Native American Land Conservancy

Kurt Russo, Director
Native American Land Conservancy
Kurt Russo

Stewarding Sacred Lands

I. Purpose

To promote understanding and cooperation between diverse groups and communities engaged in the identification, acquisition, management or co-management of Native American sacred sites, areas, and culturally sensitive species.

II. Background

The Native American Land Conservancy is an intertribal 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to the protective management of endangered Native American sacred sites and areas. Founded in 1998, the NALC has acquired threatened cultural landscapes, formed cooperative agreements with tribes, public agencies and conservation groups, and organized conferences to promote the preservation of Native American sacred lands.

III. Scope

The conference begins with Panel 1 and an examination of the broad challenges of stewarding sacred sites and areas that vary in size (specific sites to large areas), composition (historic to contemporary use properties), and location (terrestrial and submerged). Many of these sites and areas contain culturally sensitive species that are rare or endangered, presenting another dimension of stewardship. The Panel 1 discussion will be followed by a review of methods currently employed to provide protective management for cultural resources (Panel 2), and efforts underway to identify and preserve sacred sites and culturally sensitive species (Panel 3). Across the United States, Native as well as non-Native groups are working on programs that recognize the healing agency of the land. Panel 4 will provide examples of diverse healing landscapes programs from Hawai’i to the eastern seaboard. This will be followed by a concurrent session that will provide an opportunity for the participants to combine their expertise with information shared at the conference to examine management approaches for the three main areas of interest to the conference: terrestrial resources, marine resources, and healing landscapes. Panel 5 will focus on the important area of partnerships and how tribes, conservation groups and the philanthropic community can work together to achieve their common goal of preserving endangered cultural lands and resources. The final Roundtable session affords an opportunity to look ahead and discuss a follow-up Stewardship conference as well as other specific strategies and processes to continue to promote partnerships among the participating groups.

IV. Structure

The conference includes keynote speakers, panel discussions, question and answer sessions, a roundtable discussion, and open sessions. The open sessions, distributed throughout the conference agenda, are designed to provide an unstructured, at-large dialogue among the participants.

V. Outcomes

Conciliating Knowledge—The conference will bring together participants from diverse cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds in order to examine common and uncommon ground between traditional Native American understandings of the natural world and conventional scientific management regimes. Cooperative Management—The event will result in an exchange of experience, ideas, and expertise on a wide range of problems and solutions unique to the appropriate stewardship of sacred sites, areas, and resources.

Communication—Clear and complete communication is the key to successful stewardship of sacred lands and resources. The conference will promote cross-cultural understanding of the meaning of these sacred lands and how tribes, agencies, conservation groups, and the philanthropic community can overcome barriers to communication and work together to enhance these partnerships.

Crossing Generations—The prospects of our efforts today will be determined by those who inherit the future. The conference will provide students from high school through college the opportunity to learn from and interact with a wide range of professionals currently engaged in the protective management of endangered sacred lands and resources.

Community Networks—The conference will provide the participants with the opportunity to network their issues and concerns in a multi-sectoral and culturally diverse community of common interest. In addition, the NALC will provide on an at-cost basis the results of the conference as well as a participant contact list.

VI. Participants The conference is designed to include 175 participants. The invitation list includes the following governments, groups and organizations:

Tribes

(Arizona) Hopi Nation, Navajo Nation, Pima-Maricopa Band, Tohono O’Odham Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Mojave Tribe, Chemehuevi Tribe (California) Kumeyaay/Digueño Unity Bands, Agua Caliente Tribe, Barona Band of Mission Indians, Cabazon Tribe, Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians, Chumash Tribe, Hoopa Tribe, San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Morongo Tribe, San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Soboba Tribe, Twenty-Nine Palms Tribe (Nevada) Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California (Oregon)Grande Ronde Tribe, Siletz Tribe, Umatilla Tribe, Warm Springs Tribe (Washington) Lummi Nation, Yakama Indian Nation

Groups and Organizations

Anza-Borrego Foundation, Archaeological Resource Institute, Audubon California, California Native American Heritage Commission, California Bat Conservation Fund, Chiricahua Apache Alliance, Cultural Conservancy, Desert Bighorn Sheep Institute, Conservation International, Desert Research Institute, Ecotrust, Land Trust Alliance, Lee and Associates, Pele Defense Fund, Planning and Conservation League, Salt Song Project, San Bernardino County Museum, Salton Sea Coalition, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Sterling Forest Partnership, Sweeney-Granite Mountain Research Center, The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Lands, Udall Center, U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, Wildlands Conservancy, Wishtoyo Foundation.

