- Author: Adina M Merenlender
- Author: Beth Rose Middleton
El movimiento LandBack, continúa tomando auge en favor de los pueblos indígenas que fueron despojados de sus tierras durante la colonización y que ahora, poco a poco, han ido recuperando con el apoyo de algunos grupos y gobiernos locales.
Un ejemplo de ello es el concejo de la ciudad de Berkeley que acordó recientemente comprar una superficie de dos acres (usada actualmente como estacionamiento) conocida como shellmound (conchero) y lugar de ceremonias sagradas, para regresársela al fideicomiso de tierras Sogorea Te', el cual planea convertirlo de nuevo en un lugar de reuniones y ceremonias. Este es un ejemplo de Landback (Volver a la Tierra).
LandBack es un movimiento en crecimiento que se enfoca en regresar tierras a los pueblos indígenas, englobando varias acciones para mejorar su acceso a la administración de tierras ancestrales. Para captar completamente la importancia del movimiento, debemos entender la historia de las leyes de Estados Unidos, arraigada en la doctrina colonial del Descubrimiento, que data de siglo 15. Este concepto legal y teológico se arraigó en la idea de que las naciones cristianas europeas tenían el control de reclamar y controlar las tierras que estaban habitadas por pobladores no cristianos para justificar la exploración europea, colonización y desposeimiento de los pueblos indígenas que fueron relegados a un estatus no humano. Esta cosmovisión facilitó la colonización de las nuevas tierras y la esclavización de los pueblos nativos para extraer recursos como minerales, pieles animales, bosques, praderas y producción agrícola.
Los tribunales de Estados Unidos persisten en la creencia de que el gobierno estadounidense mantiene el derecho fundamental de poseer y controlar la tierra sin importar la presencia y los reclamos de los pueblos indígenas. Esta perpetuidad lleva a un continuo despojo y crea barreras duraderas al acceso de tierra, impidiendo su administración por parte de los indígenas. Consecuentemente, las comunidades nativas experimentan efectos adversos en su bienestar, vitalidad cultural y la transferencia de conocimiento intergeneracional. LandBack es crucial para que los pueblos indígenas puedan administrar la tierra de tal manera que puedan restaurar sus relaciones reciprocas que datan de tiempos inmemorables.
Algunas políticas recientes ayudan a que principios de LandBack sean posibles. Por ejemplo, la ley de California (SB-18, 2004) reconoce la habilidad de las tribus de mantener servidumbres de conservación sobre la tierra con el fin de proteger los recursos naturales, permitir el acceso y participar en su administración y requiere que las instancias estatales cuenten con políticas de consulta tribal. La política de tierras ancestrales de los indígenas nativos estadounidense (2020) facilita el acceso tribal, uso y coadministración de tierras naturales bajo propiedad o control de estado. Las metas incluyen priorizar en la compra tribal o transferencia del exceso de tierras estableciendo acuerdos para la coadministración y proveer subsidios para la procuración y conservación de tierras.
El movimiento LandBack está ganando impulso en la procuración de justicia, en promover la administración indígena, proteger la comunidad de la vida e impulsar la resiliencia climática, gracias al liderazgo tribal y la colaboración de la comunidad de vida con una variedad de entidades, incluyendo individuos, instituciones religiosas, fideicomisos de tierras y gobiernos local, estatal y nacional. Las acciones oscilan desde la completa devolución de tierras sin restricción a acuerdos más limitados, incluida la posibilidad de la custodia compartida de la tierra, especialmente en tierras públicas como los parques y bosques estatales o federales y refugios de fauna silvestre.
Grupo de trabajo de UC para tierras tribales
A través del liderazgo de la Oficina del presidente de UC, un Grupo de Trabajo para Tierras Tribales a nivel de todo el sistema se centra en los siguientes temas. Miembros del grupo de trabajo, con la asistencia del Sistema de Informática e Información Geográfica de UCANR, crearon un mapa de inventario de las tierras de UC y del territorio tribal y otra información sobre la ocupación de la tierra. El grupo de trabajo también ha investigado los memorandos de acuerdos existentes en todo el sistema u otros acuerdos con tribus relacionados con el uso de tierras de UC.
