- Protecting Cultural Heritage
Cultural Heritage is a
Human Right
Cultural Heritage Partners is a law firm focused on advancing the principle of cultural heritage as a human right. We represent Tribal Nations, local governments, community organizations, and advocates who steward irreplaceable sacred sites, historic properties, traditional knowledge, and cultural landscapes.
We empower clients to protect, recover, and invigorate their unique histories and cultural identities through powerful legal advocacy, because doing so is a matter of justice.
When the irreplaceable is damaged or destroyed, we pursue accountability and ensure those responsible pay for their actions.
Together, we advance justice, self-determination, and lasting protection for communities to affirm their dignity, strengthen their identity, and help build a more just and equitable future.
- About CHP
Advancing Sovereignty and Safeguarding Cultural Heritage
Our firm’s victories have strengthened international, federal, and state preservation laws; secured the protection of important sites, objects, and traditions; affirmed the sovereignty of Tribes and First Nations; and helped communities whose culture has been systematically devalued be heard in the courts, legislatures, and before international tribunals.
Our Approach: Strategy, Governance, and Enforcement
We work alongside our clients to transform legal rights into enforceable power. Our dual-track approach ensures that cultural resources are protected both through internal governance and external accountability:
- Operationalizing Sovereignty:We help Tribal governments build durable legal systems and regulatory frameworks grounded in Tribal law. We advise federally recognized Tribal Nations on governance, land-into-trust acquisitions, and cultural and natural resource protection. We draft and enforce Tribal codes, develop tribal regulatory frameworks, build enforcement and recovery strategies for trespass and cultural and natural resource violations, and support the development of Tribal court systems and dispute resolution processes. We advise on rights-of-way governance, co-management agreements, and the intergovernmental frameworks that shared stewardship of lands and waters requires. We also structure Section 17 corporations and Tribal LLCs, negotiate business development agreements, and help Tribes build the economic architecture that self-determination requires. We position Tribes to prevent harm, address violations of Tribal and federal law, and manage repatriation obligations from a position of strength.
- Federal Compliance and Accountability: We assist clients in ensuring that federal agencies and private developers treat the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and other federal and state laws as meaningful safeguards rather than procedural formalities. We intervene before irreversible harm occurs, enforcing accountability and strengthening the consultation process. When agencies reduce compliance to a box checking exercise, both cultural resources and project proponents face serious risk. We help correct the record, recalibrate the process, and ensure accountability.
- Vision
Securing the Future of the Past
At Cultural Heritage Partners, we partner with Tribal nations, descendant communities and grassroots coalitions to ensure that development never comes at the cost of identity and history. We are dedicated to ensuring that the legal obligations of the present are used to protect the heritage of the future. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you protect the past for the future.
- Our legal Expertise
What We Do
We provide comprehensive legal guidance across practice areas designed to protect and advance cultural heritage rights.
- Heritage Preservation Practice
“Cultural Heritage is a Human Right”
Representing Tribal Nations, local governments, nonprofit organizations, descendant communities, and grassroots coalitions to protect historic, sacred, and culturally significant places threatened by federal or federally permitted development.
- Tribal Nations Practice
“Tribal sovereignty is only as strong as the systems built to protect it. We build those systems.”
Advising Tribal governments, attorneys, THPOs, and land departments on sovereignty, governance, enforcement, and the protection of Tribal lands and cultural heritage.
Protecting What Matters Most
- Our Team
Legal Professionals Committed to Serving With Integrity
Our multidisciplinary team at Cultural Heritage Partners PLLC is comprised of experts in historic preservation protections, environmental law, federal Indian law, and cultural heritage. We combine deep knowledge of the law with an unwavering commitment to advancing the interests of Tribal Nations, communities, and advocates who protect and steward irreplaceable sacred sites, historic properties, traditional knowledge, and cultural landscapes.
Let's Discuss Your Heritage Protection Needs
Whether you’re facing immediate threats to cultural resources or building long-term preservation infrastructure, our team is ready to provide strategic guidance tailored to your unique situation.