CONSERVATION LEGACY FY2020 REPORT NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
ANCESTRAL LANDS PROGRAM
TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTACT INFORMATION
page one
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
page two
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
page three
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
page four
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
page five
OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM SUCCESS
page five
BY THE NUMBERS
page six
COVID-19 STATEMENT
page seven
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
page nine
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS
page eleven
PARTICIPANT AND PARTNER EXPERIENCE
page thirteen CONCLUSION
page fourteen APPENDIX A: PROJECTS
page fifteen
APPENDIX B: PRESS AND MEDIA
page fifteen
APPENDIX C: FUNDING
page fifteen
APPENDIX D: INTERN SURVEY RESULTS
page fifteen
CONSERVATION LEGACY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FY2020 REPORT
National Park Service Report FY2020 Report Term: October 2019–September 2020
CONTACT INFO FOR CONSERVATION LEGACY: Chas Robles, Corps Director Ancestral Lands Email: chas@conservationlegacy.org Phone: 970-216-5988 Ron Hassel Director of Development Email: ron@conservationlegacy.org Phone: 970-749-3960 Conservation Legacy 301 Camino del Rio, Suite 101 Durango, Colorado 81301 1
NATIVE YOUTH LEADING OUR NATIONS BACK TO ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL WELLBEING.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Conservation Legacy and the Ancestral Lands Program would like to thank the National Park Service staff, Cooperators, and Partners who have made the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps a continued success. Ancestral Lands could not do this work without this amazing support! NPS WASO Leadership Staff NPS WASO Youth Programs Division Staff NPS WASO Agreements Staff NPS CIRCLE Blackfeet Nation Burns Paiute Tribe Colorado River Indian Tribes Eastern Shoshone Tribe Hopi Tribe Navajo Nation Northern Arapaho Tribe Pueblo of Acoma Pueblo of Isleta Pueblo of Sandia Pueblo of Zuni San Carlos Apache Tribe Tohono O’odham Nation Wabanaki Confederacy Warm Springs Reservation White Mountain Apache Tribe Wind River Reservation Albuquerque Community Foundation Arizona Conservation Corps Aztec Ruins National Monument Bandelier National Monument Bernalillo County Open Space Division
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) BIA Navajo Region BIA Southwest Region BIA Western Region Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation Canyon de Chelly National Monument Canyon of the Ancients National Monument (BLM) Carson National Forest Chaco Culture National Historical Park Chamiza Foundation Chemawa Indian School Chiricahua National Monument Cibola National Forest Colorado Plateau Foundation Conservation Lands Foundation Cornerstones Community Partnership EcoCulture El Malpais National Monument El Morro National Monument Escalante River Watershed Partnership First Nations Development Institute Friends of Cedar Mesa Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuget Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Hopi Cultural Preservation Office Hopi Education Endowment Fund Hopi Foundation Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute Hovenweep National Monument Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Joshua Tree National Park La Plazita Institute
Mesa Verde National Park Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District Montana Conservation Corps Muir Woods National Monument Natural Bridges National Monument Navajo National Monument National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Parks Foundation Native Youth Community Adaptation and Leadership Congress National Forest Foundation Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands New Mexico Conservation Corps Northwest Youth Corps Parametrix Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (USFWS) Petrified Forest National Park Petroglyph National Monument Red Feather Development Group Saguaro National Park Santa Fe National Forest Save Our Bosque Task Force South Valley Main Street Southwest Conservation Corps Southwest Invasive Plant Management Team Transition Habitat Conservancy Tumacácori National Historical Park Tuzigoot National Monument United States Fish and Wildlife Service United States Forest Service Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS) Program Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Yellowstone National Park Zuni Youth Enrichment Program
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INTRODUCTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Providing paid opportunities to serve communities and work on public lands, partnered with personal and professional development, authentic on-the-job experience has proven to be successful in supporting individuals in building a professional foundation for the future for program participants. Rooted in the culture and heritage of local Indigenous communities, the power and impact of Ancestral Lands programming is due to the community investment and support for each program tribally and locally, combined with the network of operational support from Conservation Legacy. FY 2020, has been a year of flexibility, a year to be resilient, and a year of perseverance under very difficult circumstances. Despite the COVID19 Pandemic’s major impacts to the Native Nations that we serve and subsequently to our program, Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps will complete more than 23 projects, totaling over 30 weeks, at 23 different NPS units throughout the Southwest through direct support from the National Park Service’s Youth Programs Division (WASO).
FOSTERING CONSERVATION SERVICE IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITIES & ECOSYSTEMS
LOCAL ACTION. ENDURING IMPACT.
