Resolution 2025-06
WHEREAS, for nearly 90 years the National Wildlife Federation’s affiliate organizations have developed, submitted, debated, and ratified policy resolutions at the National Wildlife Federation Annual Meetings; and
WHEREAS, science, law, statute, cultural understanding, conservation strategies, and societal perspectives have changed over those decades; and
WHEREAS, over 300 resolutions were submitted and ratified from 1970 to 1979, some of which still continue to be good policy and approved National Wildlife Federation resolutions in 2025; and
WHEREAS, however at least 12 of these resolutions, dealing mostly with Tribal issues and engagement with Tribes, contain troubling language and no longer align with the values and work of National Wildlife Federation. These resolutions are listed below with a basic reference to concerning language from their text:
- 1970-37, Native Claims in Alaska – opposition to Native land and royalty claims
- 1970-40, Blue Lake Area, Carson National Forest, New Mexico – opposition to the transfer of title of the Blue Lake area of the Carson National Forest to the Pueblo de Taos
- 1975-30, Native Rights to Fish and Wildlife – review and potential change of existing treaties between the United States and sovereign Tribes to “insure equal rights for all its citizens…”
- 1976-23, House Rock Valley-Paria Plateau Area of the Arizona Strip –.Opposes Hopi and Navajo land rights and conflates Indian lands rights settlements with public lands policy
- 1977-13, Protection for Natural Resources in Alaska – references the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and Alaska Statehood Act and that “…replacements be provided for fish and wildlife lands selected by natives and/or the State within units of existing units of the National Wildlife Refuge or Park Systems”
- 1977-20, Indian Treaty Rights – defining Tribal hunting and fishing rights within already established treaties between the US government and individual, sovereign Tribal Nations
- 1978-04, National Flood Insurance Program – urges economic sanctions against flood-prone communities which do not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program
- 1978-16, Native Rights and Fish and Wildlife – “Indians should have no preferential rights or privileges on fish and wildlife resources outside the actual boundaries of their reservations…”
- 1978-36, Unregulated Harvest of Anadromous Fish – petition that would undermine the US Supreme Court’s ruling concerning the state of California’s lack of authority to regulate Tribal fishing on the Klamath River Reservations
- 1979-15, Importance of the Great Lakes System – calls out “…unregulated commercial fishing by Indians…”
- 1979-34, States’ Rights to Manage Fish and Wildlife – exclusive rights to individual states to manage fish and wildlife resources. Potentially exclusionary of Tribal Treaty rights.
- 1979-35, Subsistence – urges congress to not allow subsistence provisions in Alaska lands legislation. Presumably this would have included Native or Tribal subsistence use of fish and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, regardless of the outcome of recommendations made in these resolutions and the follow up to their ratification, these documents are either concerning in their opposition to or lack of support for Native Americans and Tribal sovereignty, or racist in their tone, language and recommendations; and
WHEREAS, National Wildlife Federation Affiliates ratified Resolutions 2023-06 and 2024-04 in support of building authentic, collaborative partnerships with Tribes and Indigenous communities based on Free, Prior, and Informed Consent; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has worked extensively over the last few decades to become a more inclusive organization and stronger ally that supports Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and partners with Tribes and Indigenous peoples as well as underserved and frontline communities; and
WHEREAS, a working group of National Wildlife Federation affiliates and staff has reviewed these resolutions and recommended nullifying them as being inconsistent with the organization’s values; and
WHEREAS, the resolution working group of National Wildlife Federation affiliates and staff has identified and reviewed resolution 1979-15 and found that outside of one phrase, “unregulated commercial fishing by Indians” is still sound policy regarding interstate and international cooperation to support, restore, and enhance water quality in the Great Lakes system.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the lines “… unregulated commercial fishing by Indians…” in Resolution 1979-15, Importance of the Great Lakes System, be removed from the original resolution; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled June 3-6, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, supports the nullification and removal as policy of the above listed resolutions, and Resolution 1979-15 be amended as noted in the previous paragraph.