Importance and benefits of NTFPs for tribes Nearly two dozen specific topics emerged from the NTFP interviews (Table NTFP.1). Many tribes have reserved treaty rights to fish, gather, and hunt in their traditional territories and most tribes prioritize these practices on their reservations. Fishing, gathering, and hunting contribute to tribal economies and livelihoods. Sale of crafts, such as baskets made from wild plants, is an important source of income for families and individuals in tribes across the country. Some tribes derive income from the sale of NTFPs such as fish and firewood, as well as fishing and hunting permit fees for nonmembers. While methods exist to estimate the market value of subsistence use of fish, game, and plant foods, tribes generally reject such evaluations as failing to account for the full range of values obtained through fishing, gathering, and hunting. The percentage of people consuming wild foods provides a better proxy for the total value of subsistence practices, with most tribal estimates ranging from 75-100% of reservation residents eating wild foods several times each year and some tribal members relying on them as a primary source of sustenance. Traditional Foods are a priority for many tribes. Fishing, gathering, and hunting provide healthy, culturally appropriate foods. Rates of metabolic disease are high in tribal communities and many tribal health programs have identified increasing the consumption of wild foods, sometimes known as First Foods,
Table NTFP.1. Main topics that emerged from NTFP IFMAT interviews.
NTFP Topic Description Access
Discussion of access to NTFPs, factors affecting access, or access to specific locations Climate change Mention of effects of or measures to adapt to or mitigate effects of climate change on NTFPs Crafts Mention of craft or artisanal uses of NTFPs and/or their significance Cultural Mention of cultural significance or uses of NTFPs, including ceremonial uses. Enterprises Any mention of tribal enterprises Fire Mention of effects of fire on NTFPs or use of fire to manage NTFPs or NTFP habitat Firewood Discussion of tribal firewood program Fishing Mention of tribal fishing program or factors
affecting it; fish species; fishing by tribal members; significance of fishing of fished species for tribe
Foods (wild) Discussion of wild foods and/or their uses and significance Forest planning Any mention of forest planning or forest plans Gathering Discussion of gathering, tribal gathering program, gathered species, importance of gathering or gathered species to tribe
Governance
Mention of tribal governance, need for or consequences of tribal governance
Health
Discussion of effects and/or significance of NTFPs to tribal physical and emotional health Discussion of hunting program and factors affecting it; hunting by tribal members; hunted species; significance of hunting and/or hunted species for tribe Any mention of the importance or significance of NTFPs or something relevant to NTFPs Any mentions of traditional ecological knowledge, science, research, and/or tribal educational programming Mention of tribal management; need for or consequences of landscape-level management Discussion of partnerships related to NTFPs with other tribes, agencies, and/or organizations Apply to all individual NTFP species mentioned and their uses Mention of current or needed staff, staff expertise, factors affecting staffing Discussion of subsistence use, self-provisioning, and/or uses not mediated by formal or informal trade or markets Discussion of threats to NTFP species or tribes’ ability to access and use them Mention of informal or formal trade of one or more NTFPs by tribe or tribal members
Hunting
Importance
Knowledge
Management
Partnerships
Species
Staffing
Subsistence
Threats
Trade
38 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator