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Restore ecosystems and the sustainability of communities, cultures, and economies.
PANEL 1 of 7
November 15, 2023 | 9-10:15am
Tribal Members in Federal and State Natural Resource Management
Program Description
Tribal members who work for federal natural resource management agencies will share their experiences working at the intersection of their agency’s mission and tribal values for land and community stewardship, toward mutually beneficial outcomes. This panel will broadly discuss some of the foundational agreements, mechanisms, and relationships that can support meaningful tribal engagement among agencies to meet legally mandated trust responsibilities, and partnerships with Tribal Nations and tribal communities to advance landscape-scale restoration.
Moderator: Merv George • Hoopa Valley Tribe • Deputy Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region of the US Forest Service
Presentation Recording
“Trust: it comes in many forms and sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes those conversations are very difficult conversations, but we knew that we wanted to be in a different place. The history was complicated, it still is. We have a long way to go, but there’s definitely some movement in the right direction.” – Merv George
Panelists and Presentation Summaries
Eldon Brown • Navajo Diné • Native American Liaison for the Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Eldon Brown focused on the importance of mindfulness as an agency employee when engaging and prioritizing Tribes for meaningful collaboration. He grounded his presentation in stories that connect his lineage, especially teachings from his grandparents, to his work today. Eldon highlighted how his indigeneity influences how he conducts himself within the regimented and procedural space of a federal agency. He also shared how he works to coordinate with all partners, including private landowners, NGOs, and other agencies, in ways that improve the process of Tribal relations, starting with centering the priorities of Tribal partners and moving toward respectful and adaptive Co-Stewardship.
“I want to make sure that our employees are understanding of (Tribal) representations, political and legally, because those priorities mean so much about engaging Tribes.”
About Eldon
Mr. Brown is Navajo. He is Mexican People clan, born for the Bear People, his maternal grandfather is the Bitter Water People, and paternal grandfather is the Folded Arms People. Mr. Brown is the regional Native American Liaison for the Pacific Southwest Region for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where his work is supporting the 130 federally recognized Tribes in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin, Oregon. He has been with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service since 2011.
Bodie Shaw • Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs • Deputy Regional Director for Trust Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bodie Shaw centered his experience as a Native person bringing his perspectives into the work he has been engaged in, including sharing an understanding of ITEK within non-Tribal academia, helping to develop agreement and funding mechanisms, and influencing Tribal, state, regional, and national management policy and practice. Bodie emphasized the importance, especially for Native Americans, of establishing and nurturing strong networks and leveraging all opportunities that foster professional relationships. He encouraged partners to share intentions upfront at the beginning of projects to avoid interfering with the trust required for cross-sector landscape and resource management collaborations.
“We never close doors. We never say goodbye. We keep those doors open.”
About Bodie
Mr. Bodie Shaw, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, has served as Deputy Regional Director—Trust Services for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Portland since he was appointed in 2011, after previously serving in several other leadership positions within the agency. As Deputy Regional Director, his primary duties include the oversight of trust programs for the BIA associated with management and protection of trust and restricted lands, natural resources, and real estate services for Northwest tribes. Mr. Shaw holds a Master’s Degree in Forest Resources from Oregon State University and is also a veteran of the US Air Force.
Rowena Yeahquo • The Kiowa Tribe/Comanche Nation • Tribal Relations Specialist, U.S. Forest Service Region 5
Rowena Yeahquo highlighted the importance of recruiting Native Americans into federal agencies, including Tribal youth through internships and other programs, during a time of increasing calls for Native representation on government committees for climate change, resiliency, and fires. She shared about her work educating Forest Service employees about Native perspective, while acknowledging shared values with others about protecting and restoring entire ecosystems. Rowena acknowledged that putting forward new perspectives as a Native person in a federal agency can be challenging without resources and support, and advocated for mentorship to accomplish sustainable visions.
