The Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) was founded in 2007 under the direction of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC). Located in Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario, HDI is responsible for overseeing and regulating land use within all Haudenosaunee territories. Its mission is to ensure that land development proceeds in accordance with the cultural, spiritual, and environmental principles of the Haudenosaunee people, which include the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations.

HDI has developed fundamental frameworks, such as the Haudenosaunee Green Plan and the Haudenosaunee Development Protocol, to protect natural resources, sacred sites, and traditional lands. These policies promote environmental sustainability and stipulate that developers must submit plans designed to minimize ecological harm before any projects are allowed to begin. By enforcing these standards, HDI works to safeguard wetlands, watersheds, and endangered species, as well as traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering areas.

The Institute also takes measures to guarantee that archaeological sites and artifacts discovered during development are properly and respectfully preserved in order to protect and celebrate Haudenosaunee heritage. Developers are permitted to develop within Haudenosaunee territory, if their project aligns with Haudenosaunee laws, traditions and values.

Above all else, HDI is dedicated to protecting Haudenosaunee sovereignty and reinforcing the shared responsibility to care for the land.