wildfires can lead to erosion, altered hydrologic regimes, and loss of habitat that are damaging to fishing and hunting. One tribe in the Pacific region indicates that backfires used as wildfire management techniques are needlessly burning many acres and trapping animals, with results that are traumatic for tribal members. Partnerships AND NTFP Partnerships AND Gathering (11 comments) Tribes are engaged in partnerships with diverse agencies and organizations to secure access for gathering, restore populations of culturally important plants, conduct research on them, and keep traditional ecological knowledge about gathering vibrant. As befits the federal Trust responsibility, tribes partner with several federal agencies to support gathering. The USDA Forest Service (USFS) stands out for partnerships with many tribes to secure reserved treaty rights to gather on national forest lands. Some tribes are partnering with national parks in their traditional territories to develop permit systems and other programs to allow tribal members access to selected plant species on lands within park boundaries. Another type of partnership between tribes and federal agencies in support of gathering is shared funding for staff positions. One tribe in the East notes that it has such a partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation
regions to co-produce knowledge about culturally important plant species and the effects of harvesting on them, bringing together indigenous and scientific knowledge. Many tribes have long-term partnerships with academics to support gathering, with outcomes that include published ethnobotanists as well as documents for tribal use only. Partnerships between tribal agencies and organizations such as language and culture camps are also providing important support for tribes’ efforts to sustain gathering. Partnerships AND Fishing AND Hunting (7 comments) In many cases, partnerships to secure reserved treaty rights also cover fishing and hunting by tribal members on lands that are now managed by federal agencies. Here, too, partnerships with federal agencies depend heavily on agency personnel and staffing changes can disrupt these partnerships. Tribal partnerships with state agencies vary widely in terms of trust and successful outcomes. Some examples of partnerships with states that tribes perceive as working well for them include a joint effort in the Midwest region to manage fisheries and a program that tests deer on a reservation in the Eastern region for chronic wasting disease. At least one tribe located near the US-Canada border is engaged in partnerships with government agencies that are catalyzing transboundary work to restore Atlantic salmon.
Service. Tribes note, however, that partnerships with federal agencies depend heavily on agency personnel; when committed staff move on, as they often do, these partnerships frequently are disrupted. Unfortunately, tribes note that the BIA has generally lacked the interest in or capacity to support tribal efforts to support gathering by tribal members. Many tribes also have developed valued partnerships to produce information, restore populations of culturally important plants, and support gathering knowledge and culture within their communities. Examples include a tribal partnership where The Nature Conservancy has partnered with a tribe in the Northwest region to restore edible root populations. Tribes partner with USFS Research & Development scientists in several Juniper ash product sold by the Navajo Nation in the Southwest. PHOTO CREDIT: SERRA HOAGLAND
“This is the most important asset — Reserved Treaty Rights... any adverse impact to tribal members’ exercise of Treaty-reserved rights [to fish, gather, and hunt] would result in significant harm to the continuance of social and cultural values [tribal name omitted for anonymity] of traditional lifeway.” —IFMAT IV focus group participant
Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) 43
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