COVID-19 has affected Native American populations and communities disproportionately hard. Many Nations instituted stayat-home orders, travel restrictions, curfews, and other measures to try and slow the spread of the virus, but we still saw disproportionately high rates of infection and death in our communities, with the Navajo Nation and others receiving national attention. Because of the need to protect our staff and their communities, our programs were delayed by 3 – 4 months. Our staff spent the spring working in collaboration with other Conservation Legacy staff to review and increase our Risk Management Policies to reflect the new reality and work to create policies and practices to allow us to resume programming with heightened protocols to minimize transmission of the virus. And while our participants, staff, and communities have been impacted in their personal and professional lives, we have shown the persistence and resilience of our ancestors and have begun to implement a wide array of programming, including piloting new initiatives like a High School Equivalency Degree program (HSED) in partnership with La Plazita Institute in Albuquerque, NM a COVID19 Contact Tracing in partnership with the RX Foundation, COPE, and Partners in Health, and creating a fuel wood delivery program serving the Hopi Nation. NPS WASO funding has supported our ability to hire and train indigenous young people in multiple communities in the Southwest. This support from NPS allows us to leverage funds to maximize participants’ experience. In addition to projects completed utilizing funding from NPS Youth Division, Ancestral Lands crews will complete 23 NPS projects at 23 different NPS units and 20 additional non-NPS partners, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Forest Service and multiple state and municipal agencies, as well as philanthropic organizations.
COMMUNITY • SOVEREIGNTY • CULTURAL REVITALIZATION • EMPOWERMENT • LEADERSHIP 3
ABOUT THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (AL) is a local program of Conservation Legacy (CL) which is an accredited 21st Century Service Corps and a longstanding non-profit focused on collaborative conservation through the employment of youth, young adults, and military veterans on public and tribal lands throughout the country. Ancestral Lands has “in community” programs based in Acoma Pueblo, Albuquerque, the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation, and Zuni Pueblo and engages a minimum of 120 paid participants annually in conservation service projects and an additional 60 unpaid positions. Ancestral Lands has worked with Native American communities, state, local and non-profit agency partners to provide economic opportunity, technical skills training, personal and professional development, cultural re-connection, and healing opportunities since our inception in 2008. Arizona Conservation Corps Arizona Conservation Corps’s (AZCC) Ancestral Lands program has shown significant growth in 2020 and that growth will continue into 2021. Currently, AZCC is in early stages of program development, operating a model where Native youth are engaged on AZCC crews but most of the work happens on federal lands funded by federal agencies. AZCC’s approach has been to engage Native youth as conservation corps participants to build understanding and enthusiasm for the program, not only with the crew members but within the community. Our ultimate goal is to help develop local leadership where the tribe can determine what they want their conservation corps program to look like. They may choose to continue with the current model of partnership with AZCC or choose to develop their own local program, mostly funded by the tribe where the crews are completing projects on the reservation or some hybrid model. We are open to whatever model each individual tribe determines based on the best interest of their communities and their youth. Montana Conservation Corps Prior to the COVID pandemic Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) was planning to support a 9-week Piikani Lands Crew (Blackfeet young adults) with projects scheduled in Glacier National Park, a Wind River young adult summer crew with projects in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Little Bighorn Battlefield, and two, 4-week, Grand Teton Tribal Youth Corps programs with high school students recruited from the Wind River Reservation. MCC planned to continue for a 4th year the All Nations summer enrichment program for Native high school students in Billings, MT. The pandemic, however, put all these plans on hold. It is not clear yet if MCC will be able to resume the All Nations program. The main grant to sustain this after school and summer enrichment program expires in 2020. Furthermore, after-school programs remain on hold. Wabanaki Youth in Science Program (WaYS) Partnerships in 2020 with Conservation Legacy (CL) and National Park Service (NPS) provided an opportunity to strengthen the shared values to engage Native youth with an Ancestral Lands Trail Crew at Katahdin Woods and Waters. The goal of this program is to encourage the tribe’s heritage and cultural science, while connecting them to western science. The opportunity in Maine to work with these organizations and in particular with the NPS provides a large array for collaborations and partnerships that strengthens the organizations but most importantly benefit a number of Native youth with the official establishment of the Ancestral Lands Trail Crew in Maine. This inaugural year WaYS focused on NPS lands in Maine, Katahdin Woods and Water (KAWW) National Monument (KWW). This was selected for a number of valuable and pertinent reasons, the most important being these lands are Ancestral Lands for the Wabanaki community. It also afforded an opportunity to collaborate with Friends of Katahdin Woods and Water (FKWW), which provided strong support for the pilot. The goal is to create a long-term opportunity for crew members within the NPS system, while integrating the WaYS and Conservation Legacy models together to create a long-term opportunity for AL crews and individual placements. To have success, several critical steps needed to be developed to have a sustainable program to benefit Native youth in Maine. 4
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE An all-Native American Ancestral Lands program was established within Conservation Legacy in 2008 based at Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico, and has supported the expansion and replication of that program to multiple Native American communities since. Ancestral Lands programs complete projects that include traditional farming, riparian restoration, invasive vegetation assessment, inventory and monitoring, invasive species removal and habitat restoration, fuels mitigation, trail construction, historic preservation and cultural/language immersion. The purpose of the Ancestral Lands approach is to build a solid foundation for creating sustainable native-led programming in tribal communities across the nation. This year, WASO funding supported projects at nine National Park Service project sites. This funding has been leveraged with other partner funding to support young adults working in additional National Park Service sites and partner projects. Through Ancestral Lands programming, Conservation Legacy supports the self-empowerment of Native American communities through the further development of program models across Indian Country that provides jobs and experience for local Native American youth, connects youth to their heritage and cultural values, completes important conservation and interpretation projects at National Park Service units and for native communities and exposes Native American youth to potential careers with public land management agencies.
