March 24, 2023

First Nations Helps Advance Conservation Efforts at Pueblo of Jemez

With support through First Nations’ Increasing Native Producer and Community Access to Quality Water Resources project, the Pueblo of Jemez, Natural Resources Department, continues to make significant strides in protecting and conserving Native resources and ensuring access to water for greater impact on the land. Last week, First Nations’ Program Officer Leiloni Begaye (center) made a site visit to the Pueblo and provided technical assistance with support from High Water Mark, LLC. Last week’s trip also included a site visit to First Nations’ community partner, White Mountain Apache, Land Operations Department.

Update on Conservation Planning Training for Tribal Youth — Register Now!

First Nations, in collaboration with Ancestral Lands, is hosting a 1.5-day Conservation Planning Train-the-Trainer workshop, “Advancing Native Ecological Stewardship.” Training will be April 12 to 13, 2023, in Acoma, New Mexico, and participants will receive training on First Nations’ Stewarding Native Lands Conservation Planning Guide and corresponding curriculum, empowering them to conduct conservation practices in their communities. Youth ages 17 to 30, located in the Pueblo of Acoma and surrounding areas, are invited to register. Register now – participation is limited to the first eligible 15 people who apply, and selected participants will receive a $500 stipend.

Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow Shares Fishing Net Tradition on ICT

Honoring First Nations’ 2021 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow Charles Kealoha Leslie for being named a 2023 Community Spirit Honoree by the First Peoples Fund, Indian Country Today featured the Native Hawaiian fisherman and netmaker in a recent newscast. In the interview, Uncle Chuck shares how he realized after his father died that if he didn’t keep the tradition of Hawaiian netmaking alive, it would get lost. “That’s why I went out and started teaching… so the newer generations can carry it on.” To watch the interview, tune in here at the 13.42 mark.

Investment in Native Communities Featured in Colorado News

This week, news of First Nations’ 2022 Impact Report was showcased in the Times-Call, a northern Colorado publication. In the article, First Nations’ President and CEO Mike Roberts discusses First Nations’ role in investing $12 million in Native communities during the past year alone. “It’s really only been within the last 40 years or so that Indians have been able to take control of their own economic destiny,” he says. “And we’re excited that we got to be a part of that.” Read the full article.

Spotlight on Oneida Nation’s Emergency Food Pantry, a First Nations’ Community Partner

With support from First Nations, the Oneida Emergency Food Pantry is providing fresh, whole foods to more than 700 tribal members a month ― making a significant dent in fighting food insecurity since it was first launched in 2017 and served only 12 people daily. The pantry receives around 200,000 pounds of food donations a year from many sources, such as Festival Foods, Fresh Thyme Market, local gardeners, Hunger Task Force and Feeding Wisconsin, a statewide network of food banks. Read more.

Oneida Nation also participates in the Wisconsin Tribal Elder Food Box Program, a project of the Great Lakes Intertribal Coalition. Watch the video.

Denver’s Local Indigenous Groups Are Helping Manage Its Bison Herds

Denver’s bison herds were featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, describing an innovative relationship between tribes and the city, which has resulted in the transfer of 85 buffalo to tribes, including the Arapaho, Shoshone, and Cheyenne. In the podcast, Danielle SeeWalker, who represents the American Indian Commission and who is helping showcase First Nations’ Justice Through the Lens of Native Artists project, tells how it’s important for tribes to have their own bison herds. “We consider them our relatives, our four-legged relatives. Wherever they went is where we went. And so they’re really centric to our culture and our identity and our belief systems.” Hear the episode here.

A crab trap with lots of Alaskan king crab.

Alaska’s Climate-Driven Fisheries Collapse Is Devastating Indigenous Communities

Civil Eats explores the disproportionate effect of climate change on Native communities in Alaska and the holistic approach needed to address declines in salmon populations and the recent closing of the state’s fisheries. Experts assert that a lot of damage has already been done, and more disruptions are expected. But efforts to mitigate climate change are underway. Read more.