Un buen ejemplo es el memorando de entendimiento creado entre el Centro de Investigación y Extensión de Hopland, el cual es parte de UCANR y los indígenas de la Banda Hopland de los indígenas Pomo (HBPI) la cual administra las tierras vecinas. Este acuerdo está diseñado para incrementar la administración, educación, investigación y administración de la tierra y las oportunidades de intercambio cultural entre HBPI y UCANR y delinear áreas en las que podemos trabajar conjuntamente en proyectos específicos. Dado el interés en crear este tipo de oportunidades colaborativas, este acuerdo es probablemente el primero de muchos por venir. Este grupo de trabajo de UC también explora la mejor manera de crear y compartir directrices para participar con las tribus sobre el uso de las tierras de UC en coherencia con el proceso de consultas y normas y reglamentos existentes.
Taller para una custodia compartida
Para aprender de modelos de custodia compartida existentes,
El taller, realizado en febrero del 2024, contó con una amplia asistencia de los líderes tribales, portadores de las cultura indígena y personal de agencias para la gestión de tierras públicas, con un total de 536 personas registrados para la transmisión en directo y aproximadamente 300 en persona.
Chairman Greg Sarris de Indígenas Federados de la Ranchería Graton ofreció un importante contexto, ejemplos de custodia compartida de la tierra en el condado de Sonoma y la inspiración para hacer más. Samuel Kohn, asesor principal de la oficina del secretario asistente para Asuntos Indígenas, explicó varias políticas y directrices federales relativas a la custodia compartida con las tribus. El corazón del taller fue una serie de estudios sobre casos de custodia en California y otros estados y Canadá. Estos fueron seguidos por ejemplos de pueblos indígenas en México que participan en la custodia y sustentan sus medios de subsistencia. ¡Una instantánea real sobre el tema en todo Norteamérica!
Pasamos el segundo día visitando lugares conocidos ahora como Litoral Nacional Point Reyes y el Parque Regional del Lago Tolay los cualescuentan con acuerdos a largo plazo de custodia compartida iniciados por Indígenas Federados de la Ranchería Graton. Si desea leer un resumen más completo del taller, visite News from Native California by Tavi Lorelle Carpenter (Noticias sobre la California Nativa por Tavi Lorelle Carpenter).
Si le interesa trabajar con tribus y comunidades tribales, por favor únase al equipo de trabajo Native American Community Partnerships de UC ANR. Contacte a los copresidentes Jennifer Sowerwine en jsowerwi@berkeley.edu y Christopher J. McDonald en cjmcdonald@ucanr.edu.
Adaptado al español por Leticia Irigoyen del artículo en inglés. Editado para su publicación por Diana Cervantes
- Author: Adina Merenlender
This month's together@work blog brings you a special post exploring the background of the why, what, and hope in the LandBack movement in support of our tribal communities from Dr. Adina M. Merenlender and her co-contributor Beth Rose Middleton.
Tribal community members participating in the California Tribal Naturalist Course visit UC Blue Oak Ranch (Chitcomini 'Árweh Wallaka-tka) within the Thámien Ohlone (San Francisco Bay Costanoan) speaking territory. Photo by Adina Merenlender
The Berkeley City Council recently agreed to purchase a two-acre site (currently used for parking) known as the shellmound and a place of sacred ceremonies and turn over it over to the Sogorea Te' Land Trust, which is planning to restore the site to a place of gathering and ceremonies. This is an example of LandBack.
LandBack is a growing movement focused on returning land to Indigenous people, encompassing various actions to enhance their access to and stewardship of ancestral homelands. To fully grasp the movement's importance, one must understand the history of U.S. law, as rooted in the colonial Doctrine of Discovery, dating back to the late 15th century. This legal and theological concept was rooted in the idea that Christian European nations had the right to claim and control lands that were inhabited by non-Christians to justify European exploration, colonization and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples who were relegated to a non-human status. This worldview facilitated the colonization of new lands and the enslavement of Native people for extracting resources like minerals, animal pelts, forests, range and agricultural production.
The U.S. courts persist in upholding the belief that the U.S. government holds the ultimate right to own and control the land, regardless of the presence and claims of Indigenous peoples. This perpetuation leads to ongoing land dispossession and creates enduring barriers to land access, impeding Indigenous stewardship. Consequently, Native communities experience adverse effects on their well-being, cultural vitality and intergenerational knowledge transfer. LandBack is crucial for Indigenous people to steward the land in a manner that restores their reciprocal relationships dating back to time immemorial.