NATIVE YOUTH LEADING OUR NATIONS BACK TO ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL WELLBEING. PROGRAM SUCCESS The Ancestral Lands program has significant impacts on the individuals that participate in the program and the communities in which work is done. Participants learn about their history and the significance of the places they work, strengthen connections to their ancestors, culture, language, and traditions. All participants undergo technical skills trainings that help prepare them for service projects, including chainsaw, wilderness first aid, CPR, leadership development, and risk management. We have helped individuals find their voice, create community and develop communication, leadership, and job skills needed for a successful future. Funding from the Youth Programs Division will support 62 paid positions in 2020. Total Ancestral Lands paid participants in 2020 equals 144. 24% of participants identify as female, 60% identify as male, and 16% prefer not to answer. For paid positions, 97% of participants identify as being American Indian or Native American, 2% prefer not to answer, 1% identifies as more than one race. 9% of paid participants were ages 16–18 (100% of unpaid positions were under the age of 18), 24% are between the ages of 18 and 20, 27% ages 21–24, 22% for 25–27, and 18% for 28–31.
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BY THE NUMBERS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS TOTAL PARTICIPANTS Overall Ancestral Lands Participants: 144 Total WASO funded: 62
28,944 TOTAL HOURS WORKED 18 MILES OF TRAIL CREATED/MAINTAINED 94 ACRES RESTORED OR IMPROVED 16 MILES OF FENCING MAINTAINED
GENDER 26% Female, 74% Male, AGE AGE 15 – 18: 4% AGE 19 – 25: 70% AGE 26 – 35: 26% RACE NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKA NATIVE/NATIVE HAWAIIAN: 89% EDUCATION SOME HS: 7% HS DIPLOMA: 56% SOME COLLEGE: 22% COLLEGE DEGREE: 15%
WASO FUNDED PARK LOCATIONS Aztec Ruins National Park Canyon De Chelly National Monument Chaco Culture National Historical Park El Malpais National Monument El Morro National Monument Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Hovenweep National Monument Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Joshua Tree National Park Pecos National Historic Park Petroglyph National Monument Petrified Forest National Park Pipestone National Monument Southwest Exotic Plant Management Team Tuzigoot National Monument
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IMPACTS OF COVID-19 As mentioned previously, the global pandemic has had pronounced impacts on Native American Nations and peoples. These impacts have extended to the Ancestral Lands program, Arizona Conservation Corps, Montana Conservation Corps, and other corps programs. Higher than average COVID19 rates in the Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and other communities have led to increased travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders, while the Pueblo of Acoma has taken a similarly protective approach to try and preemptively protect its people. As of the writing of this report, Acoma does not have an active case of COVID-19 and rates on the Navajo Nation and other Tribes in the Southwest has dramatically decrease. The beginning of the pandemic in the United States of America coincided with our planned programmatic start. Crew Leaders and Crew Leader Development Program (CLDP) participants reported for duty on March 16th, beginning with a preparation week before starting the 6-week CLDP. On that same day, Conservation Legacy made the difficult decision to stand down all crew-based programs in response to the pandemic. We were unable to resume crew programs until June 15th and in some communities, start dates were pushed back even further. For our DinÊ (Navajo) program, we resumed crews in June, only to have to stand them down again after the Navajo Nation enforced travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders. Our program in Acoma has yet to resume, but we are working with the Tribal Administration to start a locally based farm program by the end of September. One of the biggest impacts of the pandemic has been the ability of our program to pivot to provide relief efforts that directly benefit our communities. We have worked with the Navajo–Hopi COVID-19 Relief Fund, Hopi Foundation, National Forest Foundation, Red Feather Development Group, United States Forest Service, La Plazita Institute, Albuquerque Foundation, Conservation Lands Foundation, and other agencies and non-profits to respond directly to the pandemic in support of our communities. This work has included establishing a fuel wood processing and delivery program and staffing a resource distribution facility in Hopi, helping to provide free, locally grown organic food to low-income residents in Albuquerque, and teaching youth how to grow their own gardens in Acoma. It has long been our goal to provide more programs that bring the benefits of our work directly to our communities.
