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Preserving an Indigenous food source

Brown Emory oak acorns gathered in a bowl are in the foreground, while someone ladles a bowl of soup in the background.
The Apache Tribes of Arizona have harvested acorns from Emory oak trees for centuries, using them in cultural ceremonies and as a traditional food source. However, in recent decades, tribal elders noticed a decline in the overall health of Emory oak groves, resulting in fewer acorns to harvest…
#Arizona, #IndigenousKnowledge

Planting the seed

Image shows a Tribal elder weaving a basket using long-leaf pine needles.
A tribal elder with the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana gathers a bundle of longleaf pine in the Kisatchie National Forest. According to the tribal elder, when selecting needles, it is good to gauge when selecting needles that exceeds the tips of your fingers to the crook of your elbow. (USDA Forest Service photo by Stacy Blomquist) When Elliott Abbey…
longleaf pine, #Tribes, #IndigenousKnowledge, #TribalRelations

Blessing of Mount Democrat

Tribal representatives pose in a row at Mount Democrat on Aug. 21, 2024.
Tribal representatives from the Rocky Mountain Region pose after a tribal blessing of Mount Democrat on Aug. 21, 2024. Members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Comanche Nation, Kiowa Tribe, and Cheyenne and Arapaho…
#Tribes, #Grasslands, #TribalActionPlan, #NativeAmericans, #LandAndWaterConservationFund, #Indigenous, #Traditions, #IndigenousKnowledge, cultural

Alaska – where nature, people, and tradition come together

A small boat sailing back from a wall of ice along a lakeshore with mountains in the background.
Ship Creek Campsite at Kenai Lake, accessible by boat, and makes a great weekend getaway. (USDA Forest Service photo by Marion Glaser) If someone asks, ‘hey what is so unique about Alaska’s National Forests – the Tongass and the Chugach?”, the hardest part about answering this question might be deciding where to begin.For example, Alaska includes…
#Alaska, #OldGrowthForests, #IndigenousKnowledge, indigenous traditions

More than meets the eye

Image shows a field of prairie grasses and wildflowers with an old-style wind-powered well tower on the horizon.
Flower blossoms on the Cimarron National Grassland are not so hidden given the right time of year and right conditions. Wildflower season is a great time to visit the grasslands. (USDA Forest Service photo by Nancy Brewer) At first glance, a person looking out at the Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands might notice areas of sparse grass,…
prairie, Comanche Nation, #IndigenousKnowledge, dust bowl

Pride of the north Texas prairies

A waving sea of green grass with clear skies overhead and a few small tress on the horizon.
Instead of a forest of trees, national grasslands are a sea of grass. (USDA Forest Service Photo by Greg Deimel) A gentle sea of green stretches out in front of you, framed and occasionally broken by individual trees. A far cry from the usual view you might expect when visiting a national forest, where a dense canopy of towering trees would envelope…
#Texas, dust bowl, #IndigenousKnowledge