Some recent policies help enable the principles of LandBack. For example, California law (SB-18, 2004) recognizes tribes' ability to hold conservation easements on land in order to protect cultural resources, enable access and engage in stewardship; and requires state agencies to have tribal consultation policies. The Native American Ancestral Lands Policy (2020) facilitates tribal access, use and co-management of state-owned or controlled natural lands. Goals include prioritizing tribal purchase or transfer of excess land, establishing co-management agreements and providing grants for land procurement and conservation.
The LandBack movement is gaining momentum to address justice, promote Indigenous stewardship, protect the community of life and advance climate resilience thanks to tribal leadership and collaborations with a variety of entities, including individuals, religious institutions, land trusts, and local, state and national governments. Actions range from the full return of land without restriction to more limited agreements including enabling co-stewardship of land, especially on public lands such as federal or state parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.
UC's Tribal Lands Workgroup
Through leadership from the UC Office of President, a systemwide Tribal Lands Workgroup is focusing on the following topics. Members of the workgroup, with assistance from UCANR's Informatics and Geographic Information System, assembled a mapped inventory of UC lands as well as tribal territory and other land cover information. The workgroup has also researched existing systemwide memoranda of understanding or other agreements with tribes related to the use of UC land.
A good example is the memorandum of understanding developed between the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center (UCANR) and Hopland Band of Pomo Indians (HBPI) who manage neighboring lands. This agreement is designed to increase the educational, research, land stewardship and cultural exchange opportunities between HBPI and UCANR, and delineate areas where we can work together on specific projects. Given the interest in creating these types of collaborative opportunities, this agreement is likely just the first of more to come. This UC workgroup is also exploring the best way to develop and share guidelines for engaging with tribes about use of UC land consistent with tribal consultation processes and existing rules and regulations.
Participants of co-stewardship workshop listen to introductory remarks by Ana Alvarez, deputy general manager of the East Bay Regional Park District and California 30x30 Partnership Planning Committee member. Photo by Monica Hernandez-Juarez
Co-stewardship Workshop
To learn from existing co-stewardship models, several UC scientists including myself, Steve Monfort, director of UC Natural Reserves; and Patrick Gonzalez, executive director of UC Berkeley Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity; worked with other California Biodiversity Council steering committee members and in partnership with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and with consultation from the Native American Research Institute to organize a workshop titled “Indigenous Co-stewardship of Public Lands: Lessons for the Future.” Funding was provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
This workshop held in February 2024 was well-attended by tribal leaders, Indigenous culture bearers and staff from public land-management agencies, with a total of 536 registered for the livestream and approximately 300 in person.
Chairman Greg Sarris of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria provided important context, examples of co-stewardship in action from Sonoma County and inspiration to do more. Samuel Kohn, senior counselor to Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, explained the various federal policies and guidelines that relate to co-management with tribes. The heart of the workshop was a series of co-stewardship case studies from California, other states and Canada. These were followed by examples of Indigenous people in Mexico engaging in stewardship and sustaining their livelihoods. A real snapshot of the topic across North America!
We spent the second day together visiting places now known as Point Reyes National Seashore and Tolay Lake Regional Park that have long-term co-management agreements initiated by Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. A more thorough summary of the workshop can be found at News from Native California by Tavi Lorelle Carpenter.
If you are interested in working with tribes and tribal communities, please join the UC ANR Native American Community Partnerships Work Group. Contact co-chairs Jennifer Sowerwine at jsowerwi@berkeley.edu and Christopher J. McDonald at cjmcdonald@ucanr.edu).
- Author: Adina M Merenlender
- Contributor: Beth Rose Middleton
The Berkeley City Council recently agreed to purchase a two-acre site (currently used for parking) known as the shellmound and a place of sacred ceremonies and turn over it over to the Sogorea Te' Land Trust, which is planning to restore the site to a place of gathering and ceremonies. This is an example of LandBack.