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Arizona Conservation Corps had planned on operating crews in partnership with the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Colorado River Indian Tribes on each reservation, along with a residential crew based at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Each of these programs was delayed due to COVID-19, but have been rescheduled for late 2020 and early 2021 start dates. For Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) and Northwest Youth Corps (NYC), the pandemic caused a pause in programming serving Native Nations, with an anticipation of resuming in 2021. NYC’s two foundational Tribal Stewards offerings were both canceled this year due to Covid-19. The youth program (age 15-18) which is delivered in partnership with the Chemawa Indian School was abruptly canceled in March, when the school sent all of the students home due to concerns over infections at the boarding school. Once the students left the Chemawa campus, NYC was able to coordinate a conservation corps experience for a couple of them in their general programming, but not enough to launch a full Tribal Stewards offering. Additionally, NYC’s young adult programming was canceled when the COVID-19 infection rates were running extremely high on the Warm Springs and Burns Paiute Reservations—the two main partners in this effort. NYC had very tough conversations with Tribal leadership on how to make it work, but in the end, out of an abundance of caution and on the advice of our Tribal Stewards Inclusion Coordinator, they elected to post pone the program to 2021. For MCC, plans to partner with the Wind River Reservation, Grand Teton National Park, Glacier National Park, and Little Bighorn Battle National Monument were suspended due to COVID-19, with plans of resuming programs in 2021. MCC is prioritizing the resumption of these partnerships with tribal nations and programs in 2021. MCC is a member of a Piikani Lands Crew steering committee comprised of Blackfeet tribal lands organizations, the Blackfeet Community College, representatives from the high school, and other off reservation organizations, and all parties are invested in resuming the Piikani Lands Crew in 2021. MCC anticipates running this crew between June and August in 2021.
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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
NPS YOUTH PROGRAM DIVISION FUNDED PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS: Ancestral WaYS: Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument (KAWW) WaYS: Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument (KAWW) has an immense amount of existing trail systems, as well as vast forest land historically known to be Wabanaki ancestral lands. Working in concert with KAWW and FKWW educators, WaYS first year was a success. With a crew of four (reduced due to COVID-19 restrictions) were able to accomplish 24 miles of trails developed or improved including compliance on KAWW portage trails. All crew members trained in and practiced Leave No Trace skills and Wilderness First Aid. The crew worked with multiple Cultural Knowledge Keepers related to water ecology and archeology in the Penobscot River watershed to bring cultural science and western science together on an equal platform. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Horseshoe Bend Rehabilitation Four Ancestral Lands crew members will support planting efforts alongside Glen Canyon Biology staff. The crew will be charged with planting low growing shrubs, upland species and cacti near and along Horseshoe Bend parking lot and trail. The crew will support for a total of four weeks improving approximately 6.66 acres of disturbed land within GLCA. The planting will create habitat for wildlife, as well as to restore desert slopes from prior construction that was done to improve visitor use.