“I think the more we have Native Americans working in our land management agencies, the more we can bring that perspective that we see and how we see taking care of our land. The motto for the Forest Service is “Caring for the Land, Serving the People, and I think it should be ‘Caring for the Land to Protect the People’ […] If we don’t take care of it, it’s not going to take care of us.”
About Rowena
Ms. Yeahquo, who is of the Kiowa Tribe and the Comanche Nation, is the Tribal Relations Specialist for the US Forest Service Region 5. She has over 20 years of experience in Tribal and Community Planning, including working with tribes in Oregon and northern California as a tribal planner assisting with economic development, capacity building, grant writing, and realty services. Ms. Yeahquo also worked as Director of the NW Region Tribal Technical Assistance Program, providing technical assistance to 42 tribes in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Western Montana. She holds a Master’s Degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma.
Nolan Colegrove, Sr. • Hoopa Valley Tribe • Lower Trinity, Orleans, and Ukonom District Ranger, Six Rivers National Forest, U.S. Forest Service
Nolan Colegrove, Sr. emphasized his upbringing as a Native person, which instilled in him the importance of responsibility, communication, and being proactive within collaborative partnerships. Nolan highlighted the need for agencies to mentor new employees on respectful relationship-building with Tribes and how to seek understanding when collaborating with partners with differing priorities. Additionally, centering Tribal priorities and values is essential to building trust in partnerships. It supports a pathway to what Nolan referred to as “True Collaboration,” which goes above and beyond simple consultation and may include bringing Tribal members onto interdisciplinary teams for Forest Service projects with a particular focus on identifying and protecting culturally significant areas. Nolan addressed these partnerships’ dynamic, mutual benefits, where collaboration can help activate funding sources and encourage capacity-building through more flexible agreements.
“The only way to really get some trust is to work with folks, be true to your word, do what you say, don’t tell people think they want to hear. That sometimes happens with some folks who are risk-averse, they don’t want confrontation, and sometimes you can’t. You really shouldn’t promise things that you can’t fulfill.”
About Nolan
Mr. Colegrove, of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, currently serves as District Ranger for the Lower Trinity, Orleans, and Ukonom Ranger District of the US Forest Service Six Rivers National Forest. His previous leadership experience includes working within the Hoopa Natural Resources Department, helping to develop the first Hoopa Tribal Forest Management Plan and to obtain one of the first Sustainable Forestry Certifications for a tribe. He has also served as President of the California Indian Forest and Fire Management Council, and as President of the
Intertribal Timber Council. Mr. Colegrove holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Resource Science from Humboldt State University.
Resources
- BIA Office of Trust Services Strategic Plan for FY 2023-2026 [Link]
- BIA Pacific Region Tribal Climate Resilience Program: Funded Strategies, Example Projects & Climate Scenarios [Link]
- BIA Branch of Climate Resilience Regional Assessment Report (2022) [Link]
- BIA Pacific Region Strategic Plan (2015-2019) [Link]
- BIA Reserved Treaty Rights Lands Plan (2015) [Link]
- BLM Permanent Instruction Memorandum Regarding Co-Stewardship [Link]
- National Indian Forest Resources Management Act (1990) [Link]
- NPS Policy Memorandum Regarding Co-Stewardship [Link]
- Tribal Action Plan in action: Strengthening tribal relations within Indian Country [Link]
- USDA and USDOI Joint Secretarial Order 3403: Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility to Indian Tribes in the Stewardship of Federal Lands and Waters [Link]
- USFS Tribal Relations Strategic Plan for Pacific Southwest Region 5 (2023-2028) [Link]
- USFS Research & Development Tribal Engagement Roadmap (2015) [Link]
- USFS Tribal Relations Strategic Plan (2019-2022) [Link]
- USFWS Native American Policy [Link]
- USFWS Director’s Order 227: Fulfilling Trust Responsibility [Link]
- Wildland Fire Management: The National Fire Plan [Link]