Program Aims to Open More Paths to Tribal Homeownership as Demand Grows

The Shelter Gap: A three-part series examining barriers to buying, renting and building homes on reservation land and highlighting the community benefits of secure housing.

Pablo Family Receives Home Ownership Grant

Homeownership Grants Help Pablo Family

“Solidarity” implies equality and mutual respect, in contrast to “charity,” which has come to suggest hierarchy and condescension. Solidarity implies a commitment to mutual well-being. ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš contributors are asked to commit to learning about the Tribal histories of the land where they live, and to discuss this history with other residents, in addition to whatever monetary contribution they may be able to offer. The ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš Solidarity Program welcomes organizational affiliates but does not offer public recognition for participation.

The Bitterroot Salish people call themselves the Séliš. Since time immemorial, they lived primarily in the Stevensville area, and were forced to relocate to the Flathead Reservation in 1891, after decades of broken treaty negotiations starting with the Hellgate Treaty of 1855. They joined the Ql̓ispé, a sister tribe sharing the same language, already living in the Mission Valley. The Ksanka people are one of several bands of Ksanka-ȼ Ktunaxa (Kootenai) people. The Ksanka lived in the area now called Libby, and were pushed from the north and west onto the Flathead Reservation. These three groups comprise the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

The Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee Elders, and the Ksanka Elders Committee have given their blessings to this project. The ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš Program seeks input from Native advocates and advisors, and collaborates whenever possible with CSKT Tribal Council, elders, culture committees and organizational partners. The Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority is a branch of the Tribal government. 

Jody Cahoon Perez and Jenny Mish heard about other solidarity giving programs in 2022, and began meeting to imagine a local program. A community visioning session was held in April 2023, including two Tribal Council members and a number of other leaders in Tribal government. All were very supportive. Jody grew up on the Flathead Reservation, where her heart’s desire is to secure safe housing for Tribal members, and for all people. She served as Executive Director of the Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority, the Tribally-designated housing entity of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, until April 2026, and continues to serve as Director of the Solidarity Program. Jenny is a consultant and organizer who lives in Missoula, where she works on community development projects.

The Solidarity Program launched on October 25, 2024, with a campaign inviting contributors to join a “Circle of 20,” giving at least $1000, or a “Sustainer’s Circle,” giving any amount monthly. A total of $25,500 was raised in ten weeks! In addition, contributors were asked to learn about local Tribal history and culture, and to speak with others about that history and the ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš Solidarity Program. In the first 18 months, $125,000 was contributed by over 150 donors, funding eight Tribal homeownership grants of $15,000 each. More than a dozen events were held in those months, focusing on Tribal history, languages, housing challenges, and a celebration of homeownership.

Starting around 2018, a number of programs have emerged around the U.S. to provide “honor taxes,” “real rent,” “guest exchange,” and other forms of solidarity funding for Native peoples. These programs are always tailored to local needs, providing unrestricted resources and support for the traditional people of the lands where they operate. See the Resources section for links to some of these programs.

The initial funding goal for this program is to address the gap in resources available to support Tribal members into homeownership. On the Flathead Reservation, there are currently ~275 households on the waiting list for 530 Low Rent housing units that are managed by the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority. A bureaucratic funding gap prevents those who are currently in Low Rent housing from increasing their income and becoming homeowners. Relatively small amounts of money, ~$15,000 per household, can allow some of these families to own their own homes. Homeownership grants are distributed as a direct payment with no stipulations, allowing homeowners to use funds as they determine. In turn, this opens SKHA Low Rent units to others on the waiting list. Meeting that need is the top initial priority for ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš financial contributions.

100% of contributions received from donors (unless specifically earmarked by the donor for operating expenses) will go directly to Tribal members in need of housing, minus payment processing fees which may also be paid by the contributor in the payment window. The launch of this program has been supported by SKHA, NeighborWorks Montana, and technical assistance from the HUD Office of Native American Programs and the National American Indian Housing Council. Continued operations will need additional funding– please let us know if you are interested in contributing for this purpose.

The ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš project and the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority will share successes on this webpage and through quarterly newsletters and social media, and provide periodic reports for contributors detailing homeownership and other outcomes. Contributors concerned about this issue are also encouraged to “wrestle” with the history of paternalism in philanthropy and consider the possibility of contributing without strings attached.

Yes. ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš is a project of the Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority (SKHA) in collaboration with NeighborWorks Montana, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 81-0543240. All financial contributions will be received and tracked by NeighborWorks Montana, which will send tax verification letters to contributors after the end of each calendar year. This ensures full compliance with U.S. tax and other laws. SKHA and NeighborWorks have a long history of partnership for housing on the Flathead Reservation. As a tribal entity, SKHA is also tax exempt according to the IRS, under Section 7871 of the 1982 Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act. However, many donors are unfamiliar with this status and prefer to contribute to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Anyone who feels called to heal the harms of settler colonialism is welcome to participate. We primarily focus on people from European ancestry living in the ancestral homelands of the Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and Ksanka people.

We do not share contributor names and gift amounts – what you give is for your heart to decide. Everything in the US takes place on land where Native people were and are displaced. We invite you to be bold and give a meaningful amount as large as your budget allows. In recognition of the broken Hellgate Treaty of 1855, you could choose to contribute $18.55/month, or $1855/year. For further guidance, you could use an online calculator from another Solidarity Giving Program. Here is a calculator from Honor Native Land Tax.

