How can multiple cultures and their livelihoods thrive in a desert with changing social, ecological, economic, political and cultural environments? They require creatively-designed livelihoods, but this is often inhibited by power differentials and conflicts of interest. We will present examples and a framework for designing sustainable livelihoods that strengthen the connections among desert peoples and places. The framework focuses on making meaningful relationships more explicit, and on increasing local groups’ rights and responsibilities for the rules that govern their many different assets. It concludes with a systems approach for adaptive co-management based on cultural worldview.