Grant funds CFJC Indigenous Work

You've likely heard about the work the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF) does to preserve prairies, woodlands, and waterways. The organization has preserved thousands of acres in our county.

What you may not know is that for the past 10 years or so, JDCF has been working with tribes of people indigenous to this area to reconnect to the land. Why would a conservation foundation work with indigenous tribes who don't even live here?

Because much of the land that JDCF preserves was originally stewarded by tribes of indigenous people. You might say they were the original stewards of the land. Many of JDCF's lands have artifacts and evidence of civilizations from thousands of years ago.

Today, JDCF has re-established relationships with these tribes and the land. By bringing indigenous people back to the land, the tribes and JDCF are sharing knowledge about stewardship and stories about the plant life, wildlife, and people that lived on these lands. They are also reconnecting tribes to sacred spaces & their ancestors.

The Community Foundation sees this as important work for our community's future. That's why a grant from the Future Fund supported this work, including a video that helps tell the story of JDCF's work with tribal communities.

JDCF Corn Dance Video

It's about building a future together with indigenous tribes and all of us who live in Jo Daviess County today! You make a gift to the Future Fund to support more great ideas for the future of Jo Daviess County by visiting www.cfjodaviess.org/give