This Week at First Nations: October 11, 2024

Monday is Indigenous Peoples’ Day

At First Nations, every day is an opportunity to celebrate Native lifeways and the cultures and traditions that are with us always. To honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, our offices will be closed. Join us in recognizing this day: Learn more about the Native origins of lands, attend an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration, browse our reading list, or take a moment to reflect on the role Indigenous people play in our lives and throughout the world.


First Nations Named ‘2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit’ by GreatNonprofits

First Nations has been named by GreatNonprofits as a “2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit.” This is the only award program for nonprofits that is based on input of those who have direct experience with the charities – as donors, volunteers, and recipients of aid. First Nations’ President and CEO Michael Roberts said earning this distinction – for the third year in a row – speaks to First Nations’ culture of transparency and responsibility. “We nurture trust with our funders, supporters, and community partners, and we treat the resources entrusted to us as sacred. This award is an indicator of that culture, and we are honored to have the support of so many friends and allies,” he said. See the complete list of 2024 Top-Rated Nonprofits here.


Explore the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico with Us November 5!

Next month is National Native American Heritage Month. To commemorate the event, and in continued celebration through the year, we’ll be featuring our Native Arts community partners, sharing news about our Tribal Lands Conservation Fund, plus hosting a series of virtual and in-person events to honor Native American heritage. 

Join us for the first one, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 10 am MT. In this webinar, First Nations Vice President of Development, JoAnn Melchor (Santo Domingo Pueblo), will reflect on the significance of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico and provide insights and perspectives about these incredible settings. Register here.

And, if you’re in the Albuquerque area, join us for a GATHER Film Screening at the Guild Cinema, Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 12:30 pm MT. Learn more.


Discussing Native Food Systems on Food Sleuth Radio

Last month, First Nations’ A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa) appeared on Food Sleuth Radio, a podcast that connects the dots between food, health, and agriculture, with an eye toward social and environmental justice. In the episode, host and registered dietitian Melinda Hemmelgarn and A-dae have a conversation about the nature and history of Indigenous foodways, food sovereignty, and the importance of how we tell the story of agriculture. Listen to the episode here.


Smoky Mountains’ Highest Peak Returns to Cherokee Name

First Nations is happy to share that a request made by community partner Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians was approved by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to change the name of Clingmans Dome. CNN reports that the highest peak at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is officially reverting to its Cherokee name of Kuwohi, meaning “mulberry place,” after more than 150 years of being named after a Confederate general. First Nations’ program officer Brett Treadway (Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians) said the change is good news for the Tribe and that he is looking forward to seeing the traditional name being restored.

Photo credit CNN, Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images


We’re Reading: ‘Changing With Our Climate’

At the core of First Nations’ Stewarding Native Lands program and Tribal Lands Conservation Fund is the acknowledgment that Native peoples have always been the best stewards of our lands and waters. This five-part series in Vox, “Changing With Our Climate,” explores Native solutions to extreme weather, from hurricanes to forest fires, with a look at five distinct Native communities and their approaches to climate change and the future. The author writes, “By showing the connections between storms, climate disasters, and issues of Tribal Sovereignty, Changing With Our Climate will explore what it really means when we say that climate change is an existential threat — and how we can work together to find a way out.” Read the series here.

Illustration credit Alexandra Bowman for Vox


Celebrating Summer’s End at First Nations

This week, First Nations’ Longmont, Colorado, staff took a break to come together for a Summer’s End Celebration. Staff enjoyed gelato, sorbet bars, and the opportunity to connect and recharge between multiple convenings and conferences. It was also great to spend some time outside during one of the last warm days of the season.


Save the Date: Tribal Co-Stewardship and Cultural Fire Webinar

Adding to First Nations’ Tribal Co-Stewardship and Co-Management Webinar Series, the next installment, “Tribal Co-Stewardship and Cultural Fire,” will feature Sara Clark, partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP. Sara will discuss the practice of cultural burning and its relationship to prescribed fire and other fire management practices, along with the barriers to expanding the use of fire, and the ways that agreements with state and federal agencies might address some of these barriers.

Join us Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 1 pm MT. Register here, and look for more details next week.


Indigenous Stewardship of National Forests in the Rocky Mountain Region: Next Webinar October 17

In this third installment of First Nations’ webinar series on Indigenous Stewardship on National Forest Lands, please join us in hearing from tribal representatives about their stewardship efforts in the Rocky Mountain Region. The webinar will feature Kathryn McDonald, Tribal Relations Specialist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Emmit Taylor, Fisheries Watershed Deputy Director for the Nez Perce Tribe. They will share about their collaborative work to steward ancestral lands by restoring traditional values and practices with staff from the U.S. Forest Service.

The webinar is Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 1 pm MT. Register here.


Tribal and Federal Employees: Join Us for Shared Horizons

Tribal and federal employees and representatives are invited to register now for the “Shared Horizons: Navigating Tribal Co-Stewardship and Co-Management Opportunities Conference.” Co-hosted by First Nations and Native American Rights Fund, the national co-learning event will provide trainings, space for sharing ideas and work, and networking opportunities to grow the field of tribal co-stewardship and co-management. Travel scholarships are available for tribal representatives and employees.

Learn more and register here!