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“One week at Petroglyph wasn’t enough. Hopefully we can get more work with them in the future.” –Crew Member, Ancestral Lands
Historic Preservation Apprenticeship program One four-person Ancestral Lands crew is working at four NPS units: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, El Malpais National Monument, and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, alongside professional NPS staff, including members of the Vanishing Treasures Team, to learn about and explore career opportunities in the Historic Preservation field. Before the arrival of COVID-19, Ancestral Lands had planned to send the crew to the Historic Preservation Training Center to receive training and certifications but had to scrap those plans due to the pandemic. Despite changes to the plan, the crew is working hard and receiving direct mentorship from NPS personnel while completing important preservation and protection of these incredible sites. El Morro National Monument Headlands Trail Four Ancestral Lands crews worked at El Morro National Monument to help reconstruct the Headlands Trail, a 2-mile loop that takes visitors past petroglyphs and more modern inscriptions as well as to the top of the bluff, past the Atsinna historic site, where nearly 600 people lived from 1275 to 1350 AD. Leveraging funds from the Youth Programs Division, crews constructed over 2 miles of new trail. Total non-WASO dollars = $87,300 from El Morro NM in 2020, plus additional work planned for 2021. High School Equivalency Degree program One AL crew consisting of 5 Native American young people are completing this inaugural program in which they will earn their HSED (GED) while completing important conservation and stewardship projects at Petroglyph National Monument, the City of Albuquerque’s BioPark and Open Space, Bernalillo County Open Space, La Plazita Institute. In addition to their HSED, participants will complete financial literacy and other professional development trainings to prepare them for long term success. Total non-WASO dollars = $105,500 from Bernalillo County, City of Albuquerque, PETR, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, and the Albuquerque Community Foundation. Saguaro National Park The White Mountain Trail Crew worked diligently during their summer 2020 season to help improve the facilities of historically significant lands in the southwest. Michael Jenson and Sterling Suttle both come from the White Mountains Apache Tribe in Arizona, both natives to the town of White River, though they both had different journeys to the end of their summer 2020 season. Mr. Suttle completed his fourth term of service with AmeriCorps this season, he has had the opportunity to serve many communities and areas through his time with Arizona Conservation Corps and looks forward to finding other ways to continue his service. Mr. Jensen came to the Arizona Conservation Corps at the beginning of this season after hearing many great things about the program from his friends, who have served in the past, in the White River area. The work at Saguaro National Park was collectively the most rewarding yet diligent hitch, as the heat of the sun was intense so was the motivation to work with the Park Service and help improve the highly used trail infrastructure on the eastern side of the park. The frequency of use was new to the entire crew, as they have been used to working on more secluded trails. So, the widening of the trail corridor and improvement of the drainage structures were very motivating as a constant stream of hikers expressed their thanks and appreciation for the work the crew was doing. The work this crew completed this season will be long-lasting and serve the many user groups that take advantage of these trails for many years to come. This season has also left a lasting impact on the members of the crew as they have expressed interest in continuing this type of work and continuing on to similar positions within the National Park Service or Forest Service.
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ADDITIONAL ANCESTRAL LANDS PROJECTS
National Forest Foundation Hopi Firewood Distribution The closure of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) and subsequent loss of the primary heating source for the Hopi community impacted villages heavily in the winter of 2019. The closure of NGS, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic has created immediate challenges for the Hopi community this winter. With support from the National Forest Foundation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Red Feather Development Group, the Hopi Foundation, and other partners, Ancestral Lands Hopi is supplying firewood to under-resourced, low income, critical need individuals and families. Total project cost = $490,357 Bureau of Reclamation Navajo Gallup Water Supply Pipeline (NGWSP) Two AL crews will partner with the Bureau of Reclamation to survey and monitor sections of the NGWSP to identify native and invasive species that are establishing along the construction area of the pipeline. Additionally, crews will work to rehabilitate two wetland areas impacted by the construction of the pipeline to support native flora and fauna. Total project cost = $65,000 2020 WASO Projected projects: As COVID19 transmission rates have continued to decline, Ancestral Lands anticipates completing 28 weeks of project work between October 1 and December 31, 2020. Ancestral Lands are partnering with the following NPS parks and programs to complete important infrastructure and natural and cultural preservation projects: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Chiricahua National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Petroglyph National Monument, and Tumacácori National Monument. Funds from this agreement will help to support the Ancestral Lands’ Crew Leader Training and Development program in 2021. We will utilize 4 - 6 weeks of these funds to train crew leaders in trail construction, chainsaw operations, risk management, leadership development, and prepare them to be leaders for our program and in their communities. The Crew Leader Training program has been very successful and has become an integral part of our program’s structure and succession plan. We are also planning on utilizing these funds to support the continued development of a program partnering with the Tohono O’odham Tribe and Arizona Conservation Corps in 2021. 11
FUTURE AND PILOT PROGRAMS Restoration Certificate Program
“My experience this summer had such a huge impact on my choice in career. This program has opened my eyes to preserving and taking care of the land.” –Crew Member, Ancestral Lands
Before the pandemic hit, Ancestral Lands was planning to pilot a Restoration Certificate program in partnership with EcoCulture, the National Forest Foundation, USFS, and Coconino Community College. Participants were going to receive college credits and an industry recognized certificate in Ecological Restoration during the six-month project. We are planning to implement this program in 2021 with at least two crews. Pipestone National Monument/Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Ancestral Lands currently has two Individual Placement members serving at the Pipestone National Monument. Gabriel Yellowhawk as the Natural Resources Individual Placement and Jessica Arkeketa as the Interpretation Individual Placement. Gabriel has assisted in several projects including the chemical and manual removal of invasive species, the study of mercury levels in the river systems through the collection of dragonfly nymphs, butterfly capture and tagging, as well as creating educational information about the art of pipe carving for the junior ranger program. Jessica has been assisting with project pertaining to both natural resources and cultural resources. Both Individual Placements are working to strengthen ties between the park and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in hopes of continued collaboration. Northwest Youth Corps (NWYC) NWYC plans to offer a youth program in partnership with the Chemawa Indian School and an adult program in partnerships with the Warm Springs and Burns Paiute Reservations next year. NWYC expects these youth to participate in conservation service at Mt. Rainier, Lewis and Clark, Olympic, and North Cascades National The FY2021 plan is for 30 youth and 7 leaders to engage in this offering which will operate in May and June. NWYC’s young adult program will specifically target members of the Burns-Paiute, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce communities. They will focus their conservation service along the Columbia River Plateau, following the trail systems that their ancestors used to gather and trade food. 12
PARTNER AND PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE KAT SMAIL,
PARTNER, GLEN CANYON NRA “Partnering with Ancestral Lands has given Glen Canyon National Recreation Area the ability to rehabilitate damaged, and degraded areas of the park that we otherwise could not have rehabilitated. Through this partnership, thousands of invasive plant species have been removed, hundreds of native plants restored to the landscape, thousands of native plants propagated, and historical resources renewed to be enjoyed by all for years to come. The hard working crew members we have had the pleasure of working with, have had a strong commitment to making a difference in the world, and their efforts have indeed made a lasting difference here at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.”
