- Author: Elizabeth Moon
- Contributor: Saoimanu Sope
Chris McDonald, Inland and Desert Natural Resources advisor, brought together 80 people from various federal, state, county, and university affiliations at the Pala Band of Mission Indian Administrative Building in Pala for the Southern California Tribal Partnerships Workshop. The Pala Tribal community graciously welcomed us to their community with a homemade lunch and an invocation by Pala Tribal Member, Eric Ortega.
The two-day event kicked off with foundational knowledge about Pala Tribal life, Tribal civics, and building partnerships with John “Bud” Machado, Cupeño Language Instructor for the Tribe, Shasta Gaughen, Environmental Director and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, and Heidi Brow, Water Resource Specialist in the Environmental Department.
For many in the audience, the knowledge gained was new and nuanced. For example, did you know that despite a Tribe's sovereignty, meaning they are recognized as an independent nation, the federal government is required to serve as a ‘guardian'? This reality is truly horrendous considering the genocide of native people and the stealing of their lands.
The nuance of this Civics 101 is a minimum foundation for how outsiders to the Tribe need to, first, do their own learning before attempting any partnership with a Tribe. Second, it is a reminder that partnerships must be based on what the Tribe needs and, third, that all efforts need to involve the Tribal community every step of the way. Overall, the presentations offered a clear example of what many of us in the audience believe to be missing in education.
We ended the first day with McDonald's advice on studying your organization's history. ]Knowing the history of your organization will help to identify how it has affected the Indigenous communities where you currently or will work, and offer guidance on how to avoid repeating a cycle of harm.
I spent the evening beginning to reflect on my personal and professional communities. I thought about how I could build out this living history and build safe spaces for exploration of how to create trust through training and composing questions that allow us to hear the words of the Native communities in California.
Day two started in the demonstration garden located outside the Pala Administration building. Attendees had the opportunity to take a walking field trip of the on-ground projects being accomplished with partnerships. Upon entering the garden, where cherry tomatoes were ripening and a few workers were shoveling dirt from one pile to another, we learned how the Pala Tribe gained access to this trust land and their vision to make it an educational space for both gardening and culture.
The demonstration garden is in the process of building out its composting structures and future goal for a turtle pond. Next on our tour was the aquaponics demonstration site, which I found to be the most interesting. Learning about the infrastructure and financial resources required to get the site off the ground was fascinating. I cannot wait to see it fully in action with its solar energy source and the proliferation of greens and reeds for use by the Tribe. We ended our tour with a walk around the sports complex adjacent to the Pala Administration Building to see the pollinator garden and the Trujillo Creek restoration project.
Perfect timing for us to return inside for another mouthwatering lunch provided by the Pala Tribe and a conversation around the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Pala partnership on a fuels reduction project. Our afternoon gave us the opportunity to learn directly from the following Tribal members and affiliates: Will Madrigal Jr. from Climate Science Alliance, Lisset Valencia-Pigman and Andrew Pigman from Condor Visual Media, Jeremy Zagarella from TriHydro, Lena Ortega from the Intertribal Agriculture Council, and Tina Fernandez from the Pala Environmental Department.
Each person freely gifted us their knowledge and expertise. Lena Ortega's presentation awoke in me the need for honesty in assessing my motives through the lens of my actions. “How many of you know the five tribes closest to where you work?” Lena asked. “How many of you have attended an open event in the tribal community you wish to partner with in the last month or two?”, “Do you know the history of the Tribe?”, she continued. More questions were calling us out for our passive expectations to gain knowledge and partnerships without the work, something I appreciated then and now.
We ended our time together in circles of learning and sharing - providing another opportunity to build connections, deepen learning, and find ways to collaborate and co-create as organizations with the Tribes in our communities.
I am looking forward to our NorCal Tribal Partnerships Workshop in August in Davis. I hope to see many more folks join in this learning and be challenged to learn more about the land where we reside and how we can show respect to those whose land and knowledge we aspire to partner with in the future.
- Author: Elizabeth Moon
I love this time of year. The weather is the perfect blend of cold and warm and the gardens are abundant with flowers and possibilities. It is also a time of many celebrations.
INAUGURAL WORKPLACE INCLUSION & BELONGING AWARD
In honor of the many celebrations the Workplace Inclusion & Belonging unit is establishing an annual award to coincide with the Staff Recognition and Award Ceremony on June 20th. This award aims to honor and celebrate individuals or groups who are leading the way in creating inclusive and equitable environments throughout UC ANR. Full information on the inaugural Workplace Inclusion & Belonging Award can be found here.
The time line to submit a nomination is April 30 - May 15. Think about a colleague(s), workgroups, employee groups, or others within ANR who have shown a continuous commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and nominate them today!
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY 2.0 SURVEY
We are nearing the final stages of our refreshed Principles of Community. To build stronger shared language throughout UC ANR, I engaged in conversations and workshops across 23 counties/units, to identify the language, actions and definitions that best connected with how many of you see us upholding our commitment to our Principles of Community.
At our EDI Summit in January/February, the participants read through all the suggestions on the introductions, principle statements and conclusions, and through a process of rankings, the top four in each area were chosen for our final survey out to the UC ANR community.
