Hands-on natural resources and restoration education program serving inter-tribal young adults

Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) and Lomakatsi Restoration Project have announced the launch of the 2024 Tribal Stewards program, which brings together a nine-member inter-tribal crew to work on ecological restoration projects in Oregon’s high desert. Serving members of the Burns Paiute Tribe, Klamath Tribes, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley Indian Reservation, and Pit River Tribe, the Tribal Stewards program is providing valuable natural resource field experience to support the growing restoration workforce in eastern Oregon.

In the program’s first week, the Tribal Stewards completed streamside planting and watershed restoration projects on the Malheur National Forest, including planting more than 500 native willows along stream banks to improve bull trout habitat in the Upper Malheur River watershed.

“Our goal with the Tribal Stewards program is to provide paid opportunities for the next generation of leaders in natural resources stewardship to gain hands-on experience while completing meaningful ecological restoration projects,” said ONDA Stewardship Program Director Gena Goodman-Campbell. “These young people also bring valuable Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge to this work that contributes to restoring thriving ecosystems for generations to come.”

The six-week Tribal Stewards program focuses on ecological restoration projects on the Malheur National Forest, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, which fall within the ancestral homelands of the northern Paiute.

“I am extremely excited to see this opportunity for youth to work on our ancestral lands,” said Tracy Kennedy, Chair of the Burns Paiute Tribe. “This is a great partnership and program that serves our youth, who represent more than half of our current membership, and paves the way for future projects that we can co-manage with our federal, state and local partners.”

Joining Lomakatsi’s Tribal Youth Ecological Stewardship Training Program with ONDA’s Tribal Stewards, the program provides positive work experience and teamwork development for tribal young adults to build professional skills, a sense of responsibility, long-term community service ethic, and a foundation toward future employment in natural resource stewardship. Participants are paid $20/hour for their work-training, which includes working closely with local elders and other Tribal leaders, professional staff from ONDA, Lomakatsi, and agency partners.

“We’re excited to help kickstart a young, stewardship-focused workforce in the Burns area, expanding our capacity to accomplish restoration projects and provide education and workforce training in an outdoor classroom,” said George Swartzlender, Lomakatsi Tribal Initiatives Project Manager and Harney County resident. “Getting back in touch with traditional lifeways and putting hands on the land has a lasting impact on the health and resilience of our communities.”

“We are glad to be invited by Oregon Natural Desert Association and the Burns Paiute Tribe as a partner in implementing this year’s Tribal Stewards program,” said Lomakatsi Tribal Partnerships Director Belinda Brown. “It is inspiring to see the next generation of leaders developing skills and pursuing natural resource careers, and we look forward to the future successes of our partnership and the youth through this program and beyond.”

The 2024 Tribal Stewards program was made possible by the generous support of many partners, including the National Forest Foundation, Friends of Malheur Refuge, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, and National Park Service.

Oregon Natural Desert Association connects people to the spectacular desert lands, waters and wildlife of central and eastern Oregon and champions the conservation and stewardship of this ecologically vital region. Learn more at ONDA.org.

Lomakatsi Restoration Project is a nonprofit, grassroots organization that develops and implements forest and watershed restoration initiatives, programs and projects throughout Oregon and northern California. Learn more at Lomakatsi.org.