NDPonics is an indigenous-founded-and-led private non-profit foundation in Virginia. We are indigenous, we are for indigenous, and for the world. NDPonics shares the same values as other indigenous people around the world - to protect and enhance the natural habitat we live in, which in turn ensured our survival for tens of thousands of years.

 NDPonics is dedicated to purchasing, preserving, and restoring lands in this mountainous region of the Blue Ridge in Virginia, containing areas of spiritual and historic significance to the Yesàh (Eastern Siouan) peoples who have long cared for these lands. Some of our projects include:

Mani Ame (Ground Water)

Focus: Water
Years Active: Completed in 2022
Summary:
Mani Ame, meaning “Ground Water” in Tutelo, protected a key wetland site where two sacred springs merge to form the main creek of a valley. This purchase helped restore the health of the waterway and ensured Indigenous stewardship of a culturally and ecologically vital wetland.

Onkyayun Oheki (Mountain to Valley)

Focus: Land & Trees
Years Active: 2020–Present
Summary:
Onkyayun Oheki, meaning "Mountain to Valley,” is a long-term effort to protect and reconnect sacred lands across a culturally and ecologically vital corridor in the Appalachian foothills. Since 2020, NDPonics has secured over 56 acres of forest, grassland, and trout-bearing creek, forming the core of a 335-acre conservation area that anchors traditional foodways, ceremony, and ecological stewardship.

Looking ahead, our goal is to close the final gap between our protected homelands and the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. By securing additional tracts and establishing tribal conservation easements, we seek to ensure unbroken habitat corridors for wildlife, access to ceremonial sites, and long-term Indigenous governance of these mountain-to-valley ecosystems.

Kihkǫspé:hla (They Remember It)

Focus: Culture, Community, History & Health
Years Active: 2022–Present
Summary:
Kihkǫspé:hla, meaning “They Remember It,” is a land-based education and cultural memory site stewarded by NDPonics in partnership with Washington & Lee University and the Landberry Foundation. Located on six acres protected under conservation easement, it provides classroom space, gardens, and trails for intergenerational knowledge exchange.

Future plans include expanding curriculum offerings, hosting seasonal knowledge gatherings, and developing a digital archive to protect and uplift Yésah cultural memory.

He Kawiyani Mani (Water Treading on the Mountain)

Focus: Restoration & Reintroduction
Years Active: 2023–Present
Summary:
This project addresses threatened streams and degraded forests in the ancestral Yesàh homelands by restoring 2.5 miles of riparian habitat and reforesting over 700 acres. It reintroduces traditional crops and foodways, integrates climate resilience, and centers Indigenous food sovereignty, clean water, and clean air practices.

Activities include native tree planting, bioswale installation, and the reintroduction of culturally significant crops like Tutelo strawberry corn, alongside community trainings in traditional ecological practices.