Please take 10 minutes to choose the introduction, principle, and conclusion that most deeply resonates for you in the work you do within UC ANR. The survey will be open through May 31.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY 2.0 Survey Link
- 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: Saoimanu Sope
In California, natural and working lands make up 95 million acres of the state and play a vital role in building resilience to the impacts of climate change. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources was awarded $1.7 million for the California Next Generation and Equitable Climate Action Plan, as part of the state's Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy and California's 30x30 Initiative, an effort to conserve 30% of the state's lands and coastal waters by 2030.
Natural and working lands include both unmanaged and managed areas actively used for agriculture, forestry or production purposes.
Chandra Richards, UC Cooperative Extension agricultural land acquisitions academic coordinator for Southern California, and Cristina Murillo-Barrick, UCCE's Black, Indigenous and People of Color community development advisor for the Bay Area, are leading the California Next Generation and Equitable Climate Action Plan project.
To build capacity and technical assistance for climate-smart action planning, Richards and Murillo-Barrick will use the Climate Smart Land Management Program funding, awarded through the California Department of Conservation, to focus on two of the most pressing climate action issues: equitable land access and land management diversification.
According to the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture census, demographic data indicates that California agricultural land ownership and production is concentrated within an aging and mostly White demographic. However, research suggests diverse management practices promote healthy landscapes. This has been shown to benefit the environment, human health and climate resilience in multiple ways.
For this reason, this project centers on “historically underrepresented communities,” a term that includes California Native American Tribes, communities of color, landless farmers, immigrant and non-English speaking communities and other agency-designated minority groups (racial, ethnic and non-male groups, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and California designated severely disadvantaged communities).
Focusing on Southern California, UC Cooperative Extension scientists will identify barriers to land access, management and opportunities to increase land manager diversity. They also will engage historically underrepresented communities in coalition building, capacity assessment and climate action planning.
Within the last few decades, Californians have faced increased ecosystem stressors and decreasing diversity of natural systems. This pattern continues to damage already-vulnerable communities (disproportionately historically underrepresented communities), while also worsening and intensifying climate impacts, including drought, wildfire, flooding and disease. Overcoming these kinds of systemic and structural challenges will require the next generation of land managers to reflect California equitably, while preparing them to take on climate resilience. The project will determine clear solutions and plans that enable long-term, strategic land use and protection.
To do this work, UCCE is collaborating with the Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF), California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) and the California Bountiful Foundation, all of whom serve as subgrantees and will deepen connections with communities.
Organizations like CARCD have long served as “boots on the ground” personnel and have close relationships with landowners and land managers. “RCDs have been hearing the land equity need for a long time and are actively collaborating with different partners to tackle this pressing issue,” said Qi Zhou, program manager of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at CARCD and member of the Strategic Growth Council Land Equity Task Force.
“California RCDs are excited about this project because it will allow major California agriculture and conservation partners to collaboratively develop plans and implement projects centering on equity land access and land management diversification,” Zhou added.
Project lead Richards said $270,000 of the grant will be reserved for new partnerships with organizations in Southern California that have experience with, and strong ties to, historically underserved communities.
UC ANR is collaborating with the California Department of Food and Agriculture as well as California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), and World Be Well, a Southern California nonprofit.
Tawny Mata, CDFA's director of the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation, described technical assistance providers as being grounded in their local agricultural communities and recognized their importance to partners in the success of CDFA's incentive programs.
“When we do succeed in reaching historically underserved farmers and ranchers with our grant programs, it is often with the thoughtful support and planning of a technical assistance provider,” Mata said. “I look forward to this project helping us refine our own technical assistance funding programs and bringing technical assistance providers together to network and share best practices for improving land access and promoting climate-smart agriculture.”
“The successes of this project will elevate the voices of historically underrepresented communities, strengthening efforts in these communities to support climate action,” said Richards. Additionally, the project will increase sharing of regional reports, needs assessments and community plans surrounding climate-smart management practices. Finally, it will boost technical assistance for these groups specifically.
To learn more about the Climate Smart Land Management Program and this year's awardees, visit:
- Author: Elizabeth Moon
Photo by Saoimanu Sope, Staff Assembly Ambassador
Our Inaugural EDI Summit has brought together over thirty ANR colleagues celebrating the work and wins, while also focusing on the challenges to continue creating transformation within our organization. Together in community we have representatives from each Affinity/ERG group, Staff/Academic Assembly, Our Senior Leadership Team, DEI Advisory Council, Program/Workgroup Teams, and a few other staff whose roles directly impact EDI in their respective units.
We started off our first day, January 31, with a welcome from Vice-President Glenda Humiston who shared her perspective on the history, current conditions, and future vision of EDI work within ANR. Lively discussions followed with an opportunity to create a time line of wins and significant moments over the last seven or more years.
Our keynote speaker, Lady Idos, Chief Diversity Officer, Berkeley Labs continued our first morning by sharing her expertise in building stronger groups that impact change and support organizational goals in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. She shared the over ten year journey of the lab to creation of their IDEA office (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability). Lady Idos words inspired many ideas and conversations over the rest of the day.
With today, February 1, being our closing day, and the start of Black History Month, I am excited to bring the learnings of how we can continue to advocate, educate, and inform on issues around equity, diversity, and inclusion.