NATALIE BARBER, PARTNER, PIPESTONE NM
“Partnering with Jessica Arkeketa proved herself to be an incredible addition to the Pipestone National Monument team. She has helped out in just about every division of the park and has already begun learning from cultural educators so that she can pass on traditional knowledge and skills to the next generation of OtoeMissouria quarriers and carvers.”
CREW MEMBER,
HISTORIC PRESERVATION “[I am] honored to work at these places. Not many people can have this experience.”
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CREW MEMBER,
GRAND CANYON NP “My experience this summer had such a huge impact about my choice in career. This program has opened my eyes to help preserve the land and take care of the land. I feel like it is my destiny to be part of preserving the land, this type of work I enjoy most. I get to travel and see new places. I get the chance to preserve historic areas, hike into areas where non corps members do not get to hike, I get to see a lot more areas.”
LAUREN BLACIK, PARTNER, PIPESTONE NM
“The Ancestral Lands program has been instrumental in helping us bring new perspectives and talents to the Pipestone National Monument team. The applicant pool for our individual placement position was so strong that we ended up hiring a second person. These 6-month internships have been successful because Conservation Legacy worked with us to structure the positions in a way that values traditional stewardship, offers reasonable pay and benefits, and fully integrates professional development. Both interns will be excellent candidates for park positions when their service is completed and, hopefully, go on to become NPS leaders. In addition to the individual placements, the Ancestral Lands program has provided the Monument with expertise, guidance, and networking to develop a conservation corps at the park that engages youth from affiliated Tribal Nations.”
TINA GREENWALT,
PARTNER, MONTEZUMA CASTLE NM “The Ancestral Lands crew helped our park get rid of a large amount of invasive kochia (Bassia scoparia) that we otherwise would not have treated. It prevented thousands of kochia plants from going to seed, which will help improve the habitat in the area for wildlife and allow us to plant natives.”
CREW MEMBER, EL MORRO NM
“So, for our first hitch to El Morro, it went pretty good. Camping and being out there was a great and cool experience, That and gaining all that knowledge is something I will never forget. Meeting the workers there and them helping us out was cool. I now have knowledge in trail building. It is tiring and the sun was killing us, but as a team we were determined to get our work done. Working at El Morro was something I enjoyed and learning about the park and all its beautiful features is something I will have to visit again. Calvin, Aux, Joe, Edwin and all the other staff were amazing and helpful, and our work will forever be cherished.”
CREW MEMBER, PETROGLYPH NP
Working at Petroglyph was something I really enjoyed. Leyba was really cool and interesting, he’s a very funny, sarcastic person. And I really got along with him pretty well. The work was cool too. Digging holes and putting in post for the fence they are going to build. It was also my first time working and visiting Petroglyph, and it was a good experience. Our crew got a lot of work done with the post. Also 127 posts over half a mile! Leyba was happy we got a lot done. One week at Petroglyph wasn’t enough. Hopefully we can get more work in with them in the future. I also gained a lot of knowledge in fencing.”
“I am honored to work in these places. Not many people have this experience.” –Crew Member, Ancestral Lands
CONCLUSION
Conservation Legacy is thrilled about the opportunity to continue its partnership with the National Park Service to expand Ancestral Lands opportunities for young people to serve on public lands and to provide much-needed services in the areas of land restoration, trail maintenance and construction, vegetation management, historic preservation, wildfire prevention, community development and in other critical areas of need. Through support from the NPS Youth Programs Division, we have been able to work in areas across the United States to identify Native communities and enthusiastic partners who want to work with Native Americans and help guide and develop programs that serve Native youth, while continuing to support and improve developed programs in the Southwest, Northern Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest. Ancestral Land’s strategic plan for the future includes both broadening and deepening our impact. We will utilize two separate but equally effective strategies. Support for National Expansion—Broadening our collective impact
FOSTERING CONSERVATION SERVICE IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITIES & ECOSYSTEMS
LOCAL ACTION. ENDURING IMPACT.
