Supporting Tribal Leaders in Conservation
For decades, Oregon Natural Desert Association has engaged with Tribal and Indigenous communities in our stewardship projects and conservation campaigns. In these conversations, ONDA has learned that young people seek more opportunities to steward their ancestral lands.
To address this need and support Tribal and Indigenous leaders in conservation, ONDA launched the Tribal Stewards program in 2019. The program provides paid opportunities for Tribal and Indigenous youth and young adults to gain professional experience in the conservation field while working on culturally informed ecological restoration projects in Oregon’s high desert.
Through an immersive field‐based program that emphasizes the integration of Indigenous Knowledge with conservation practices based on Western science, participants bolster the health of the region’s lands, waters and wildlife. To support leadership and professional development, ONDA staff, Tribal staff, and federal land managers share information about career pathways in natural resource management, while visits with Tribal elders and community leaders provide important cultural context.
