Support Reforestation Across the Indigenous West

Trees, Water & People’s (TWP) work on sovereign Tribal lands is more than landscape restoration. It has a deeper connection to the heart of the community, culture, and the well-being of the people, which are all inextricably tied to the land. This is one facet that makes our organization unique, and it complements our fundamental belief to invest in the capacity of Native people as conservation leaders. We aim to build this capacity through our diverse staff of land-grant educated leaders, guided by our Tribal partners to conduct culturally appropriate restoration projects that focus on traditional use and access to protect cultural resources, ecological vitality, and other sensitive areas.

TWP uses a human-centric approach to restorative work on Tribal lands, honoring the unique cultural and economic priorities of Tribal peoples. This process includes years of trust-building, empowering and amplifying the voices of Tribal communities in the conservation sector, and developing healthy, reciprocal collaborations with Tribal communities. Ultimately we seek to assist communities to develop self-sustaining, locally driven solutions for climate change that not only make a global difference but also directly support the people who are leading the fight.

This spring, TWP is continuing our long-term collaboration with the Oglala Lakota Tribe within the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Recently we delivered 500 Juniper seedlings and 150 Ponderosa Pine seedlings to continue community-based forestry efforts. These seedlings are a native and culturally relevant tree species that have both ecological and cultural importance. These tree planting efforts are taking place as a part of a larger restoration framework to build back an abundant pine forest back into the landscape and also develop windbreak shelter rows to protect people's homes and infrastructure.

After analyzing and tracking the environmental conditions the last two years in the region, TWP and partners have decided to take on a different approach by planting 2-3 year-old container stocked trees to increase survival probability. By increasing the age and root stock of these trees, they have a better chance to acclimate to drier, hotter conditions by having a further root development. We are optimistic that this tactical approach will increase survival and long-term resilience of critical ecosystems in the wake of a shifting climate.  

When we begin our project by opening a channel to listen and fully understand the community’s needs, not only are we working to restore forest landscape that meets direct needs of the Tribe, but we are also rebuilding relationships that need many generations to heal and grow. We are planting trees, but it's trust that takes root.

Links:

• Trees, Water & People
• Trees, Water & People - Indigenous Lands Program
• The Path Forward with Trees, Water & People