ARNA Estate Planning
How Indigenous Business & Trust Structures Work Together
Estate planning within ARNA (the Aboriginal Republic of North America) is not approached as a single document or entity choice. It is approached as a coordinated system—one that separates function, ownership, and protection in order to preserve continuity, accountability, and lawful governance across generations.
Throughout this series, we have examined:
the legal foundations of property rights
the role of Indigenous Irrevocable Trusts
the difference between entity structure and tax reporting
and how to select the appropriate business entity
This final article brings those components together to show how Indigenous business entities, trusts, and estate planning instruments work as a unified architecture within ARNA.
Estate Planning Is a System, Not a Product
A common misconception—especially influenced by commercial estate planning—is that a single document or entity can accomplish everything.
Within ARNA, estate planning is understood as:
a system of roles
a separation of functions
a continuity framework
No single entity is meant to:
operate day-to-day activity
hold all assets
absorb all liability
and protect the estate
Attempting to do so creates risk rather than security.
The Core Layers of the ARNA Economic & Estate Framework
ARNA’s approach emphasizes layered responsibility, where each component serves a distinct purpose.
Governance & Authority Layer
At the highest level, governance entities—such as 508(c)(1)(A) Tribal Faith-Based Organizations and recognized councils—provide:
political and ecclesiastical authority
policy alignment
jurisdictional grounding
state exemption to members
These entities do not operate personal commerce. They establish framework and oversight.
Operating Entity Layer
Operating entities exist to conduct activity.
Examples include:
Tribal Unincorporated Associations (UA)
Tribal LLCs
State-registered LLCs (where required)
These entities:
generate revenue
enter contracts
employ or engage workers
They are exposed to operational risk by design, which is why they are not used to hold long-term assets.
Ownership & Asset Layer
Ownership is intentionally separated from operations.
This layer may include:
Holding Companies
intellectual property entities
asset-specific ownership vehicles
These entities:
own assets
license use to operating entities
reduce exposure
Ownership is not activity. It is control and stewardship.
Estate Protection Layer: Indigenous Irrevocable Trust
At the foundation of long-term continuity sits the Indigenous Irrevocable Trust, available only to ARNA nationals and IPA members pursuant to ARNA National Jural Society enactments.
The trust:
holds qualifying assets
preserves estate intent
protects continuity across time
It is not an operating entity and not a substitute for governance or business structures.
Its role is preservation, not production.
Why Separation of Function Matters
Each layer exists to answer a different question:
Who governs?
Who operates?
Who owns?
Who protects long-term interests?
When these questions are answered by different structures, the system becomes resilient.
When they are collapsed into one entity, risk compounds.
Eligibility, Authority, and Discipline
Not every structure is available to everyone, and not every structure is appropriate for every purpose.
Within ARNA:
trust eligibility is limited
jurist review is required
enactments govern procedure
This discipline is intentional. It ensures that estate planning is:
lawful
defensible
aligned with Indigenous political authority
How This System Preserves Continuity
When structured properly, the ARNA framework allows:
businesses to change without destabilizing estates
leadership to shift without loss of ownership
assets to endure beyond individual lifetimes
families to steward property responsibly
Continuity is not accidental. It is designed.
Join the Conversation
Many people approach estate planning with fragmented information and isolated tools.
We invite reflective, informed discussion.
If this series helped you see estate planning as a system rather than a product, share your thoughts in the comments below.
Reflection prompt:
Which layer of this framework was least explained to you before, and why do you think that gap exists?
Explore the Full Resource Library
To review the foundational materials referenced throughout this series, visit:
📚 Indigenous Legal & Economic Resource Library
Included resources:
Indigenous Irrevocable Trust: Property & Estate Protection Overview
The Snyder Act: Tribal Citizenship & Property Rights Explained
This article is educational in nature and does not replace individualized jurist review, ARNA National Jural Society determinations, or formal estate documentation.