Conservation Legacy recently made the decision after six years support from Southwest Conservation Corps, to make Ancestral Lands its own program and to dedicate additional staff resources to the success, development, growth in the southwest and nationally. We are committed to our role as a backbone organization to grow this movement. Similar to our past approach we stand behind our philosophy that we cannot do this work alone. We will be working to develop relationships with local community organizations, corps, tribes, and agencies to catalyze new programs. With increased interest in the Northeast, Midwest, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Alaska the opportunities for Native Americans to benefit from corps programming will continue. As illustrated by our acknowledgments page, it takes a village to make this program a success. We are committed to this program and its proven ability to authentically and respectfully provide opportunities for Native American youth to serve their communities wherever that may be. Ancestral Lands is continuing to invest in strengthening our foundation and deepening our impact. We are committed to continue to strengthen and developing funding to break down barriers to participation for Native American Youth. In 2019 alone, we successfully raised over $300,000 in foundation funding for this purpose. Our plan for 2020 is to raise even more. We are committed to continuing to build long term job and economic development opportunities for Native American youth. Realizing our current program provides excellent leadership development opportunities for those who seek it, but falls short for those who do not, we are committed to continuing to explore new options for certifications, job placement, and apprenticeships as well as opportunities for indigenous young people to improve their communities and reconnect with their culture, language, and heritage. This will require new partnerships, mechanisms and funding. We are committed to this development. Ancestral Lands is invested in the long-term success of the communities with whom we work. In this spirit, we are working to create a diverse array of partnerships to support our programs and innovating new program models that broaden our impact; while continuing to learn from experience so that we can refine and improve our program and make an even greater impact on our participants and the communities that we serve. The future of Ancestral Lands is a bright one. We are proud and humbled to have the amazing support of the National Park Service as we take on this venture.
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APPENDIX A:
APPENDIX B:
APPENDIX D:
Ancestral Lands National Park Service Projects
VIDEO: A LOOK BACK AT YESTERYEAR ANCESTRAL LANDS STAFF
PRE SURVEY 1. How familiar are you with the following job opportunities?
FULL PROJECT LIST
Grand Canyon National Park Improve recreational access P19AC00942 Joshua Tree National Park Support local economies and restore community/cultural assets P19AC00007 AL19 NPS WASO Restore, protect and improve habitat P19AC00178 Hubble Trading Post NHS Support local economies and restore community/cultural assets P19AC00518 El Morro National Monument Improve recreational access P18AC00805
PRESS AND MEDIA
https://www.facebook.com/ancestrallands/videos/603213306964679
FOREST, TRIBAL PARTNERSHIP SUPPORTS FIREWOOD TO HOPI, NAVAJO KNAU NPR https://www.knau.org/post/forest-tribal-partnership-supplies-firewood-hopi-and-navajo?fbclid=IwAR0lGNunIOt04bHcudk0ci0JFD7YEo2KEfaTkeNgBRw_q5mGLBFcwsDoTSY
FOREST, TRIBAL PARTNERSHIP SUPPORTS FIREWOOD TO HOPI, NAVAJO KNAU NPR https://www.knau.org/post/forest-tribal-partnership-supplies-firewood-hopi-and-navajo?fbclid=IwAR0lGNunIOt04bHcudk0ci0JFD7YEo2KEfaTkeNgBRw_q5mGLBFcwsDoTSY
SPARKING HOPE: FIREFIGHTER TRAINING HELPS VETS TRANSITION NAVAJO TIMES https://navajotimes.com/ae/people/sparking-hope-firefighter-training-helps-vets-transition-to-civilian-life-launch-careers/
APPENDIX C: FUNDING
Aztec Ruins National Monument Support local economies and restore community/cultural assets P19AC00548
Total WASO NPS ALCC Funding = $589,604.20
El Morro National Monument Improve recreational access P19AC00924
Leveraged Project Funding Conservation Legacy Ancestral Lands = $1,725,062
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Restore, protect and improve habitat P19AC00876
(Total Annual Budget – WASO Funds) In-kind = $789,257
AL19 NPS SWEPMT Restore, protect and improve habitat P19AC00455
Arizona Conservation Corps = $805,800 In-kind = $241,000
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Restore, protect and improve habitat P19AC00984 Canyon de Chelly National Monument Improve recreational access P19AC00421 AL19 NPS SWEPMT Escalante Restore, protect and improve habitat P18AC00591 AL El Malpais National Monument Restore, protect and improve habitat P18AC00828 Tuzigoot National Monument Restore, protect and improve habitat P20AC00607 Hubbell Trading Post NHS Improve recreational access P20AC00442 AL20 NPS WASO Improve recreational access P20AC00397 Petroglyph National Monument Improve recreational access P20AC00727 Petrified Forest National Park Restore, protect and improve habitat P19AC00870