Yes, checks and contributions from Donor Advised Funds can be made payable to “Nkwuwils Solidarity Program of NeighborWorks Montana,” EIN 81-0543240, and sent to NeighborWorks Montana, P.O. Box 1025, Great Falls MT 59403.

Financial contributions are a focus of our program, but healing also requires learning, unlearning, community building, and accountability beyond money. We understand that contributions can come in many forms, and that not everyone is able to contribute financially. At this point we ask non-Native Solidarity Program Members to donate at least $1 a month. Please be patient as we develop participation opportunities and build a solidarity community offering support in a variety of ways.

Individual members formally pledge to support mutual well-being by making the following commitments: 

• Learning about the history and culture of the Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and Ksanka peoples.
• Talking with others about the traumatic historical events on these lands and the ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš Solidarity Program.  
• Donating at least $1/month towards housing for Tribal families on the Flathead Reservation (optional for Native members).

Membership includes online and in-person events for learning, healing, and relationship building. A member orientation program is in development. Affiliated organizations are invited to help us develop and pilot an organizational membership program.

First and foremost, the Solidarity Program offers “healing” in the form of voluntary non-Native return of resources to CSKT Tribal members for land-based homeownership, with no strings attached. These tangible transfers represent a beginning step toward an intergenerational process of repairing ruptured trust between peoples, extending beyond our lifetimes. We do not assume to know or define the steps or outcomes of this process, though we do expect that all people living on this land have a relationship to the ruptured trust.

One of our Native teachers from the CSKT community has offered us the image of two groups meeting separately, then coming together, then meeting separately, then together. This image provides protection for the group that has been harmed, and offers each group the space to hold and process its own members’ stories, memories, and experiences of the difficulties between the groups. 

Beyond the redistribution of resources for Tribal homeownership, the ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš Solidarity Program provides a pathway, primarily for non-Natives, to take steps toward repair of harms done through colonization in a respectful solidarity community. The Program aims to cultivate relationships among non-Native participants who are committed to tangible return of resources. We intend to support sincere steps toward repair without prescribing any individual’s healing journey. In addition, the Program is always looking for ways to support Native healing and well-being in welcome and invited roles, within the Program’s capacity.

The Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee has requested that non-Natives become familiar with the resources provided on their website, linked in the Resources section below. Many organizations offer relevant events in Missoula and on the Flathead Reservation. These include films, powwows, storytelling events, art shows and fairs, speakers, ceremonies, and other events. Common Good Missoula offers the Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization training twice each year. Courses in language, history, and culture are offered by the University of Montana, Salish Kootenai College, Chickadee Community Services, and other organizations. The ʾIt̓qaʾwxam Nk̓ʷúwilš project offers annual study groups focused on The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and starting in Fall 2026, Chief Eneas Bigknife: Kootenai Indian Patriot and Diplomat. We aim to highlight learning opportunities at least quarterly, and create gathering spaces for non-Natives to “wrestle” with the truth of newcomers’ impact on the land and people where we live.

Program Aims to Open More Paths to Tribal Homeownership as Demand Grows Char-Koosta, 11/28/25

The Shelter Gap: A three-part series examining barriers to buying, renting and building homes on reservation land and highlighting the community benefits of secure housing. Montana Free Press, Fall 2025

Homeownership Grants Help Pablo Family Lake County Leader, 10/23/25

SKHA breaks ground on new 12-unit transitional supportive housing in Ronan Char-Koosta, 6/26/25

Salish Kootenai Housing Authority (SKHA) celebrates another milestone Char-Koosta, 6/5/25

Salish Kootenai Housing Authority Aims to Unify Housing Efforts Char-Koosta, 12/12/24

Recovery Village: A Big Step in a New Direction Char-Koosta, 4/25/24

SKHA Repairs Historical Trauma Through Providing Homes. Char-Koosta, 11/28/24.

‘My Own Space’: Salish Kootenai Housing Authority unveils 9 new homes on reservation. Missoulian, 11/16/24

Salish Kootenai Housing Authority Builds Improved Quality of Life for Tribal Members Char-Koosta, 1/12/24

Barriers to Buying Summer 2023. UM student feature article about Jody Cahoon Perez and the Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority.

Summary results from 2021 “Doubled-Up & Homelessness” study of housing needs on the Flathead Reservation. For more detailed results, click here.

Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee. Many resources including audio, video, photos, history publications, etc.

Ksanka Culture Committee.

Three Chiefs Culture Center. Public education center offering gift shop, museum, and events on traditional lifestyles and Tribal histories.

CSKT Teacher Resources. Tribal Civics Study Guides and films from Native perspective.

CSKT Tribal Education’s YouTube Channel. Many videos on culture, language, youth, environment, current programs.

Char-Koosta News. CSKT Tribal newspaper covering the Flathead Reservation.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

A Spectrum of Allyship

How to Come Correct

Settler Responsibility & Reciprocity podcast interview with Corinna Gould

Sogorea Te’ Land Trust’s Shuumi Land Tax

Honor Native Land Fund

Mni Šota Makoče Honor Tax

Wabanaki Commission and First Light

Real Rent Duwamish