Adirondack Land-Back Initiative Restores 900 Acres to Indigenous Stewardship in Landmark Partnership

ONCHIOTA, NY – March 10, 2026 – In a move heralded as a new blueprint for reconciliation and conservation, more than 900 acres of forested land in the Adirondacks have been returned to Indigenous stewardship. A historic partnership between Paul Smith’s College, The Nature Conservancy, the Adirondack Land Trust, and the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center has resulted in the largest private-sector land-back agreement in New York State history, placing a unified tract of ancestral land under the permanent care of the Haudenosaunee people.

This landmark agreement involves a multi-party collaboration that will see the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center (6NICC) privately own and manage the land in perpetuity. The Nature Conservancy facilitated the core of the transfer by purchasing 600 acres from Paul Smith’s College for $1.1 million and then transferring the title to the Cultural Center. This was combined with an adjoining 333 acres previously transferred to the Center by the Adirondack Land Trust in 2022, creating a contiguous 933-acre parcel dedicated to cultural revitalization and ecological preservation.

A New Blueprint for Collaborative Return

This initiative stands as a significant model for how private institutions and conservation groups can voluntarily and proactively engage in the land back movement. Unlike government-led returns, such as the 2022 transfer of 1,000 acres to the Onondaga Nation as part of a federal Superfund settlement, this agreement was born from years of relationship-building and shared goals among private entities.

“This land has long been a place of learning. We are proud that its next chapter centers the leadership of the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center and the restoration of cultural and ecological relationships that far predate the College,” said Paul Smith’s College President Dan Kelting. The partnership offers a replicable framework for other organizations seeking to center Indigenous ownership and decision-making in conservation efforts.

The mechanics of the deal highlight a creative and committed approach. The Nature Conservancy in New York, marking its first-ever land return, acted as a crucial financial and logistical bridge. The Adirondack Land Trust’s earlier transfer laid the groundwork, demonstrating a long-term vision for restoring Indigenous presence on the landscape. Together, these actions showcase a pathway for reconciliation that moves beyond symbolic gestures to the tangible restoration of land and sovereignty.

Restoring Stewardship and Knowledge

At the heart of this historic return is the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center, an institution founded in 1954 by the Fadden family of the Mohawk Nation. For nearly 70 years, the Center has served as a vital educational resource, sharing the history, culture, and environmental ethics of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. The newly acquired land provides a physical extension of this mission.

The 933-acre tract will not only be preserved but will become a living campus for cultural practice and education. Plans include the construction of a new, state-of-the-art museum designed to resemble a traditional longhouse, providing a climate-controlled space for the Center’s 3,000-plus artifacts. The land will also host a Haudenosaunee gathering space and an Indigenous youth camp, where traditional ecological knowledge can be passed down.

Management of the land will be guided by the Haudenosaunee philosophy of considering the impact of decisions on the “seventh generation ahead.” This principle of long-term stewardship is being formally woven into the land’s legal protections. The Adirondack Land Trust and the 6NICC are co-developing a conservation easement—the first of its kind in the Adirondack Park—that incorporates Haudenosaunee perspectives and the Mohawk language. This legal innovation is modeled on the Gaswéñdah, or Two Row Wampum Belt, which symbolizes two nations traveling side-by-side in mutual respect, without interference.

The land itself is ecologically significant, containing northern hardwood and lowland boreal forests considered highly resilient to climate change. It also features wetlands and John Thomas Brook, a stream that supports native brook trout. The integration of Indigenous-led stewardship with Western ecological science is expected to foster a powerful model for biocultural restoration.

A Deeper Commitment to Education and Partnership

For Paul Smith’s College, the only four-year college within the Adirondack Park, this land return represents a profound step in a long-term commitment to honoring Indigenous history and building respectful relationships. The decision grew from years of deliberate work to recognize the deep history of the land upon which the college sits.

Previous initiatives by the college include extensive research and public acknowledgment of 12,000 years of Indigenous presence on its campus lands, which was developed into a formal land acknowledgment in collaboration with local Indigenous partners. The college also installed a New York State historical marker recognizing Lower St. Regis Lake’s Indigenous name—Akwesasne Lake—and has established scholarships for First Nations students and supported Indigenous-focused campus programming.

This transfer deepens the college’s identity as an institution grounded in experiential education. The proximity of the newly stewarded land and the ongoing partnership with the 6NICC will create unparalleled opportunities for students in forestry, environmental science, and other disciplines to learn directly from Indigenous knowledge holders.

“Today is about more than a land return; it represents another meaningful step in Paul Smith’s College’s ongoing commitment to building strong, respectful relationships with Indigenous communities,” Kelting added. “We look forward to where this partnership will lead and, just as importantly, what it will teach our students.”

This collaborative effort in the heart of the Adirondacks does more than change the ownership of a parcel of land; it actively restores a relationship between a people and their ancestral territory. It serves as a powerful testament to the growing recognition that Indigenous leadership is essential for a future of effective environmental stewardship and meaningful reconciliation.