Joni Auden-Land

Bethany Lutheran Church in Portland had been dwindling for years before closing in 2024.

Church leaders decided they would return the land to the Native American Youth and Family Center, or NAYA.

NAYA Executive Director Oscar Arana says the building will become affordable housing for Indigenous elders.

It's also part of a growing trend.

Churches in California and Wisconsin have also returned land to indigenous tribes in the name of Land Back.

For NPR News, I'm Joni Auden Land in Portland.