[IMPACT]
Indigenous artists would generate the content for NFTs that would be sold (along with physical copies of the artwork) to raise funds for the mission of the organization. That mission: to acquire land and transfer stewardship back to Indigenous communities. The ownership of the land parcel would also be tracked via NFT on the blockchain. This work is important for social justice, promoting Indigenous voices, and biodiversity.
The following articles clearly outline the problem and speak to the importance of decentralized land ownership infrastructure.
https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/indigenous-land-rights-critical-pillar-climate-action
This proposal aligns with de Soto’s ideas of property ownership as the foundation for alleviating poverty. As I’m based in the US, the pilot would apply to marginalized communities within a developed nation. That said, it could easily be applied to Indigenous communities in developing communities as capacity allows.
Property ownership is at the heart of Native American injustices. Establishing decentralized and trustworthy land ownership legal frameworks, processes, and institutions are mentioned as solutions by both of the above linked articles and are another nod to de Soto’s principles.
Blockchain provides the opportunity to re-establish Indigenous tribes as the rightful owners of the land; and in doing so, develop an understanding for how to apply Cardano in areas of land ownership and nonprofits.
Relationships with the Indigenous groups are key. Without the tribes’ authentic participation, the project means little. Having a solid understanding of the operations and taking the time to co-create solutions with the communities, will build trust and ultimately ensure a human-centered design.
Prioritizing the land to purchase will be critical. As a general rule: land should have the maximum value to the community at the most effective cost. Unfortunately, land only becomes available if the seller is willing. Communication with the community, and thorough research of potential sites, will be important for minimizing wasted effort.
[FEASIBILITY]
This project is in its research phase. The goal would be to develop the model, including more nuanced timelines and priorities, over the course of the next 6 - 12 months. During that time, research would be conducted into the appropriate legal structures for both the organization and land ownership. Additionally, outreach would be conducted to find Indigenous communities interested in collaborating. Finally, this solution will only be as good as the underlying technology; thus, determining the best technical approach will be critical during this time.
Given that the phase is research and there isn’t much in the way of expenses, the funds will be used to establish a base of ADA to seed the organization’s fund. Price appreciation and staking rewards can provide compounding rewards, thus providing the funds for NFT minting, initial land acquisitions & maintenance. I will not be taking anything from the organization’s funds. If anything, I would invest further in order to grow price/staking rewards. Proceeds from the sale of the NFTs would also be added to the trust (with a royalty to the artist).
www.linkedin.com/in/luke-jandl
I will be the head strategist and lead on organization building/financing.
If people are interested in collaborating, the biggest need would be a technology lead.
[AUDITABILITY]
Deliverables: Detailed business model. The creation of the organization and fund.
Metrics: Funds Raised, Communities Met With, Artist Agreements. Eventually things like Acreage Acquired
Success would be at the point of actually donating land back to Indigenous stewardship. Having honest and productive conversations with Indigenous communities would also be a success of the project.
Aspirationally, establishing some real-world best practices and momentum towards ADA land ownership mechanisms would be a great success.
New Proposal
SDG Rating
Directly, this project impacts 10 - Reduced Inequalities. It also speaks to 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Indirectly, there is evidence that Indigenous ownership benefits biodiversity and ecosystem health, and thus one could argue that it benefits Climate Change, Life Below Water, and Life on Land.