IIPWG September 2026 Newsletter and 20th Anniversary
Items excerpted from the September 2026 Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) Newsletter. IIPWG strategy calls take place the third Thursday of the month. Learn more.
Commemorating IIPWG’s 20th Anniversary
The Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) formed in 2006 when a group of Indigenous investment leaders and SRI investors came together to address persistent and pervasive gaps in awareness, attention, and care for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and wellbeing in investor spaces. We are pleased to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of IIPWG as a hub to create joint actions on issues of mutual interest and ensure Indigenous Peoples’ participation in investment and shareholder advocacy. Learn more with the IIPWG 20th Anniversary Toolkit, invite colleagues to join IIPWG, and please take this moment to share resources and opportunity for action to operationalize respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights.
Proposed Revisions to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act Threaten Tribal Consultation Requirements
Laura Berglan, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice, and Dr. Crystal Miller, Cultural Sovereignty Director at the Association on American Indian Affairs, shared how the proposed revisions to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) threaten to weaken Tribal consultation requirements.
Section 106 mandates federal agencies to consider how their projects may impact historic properties, which include cultural landscapes, ancestral burial grounds, sacred sites, and other significant places. It requires agencies to consult with Native Nations prior to project decisions that impact these places. The proposed revisions would make such consultation discretionary, exclude traditional cultural sites from the definition of historic property, and more. Tribes were not consulted on the proposed revisions.
Native organizations issued a joint statement and over 700 Tribal Nations, organizations, and individuals have sent an open letter to Congress. Among actions to take, investors were encouraged to prepare to submit public comments, engage Congress members, and request a meeting with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to provide input.
Native Leaders Remain Unwavering as Washington Commanders Launch Merchandise with Retired Name and Logo
In view of the Washington Commanders launching official team merchandise featuring the team’s retired, racist name and logo, Dr. Crystal Miller, Cultural Sovereignty Director at the Association on American Indian Affairs, discussed the harm of Native mascots and investors’ role in helping to prevent backsliding. She underscored that “Native Nations are not regular stakeholders” but are sovereign nations with the ultimate say in how culture and imagery are used. She recommended investors undertake or re-up engagements with team sponsors, retail organizations, and other licensing partners. In a statement, the Association on American Indian Affairs shared, “Native Peoples have been clear, consistent and unwavering: We are not your mascot.”
Upcoming Webinar on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Shareholder Proposals
Investors are invited to Trends and Tools to Advance Indigenous Peoples’ Rights through Shareholder Proposals on Tuesday, September 29, 4:00 pm ET. Organized by Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Institute, West Coast Environmental Law, and Tallgrass Institute, the webinar will share insights and practical tools to support investor engagements, including benchmarks for assessing company commitments, disclosures, engagement, and accountability, as well as how investors can develop proposals grounded in Indigenous priorities to move companies beyond symbolic commitments toward meaningful action. Register here.
IPWG Canada
The September IIPWG Canada call featured a roundtable discussion on how actors across the investment chain are actualizing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Call to Action 92, which calls upon the corporate sector to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Canadian Sustainability Standards Board also provided an update on the consultation process for Indigenous Peoples’ rights disclosures. Learn more about IIPWG Canada.