Webinar Series on Indigenous Stewardship of National Forests

The group First Nations Development Institute has a great webinar series that underscores indigenous rights and land sovereignty. Their latest webinar, “Indigenous Stewardship of National Forests,” from their Stewarding Native Lands series, details how indigenous co-stewardship has been stopped throughout history and what progress looks like with today. Their Woven Lands Initiative is a US Forest Service (USFS) backed project that will create new models, investments, and other tools to support tribal stewardship of their ancestral homelands. 

In this webinar, programs like First Nation’s Stewarding Native Lands, created in 2020, are introduced, and USFS collaboration, contracts, and agreements with tribal nations are discussed. The downloadable National Forest Case Studies report, published on Nov. 3rd, features 8 tribal case studies, including Nez Perce Tribe and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, both grantees of our Firewood Bank Assistance Program. A recording of this webinar and all webinars in the series, along with PowerPoint slides and transcripts, can be accessed here.

By 1911, indigenous fire practices were criminalized, despite their proven success as a management strategy. Today, tribal firewood banks that involve their forestry departments and wildland fire crews, and engage in vegetation community restoration, are building long-term strength to sustain beyond the current generation. 

Ironically, most formal MOUs focus on problems and challenges to forest management that the tribes did not create. However, these agreements formalize and institutionalize the importance of native voices in repairing the system.

This list of tribal case studies will provide a reference to other tribal nations as they develop partnerships with federal land managers. Each MOU is unique and establishes protocols, frameworks, and practices for better management. While costewardship as a strategy still works within the limitations and legal constraints of USFS policy, these case studies provide promising results for public lands.