State and Federal Agencies

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Parks (Ocotillo Wells SVRA), Congressman Nick Rahall (Assistant Marie Howard), Environmental Protection Agency, Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave National Preserve, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service (Western Region), United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service (San Bernardino National Forest)

Colleges and Universities

University of Arizona, University of California (Los Angeles), University of California (Riverside), University of California (San Diego), Northwest Indian College

Philanthropic Community

Cabot Fund, Flintridge Foundation, Fund of the Four Directions, Foundation for Deep Ecology, Hewlett Foundation, Land Tenure Fund, Merrill-Lynch Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Northwest Area Foundation, Packard Foundation, Paul G. Allen Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Family Fund, Seventh Generation Fund, Tides Foundation

VII. Contact Information

For more information about the event, for directions to the conference and reception site, and other questions or comments, please contact:

Kurt Russo 1-800-670-6252 Email: Kurt Russo

Thursday, February 8 (Sycuan Hotel and Resort, El Cajon, California)

8.00 Invocation (Bird Singers)

Welcome and Opening Remarks (Chairman, Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians)

Panel 1: Challenges to Stewardship 8.30

Kumeyaay/Digueno Land Conservancy
Scott Aikin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Dr. Patricia Masters, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD)
Mark Jorgensen, Superintendent, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

9.45 Question and Answer/Discussion1

Break

Panel 2: Research Methods for Protective Management 10.30

Gerald Braden, Biological Sciences Division, San Bernardino County Museum

John Hale, Twenty-Nine Palms Marine Base

Dr. Mary Cablk, Desert Research Institute

Jill Sherman, Environmental Director, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

11.45 Question and Answer

12.00 Lunch (No host)

1.00 Keynote: Dr. Fred York, Regional Anthropologist, Pacific West Region, National Park Service

1.30 Discussion

Panel 3: Identifying and Protecting Traditional Cultural Sites and Areas:

Coordination, Cooperation, and Confidentiality

2.00
Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
Alfreda Mitre, Chairperson, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe
Charles Wood, Chairman, Chemehuevi Tribe
Jewell James, Lummi Nation

3.30 Break

3.45 Question and Answer/Discussion

4.30 End of Day One

Dinner (No Host)

8.00-9.00 Presentation from the Salt Song Project and film: “The Salt Song Trail: Bringing Creation Back Together" (Conference Room)

Friday, February 9, 2007 (Sycuan Hotel and Resort, El Cajon, California)

8.00 Orientation to Day Two (Dean Mike, Vice-Chairman, NALC) Chiricahua Apache Alliance, “Preserving Sacred Sites in Red Paint Canyon (New Mexico)”

8.45 Question and Answer

Panel 4: Perspectives on Healing Landscapes 9.15

Paul Dolan, Sterling Forest Partnership of New York
Emmett Aluli, Pele Defense Fund of Hawai’i
Dr. Clifford Trafzer, Native American Land Conservancy Matt Leivas, Salt Song Project

10.30 Discussion

11:00 Dr. Douglas Deur, “Cultural Geography and Land Stewardship”

11.30 Open Session2

12.00 Lunch 1.00 Keynote Speaker: Steven Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Panel 5: Stewarding Partnerships

1.30

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President, Northwest Indian College Merrill-Lynch Community Foundation (speaker TBA) Angela Mooney-D'Arcy, Wishtoyo Foundation Chuck Sams, Director, Tribal Lands Program, Trust for Public Lands

Dave Van Cleve, The Nature Conservancy of San Diego Break

3.30 Question and Answer/Discussion

4.00 Native American Youth Council: Inheriting the Future

4.30 Wrap-up

Closing Ceremony (Salt Song Singers)

5.00 End of Day Two

1 Native American Youth Council “ushers” will gather questions during the presentations on Day 1 and Day 2 and give them to the moderator. They will also serve as Recorders in concurrent sessions.

2 During this time the Native American Youth Council will meet to discuss the end-of-day presentation.

Lead from 2 beads Correspondent Teresa Anahuy

Contents

January 2007 Reports

Last updated on January 28, 2007