The Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center (GLILC) at University of Wisconsin Law School has received a 2026 Reilly-Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment grant to help Native Nations navigate tribal land acquisitions and donations.
The $116,024 one-year award for “Tribal Land Restoration Project: Addressing Legal Barriers to Acquisition in Wisconsin” will cover research and community engagement toward the effort.
“Restoring ancestral lands to Native Nations represents not only a recognition of treaty rights but also a step in reaffirming sovereignty,” said GLILC Director Amanda White Eagle. “In collaboration with interested tribes and tribal land organizations, the center will develop the first comprehensive handbook tailored to the legal landscape of tribal land acquisition and donation in Wisconsin.”
This print and online resource will provide guidance across a range of topics, including land and resource rights; governance and trust models; and funding and acquisitions.
The center is partnering with multiple organizations on the Tribal Land Restoration Project: The Ho-Chunk Nation, Indian Land Tenure Foundation, Wilderness Society, Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition and Native Nations Institute.
GLILC was established in 1992 to improve the practical legal skills of all students interested in the fields of Indigenous law, including federal Indian and tribal law. The center serves as a legal resource for Native Nations, including the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Sokaogon Chippewa Community, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. The initiatives and programs sponsored by the center connect UW Law School’s commitment to law in action with Native Nations and tribal communities across the state.
The endowment honors the legacy of Ira Baldwin and Ineva Reilly Baldwin and their deep commitment to the Wisconsin Idea, the principle that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom. All UW–Madison faculty and staff are eligible to apply for awards.
“Honoring the legacy of the Reilly-Baldwin Endowment means translating legal scholarship into meaningful real-world application,” said White Eagle. “By addressing legal barriers to land acquisition, we support Native Nations in exercising sovereignty and long-term land stewardship. We are equally excited that Tribal Land Restoration Fellow Nico Crocetti and six dedicated law students will gain hands-on experience driving this project forward.”
Submitted by Law School News on August 28, 2026
This article appears in the categories: Features
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