Roadmap to Reclamation

Roadmap to Reclamation is a practical, step-by-step guide for Indigenous peoples seeking to lawfully reclaim their identity, land, and nationhood outside colonial recognition systems. For generations, Indigenous peoples across the Americas were subjected to forced reclassification, administrative erasure, land dispossession, and policies that criminalized or suppressed Indigenous identity. Many descendants were told—by governments, institutions, and even tribes—that they were “not enough,” undocumented, or nonexistent. This book exists to correct that lie. Written by Mark Anthony Perkins, Roadmap to Reclamation bridges history, international law, genealogy, and governance into a single, usable framework. It explains how Indigenous nations are declared—not granted—and how peoples can assert self-determination using international legal instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (ADRIP). This book is not theory. It is a manual. Inside, readers will learn: What legally makes a nation a nation Why genealogy is jurisdiction, not a hobby How paper genocide erased Indigenous identity—and how to reverse it How to declare a nation and establish governance How to document land claims and ancestral title without federal recognition How reparations function as repair, not charity How to prepare submission-ready documentation for international bodies How to engage in lawful, non-violent, nation-to-nation advocacy The book includes clear explanations, real-world context, and full document templates, making it usable for families, communities, researchers, advocates, and emerging Indigenous nations alike. Roadmap to Reclamation is for those who are done asking permission to exist—and ready to reclaim what was always theirs.