The term "land bank" is a straightforward compound word, formed by combining the words land and bank. The word "land" refers to an area of ground, while "bank" in this context signifies a reserve or collection of something, such as a financial institution or a reserve of land. Therefore, a land bank is a "bank" or reserve of "land".
Since emerging on social media in 2018, Land Back has grown to become a robust concept embedded in North American Indigenous people’s political organizing. Although relatively ‘new’, the concept has its origins in a long history against settler colonialism in North America. At its core, the idea, bolstered by its use in Indigenous cultural and scholarly productions, aims to restore material gains into Indigenous hands—whether that be territory, money, authority, or several other sites of restitution. Land Back can be mobilized in many ways, including reoccupation of lands, asserting Indigenous law, or returning stolen goods. The way Land Back manifests in terms of direct action organizing continues to evolve and grow in popularity.
While Land Back has many promising elements to it—including its democratic and accessible use—there are growing concerns that non-Indigenous people and settler state actors may take up the term Land Back in ways that diminish its original intent and salience. Still, Land Back continues to serve as a prominent political framework for many Indigenous people and breathes new life into an age-old belief: Indigenous people have a right to their territory and a right to conduct life on those territories in ways they see fit—whether or not non-Indigenous people agree.