We established GLLI as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2009 to engage diverse grassroots community groups across the Great Lakes region and Canada. By sharing our skills, knowledge, and resources, we are revitalizing traditional ways of being. With the support of Elders and knowledge keepers, we are rebuilding traditional land-based practices and inviting community members of all ages to immerse themselves in the reclamation of their knowledge and power. This knowledge and power is reified through seasonal harvest camps, the construction of traditional cultural spaces, and ancestral watercraft. Every event is a beautiful opportunity to spread awareness about the importance of exercising treaty rights and for the transference of intergenerational knowledge. 

With nearly 15 years of experience in doing this good work, we have woven a wide web of partnerships, strengthening relationships between-and-across tribal communities. We have an intention to be agile and adaptable to meet the rapidly changing needs of key stakeholders at the forefront of movements. We value being small, sustainable, and efficient with our generously-gifted resources. Our goal is to disrupt harmful and unjust colonial structures by innovating and modeling collaborative solutions which can then be seeded out across Turtle Island. We invest in groups and individuals who are reimagining and rebuilding a vibrant and equitable world. Our organization model is based upon inclusion, collective navigation, safety, healing, and consensus. We believe that the way we organize ourselves in our work and how we apply our values system is as important as the physical outcomes of our projects.