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Total Leveraged Project Funding = $2,530,862 In kind = $1,030,997 Project and In-kind Funding leveraged = 6 times that provided by NPS WASO
SURVEY RESULTS
Private Industry (for-profit companies) Poor: 50% Fair: 21% Good: 21% Very Good: 0% Excellent: 8%
Academics Poor: 14% Fair: 26% Good: 41% Very Good: 5% Excellent: 14%
Non-profit Poor: 15% Fair: 15% Good: 38% Very Good: 23% Excellent: 9%
Federal, State, & Local Government Agencies Poor: 29% Fair: 21% Good: 22% Very Good: 14% Excellent: 14%
2. Please rate your level of interest in pursuing a career with state or federal public land agencies: Good: 23% High: 15% Very High: 62%
MID SURVEY 1. What do you think about your internship so far? How is everything going? “It’s going good so far just different because of COVID-19.” “I thinks it’s awesome! The people are great and the work is interesting. We’re working in a place that I’ve passed through but never stopped at, and learning about fruit trees is cool.” “So far this internship is going great. I absolutely love the area and work area.” 2. Have you learned something you didn’t know before? “I learned a few things about indigenous plants.” “I learned a bit about the Jefferson and Emmett family history at Lonely Dell Ranch. Also learned a bit more about camping.” 3. What has been most interesting to you? “I’ve already met some interesting people who had a lot of information about lizards and ravens.” “The most interesting thing to me is how beautiful the Canyons are, how beautiful the whole area is. I also like how there is an orchid ranch out in the middle of the dessert canyon. The ranch is like a haven.” 4. What kind of skills do you think you have developed or acquired? “Better leadership skills.” “I think learning how to pack lighter and work a propane gas stove has been good.” “I have developed a stronger communication and work system.” 5. Is there anything you would like to change about your experience so far? “I don’t think there’s anything I would change so far. Well, maybe if the weather was cooler.” “The heat is the only thing I would change about this experience.” 6. What do you want senior officials in the National Park Service to know about your experience? “That it’s been great and I have no concerns.” POST SURVEY 1. If you could make one recommendation to the Director of the National Park Service on how the NPS can better connect with young people/adults what would you say? “Maybe if they have a charging station somewhere for cameras and phones.” “I would say that we could all work together to bring more Youth/adults corps by creating new sites on the internet and connect to different branches of social media. Encourage corps members to recruit new people, encourage corps members to post on their social media displaying their experiences being interns with the Parks we volunteer at.” 2. What other jobs/career fields would you be interested in learning more about? “Probably about being a park ranger or a tour guide.” “I would be interested in other Corps crews, firefighting crews, and working in any field in the National park service.” 3. Do you feel as if your work made a contribution towards the mission of the National Park Service? “I suppose we’ve been helping to preserve the orchard in Lonely Dell Ranch through deepening the irrigation lines.” “Just hearing fees back from the tourists really have me in that positive mind set that I am making a difference at Lonely Del ranch.” 4. Why are the national parks important to you, or not important to you? “I love the national parks! They’re beautiful and preserve some of the best natural formations in our country. There’s tons of trails, and my family always loves visiting.” “Beautiful places that the NPS preserve hold tons of history and beauty. Without the NPS we would not be able to explore these wonderful areas, experience the thrills, and learn about the history of these National Parks.” 5. How much influence did the (PROGRAM NAME) have on your answer to question #4? Please rate from 1 (no influence) to 5 (a ton of influence). 1: 14% 2: 0% 3: 33% 4: 29% 5: 24% 6. Did your experience this summer influence your career goals in any way? 6a. How? “My experience this summer had such a huge impact about my choice in career. This program has opened my eyes to help preserve the land and take care of the land. I feel like it’s my destiny to be part of preserving the land, this type of work I enjoy most. I get to travel and see new places. I get the chance to preserve historic areas, hike into areas where non corps members don’t get to hike, I get to see a lot more areas that don’t get a lot of attention.”
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Additional support for Conservation Legacy programs is provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Conservation Legacy is proud to partner with AmeriCorps and the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps to provide national service opportunities for young adults and veterans on public lands.