LandBack is a growing movement focused on returning land to Indigenous people, encompassing various actions to enhance their access to and stewardship of ancestral homelands. To fully grasp the movement's importance, one must understand the history of U.S. law, as rooted in the colonial Doctrine of Discovery, dating back to the late 15th century. This legal and theological concept was rooted in the idea that Christian European nations had the right to claim and control lands that were inhabited by non-Christians to justify European exploration, colonization and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples who were relegated to a non-human status. This worldview facilitated the colonization of new lands and the enslavement of Native people for extracting resources like minerals, animal pelts, forests, range and agricultural production.
The U.S. courts persist in upholding the belief that the U.S. government holds the ultimate right to own and control the land, regardless of the presence and claims of Indigenous peoples. This perpetuation leads to ongoing land dispossession and creates enduring barriers to land access, impeding Indigenous stewardship. Consequently, Native communities experience adverse effects on their well-being, cultural vitality and intergenerational knowledge transfer. LandBack is crucial for Indigenous people to steward the land in a manner that restores their reciprocal relationships dating back to time immemorial.
Some recent policies help enable the principles of LandBack. For example, California law (SB-18, 2004) recognizes tribes' ability to hold conservation easements on land in order to protect cultural resources, enable access and engage in stewardship; and requires state agencies to have tribal consultation policies. The Native American Ancestral Lands Policy (2020) facilitates tribal access, use and co-management of state-owned or controlled natural lands. Goals include prioritizing tribal purchase or transfer of excess land, establishing co-management agreements and providing grants for land procurement and conservation.
The LandBack movement is gaining momentum to address justice, promote Indigenous stewardship, protect the community of life and advance climate resilience thanks to tribal leadership and collaborations with a variety of entities, including individuals, religious institutions, land trusts, and local, state and national governments. Actions range from the full return of land without restriction to more limited agreements including enabling co-stewardship of land, especially on public lands such as federal or state parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.
UC's Tribal Lands Workgroup
Through leadership from the UC Office of President, a systemwide Tribal Lands Workgroup is focusing on the following topics. Members of the workgroup, with assistance from UCANR's Informatics and Geographic Information System, assembled a mapped inventory of UC lands as well as tribal territory and other land cover information. The workgroup has also researched existing systemwide memoranda of understanding or other agreements with tribes related to the use of UC land.
A good example is the memorandum of understanding developed between the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, which is part of UCANR, and Hopland Band of Pomo Indians (HBPI) who manage neighboring lands. This agreement is designed to increase the educational, research, land stewardship and cultural exchange opportunities between HBPI and UCANR, and delineate areas where we can work together on specific projects. Given the interest in creating these types of collaborative opportunities, this agreement is likely just the first of more to come. This UC workgroup is also exploring the best way to develop and share guidelines for engaging with tribes about use of UC land consistent with tribal consultation processes and existing rules and regulations.
Co-stewardship Workshop
To learn from existing co-stewardship models, several UC scientists including myself, Steve Monfort, director of UC Natural Reserves; and Patrick Gonzalez, executive director of UC Berkeley Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity; worked with other California Biodiversity Council steering committee members and in partnership with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and with consultation from the Native American Research Institute to organize a workshop titled “Indigenous Co-stewardship of Public Lands: Lessons for the Future.” Funding was provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
This workshop held in February 2024 was well-attended by tribal leaders, Indigenous culture bearers and staff from public land-management agencies, with a total of 536 registered for the livestream and approximately 300 in person.
Chairman Greg Sarris of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria provided important context, examples of co-stewardship in action from Sonoma County and inspiration to do more. Samuel Kohn, senior counselor to Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, explained the various federal policies and guidelines that relate to co-management with tribes. The heart of the workshop was a series of co-stewardship case studies from California, other states and Canada. These were followed by examples of Indigenous people in Mexico engaging in stewardship and sustaining their livelihoods. A real snapshot of the topic across North America!
We spent the second day together visiting places now known as Point Reyes National Seashore and Tolay Lake Regional Park that have long-term co-management agreements initiated by Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. A more thorough summary of the workshop can be found at News from Native California by Tavi Lorelle Carpenter.
If you are interested in working with tribes and tribal communities, please join the UC ANR Native American Community Partnerships Workgroup. Contact co-chairs Jennifer Sowerwine at jsowerwi@berkeley.edu and Christopher J. McDonald at cjmcdonald@ucanr.edu.