
Monpa Elders Prioritizing Indigenous Language Preservation
UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032 recognizes, “Languages are one of the most significant emblems of human diversity, revealing how we can perceive, relate to, and understand the world differently. Languages are vehicles of our cultures, collective memory, and values. They are an essential component of our identities.” The Monpas are translating their oral language into Dzongkha and English … Read More
Honoring the Mother
In this month of May, where in America we celebrate Mother’s Day, honoring the nurturing presence of mothers in our lives, I want to give thanks for Mother Nature and Mother Earth, and the web of life of which we are a part. At Tribal Trust Foundation, we believe that the wisdom of Indigenous peoples, the regenerative principles of Nature, … Read More
Responsiveness in Support for Hadza People
In times of great change, it is wise to go back to what we know has worked throughout millennia: the ways of Indigenous people, who have built cultures and traditions anchored in ancient wisdom that is perhaps more relevant today than ever before. Indigenous communities are also most vulnerable to the life-threatening effects of climate change and the extractive practices … Read More