Beth Macinko
This summer, a determined crew of Indigenous young adults is gaining professional experience in conservation, restoration and natural resource management, as our second season of the Tribal Stewards initiative, run in partnership with Northwest Youth Corps, is underway. The 2021 Tribal Stewards leaders and members bring rich experience and interests to the program and we want to introduce them to you.
Craig Terry, ONDA member and stewardship volunteer
“The people I have had the privilege to share time with each season keep me volunteering again and again. Who else but those ONDA staff leaders would make fresh coffee at dawn each morning or pack a watermelon all day to serve as a reward under a juniper in a steep canyon?” Craig, who grew up in northwestern Nevada, says ONDA connects him with places he loves and a mission he believes in. “My grandfather and his father put up wire fences for their ranching needs. Taking out barbed wire sort of completes a circle for me.”
Far from Big Macs
There is a point in the Owyhee region, in northwestern Nevada, that is, at 115 miles away, as far away as you can get from a McDonalds in the U.S.
Source: http://www.datapointed.net/2010/09/distance-to-nearest-mcdonalds-sept-2010
Sage-grouse Mating Dance
The 2021 Tribal Stewards crew is:
Duane Miller (Wasco, Yakama, Umatilla, Nez Perce) is the crew leader, bringing his deep experience as a fisherman and traditional foods gatherer. He’s looking forward to expanding his leadership skills and being a positive role model for the crew. Spending evenings with the crew gathering golden currants and wild rye for seed along the Malheur River has been a highlight so far.
Audie Davis (Chinook) serves as assistant crew lead and joined the crew this summer to share his traditional knowledge, see new parts of Oregon, and connect with other indigenous young adults. He’s enjoyed singing and drumming with the crew and cooling off in desert lakes and rivers.
Monique Moody (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Nez Perce) was a crew member in 2019 and has returned to continue building experience in the natural resources field. She is currently at Haskell Indian Nations University. Mo enjoys a challenge and finds particular satisfaction after sawing through difficult juniper trunks.
Wesley Scott (Klamath, Yurok and Siletz) joins the crew from Eugene, where he’s studying computer science. He’s excited to learn about a new field and get to know more of Oregon. Trailwork at John Day Fossil Beds was a highlight for Wes.
Cam’Ron Eagle Staff (Minicouju Lakota) is a rising senior in high school who wanted to get out of the house after virtual school last year and gain field experience. Cam’s highlight is finding several ancient oredont fossils while the crew was doing trail work at the John Day Fossil Bed, some of which were documented and catalogued by park paleontologists for further study.
Parish Cook (Minicouju Lakota) is in high school as well. She wanted to join the crew to learn about different areas and different projects. Parish appreciates the desert’s dark night skies and the opportunities for stargazing.
Diamond Villalobos (Nez Perce) is also a high school student and jumped at the chance to work outside and travel to new places. Diamond enjoys the cool mornings and evenings of the desert and is looking forward to fisheries projects as he’s an avid fisherman.
The cultural curriculum for this season, which centers around the seasonality of traditional food sources was developed by Tiyana Casey (Wasco, Yakama, Umatilla, Nez Perce), who served as the Tribal Stewards Crew Leader in 2019. Casey also recruited the 2021 crew and will provide support in the field. Casey serves as the Indigenous Community Liaison at Northwest Youth Corps and Indigenous Relations Liaison for the Camas to Condors Partnership, and we are thrilled to have her continued support and involvement in this initiative.
With just a few weeks in the field under their belts, the crew has already had some pretty cool experiences. They have:
In the weeks ahead, this crew will continue on to fisheries monitoring projects, riparian restoration plantings, and stream habitat protection fence builds with the Malheur National Forest and with BPT Natural Resources at their Logan Valley property.
We are excited to hear the crew’s experiences as they continue their work, and to share those experiences with you.