Native communities can have restoration goals specific to cultural practices and values. These goals can vary between Tribal nations and communities and can be tied to cultural, ecological and economic well-being and resilience [1]. One example is the importance of pinyon-juniper restoration for Diné (Navajo) communities as a culturally significant species [2]. Centering culturally-significant restoration can lead to the enhancement of other restoration goals [3].
Indigenous-led Resources
Guides and Educational Materials
- Tribal Climate Adaptation Guidebook
- Restoring Native Plants to Navajo Nation Lands Handbook
- Shoshone plants and cultural guides | Daigwade Project
- Navajo Cultural Uses of Native Plants in the Four Corners Region
Programs and Case Studies
- Diné Native Plants Program
- Fisheries Projects | Ute Tribe Fish and Wildlife Department
- Tolani Lake Enterprises - Tour of restoration projects
- Habitat Conservation Plan for the Cedar City Golf Course and the Paiute Tribal Lands
- Camp Kwiyamuntsi: Building Stewardship through Cultural Traditions
- Stream Restoration Projects on the Southern Ute Reservation | ArcGIS StoryMaps
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Natural Resources Programs
- Nonpoint Source Pollution Program | Southern Ute Indian Tribe
Research and Publications
- Spiritual Management: Prospects for Restoration on Tribal Lands
- Restoring Reciprocal Relationships for Social and Ecological Health
Collaborative Resources
Guides and Educational Materials
- Culturally Significant Plant Guides | USDA Plants Database
- Cultural Burning | SWFireCAP
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (U.S. National Park Service)
- Nursery manual for native plants: A guide for tribal nurseries
- American Indian Resources - Utah Education Network
Research and Publications
- Puchuxwavaats Uapi (To Know About Plants): Traditional Knowledge and the Cultural Significance of Southern Paiute Plants
- Paitu Nanasuagaindu Pahonupi (Three Sacred Valleys): Cultural Significance of Gosiute, Paiute, and Ute Plants
- An Analysis of Culturally Significant Plants, Springs, and Archaeology at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
- Recentering ecological restoration with tribal perspectives
- Traditional ecological knowledge in restoration ecology: a call to listen deeply, to engage with, and respect Indigenous voices
- Federal Agency and Tribal Partnerships for Native Seed Collection and Ecological Restoration in the Western United States
- Western and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Ecocultural Restoration
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge Used in Forest Restoration Benefits Natural and Cultural Resources: The Intersection between Pandora Moths, Jeffrey Pine, People, and Fire
References
[1] Restoring Native Plants to Navajo Nation Lands - Handbook [Internet]. Navajo Nation: Diné Native Plants Program; c2022. Available from https://www.nndfw.org/dnpp/docs/Handbook_Restoring_Plants_to_NN_Lands.pdf
[2] NAU collaborates with Navajo Tech to develop restoration strategies for pinyon-juniper | Navajo-Hopi Observer | Navajo & Hopi Nations, AZ [Internet]. Navajo-Hopi Observer; 2020 Nov 17. Available from https://www.nhonews.com/news/2020/nov/17/nau-collaborates-navajo-tech-develop-restoration-s/
[3] Yazzie JO, Fulé PZ, Kim YS, Sánchez Meador A. Diné kinship as a framework for conserving native tree species in climate change. Ecological Applications. 2019;29(6):e01944.