Stewardship Pathways: Advancing Tribal Stewardship of All Ancestral Lands

A continuous dialogue between Indigenous-led Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and the ecological sciences centered in the academic realm has been a historical challenge. As a result, the continuous coproduction of knowledge between these groups is rare. To fully understand climate change impacts in Southern California’s terrestrial ecosystems, decolonizing academic sciences through the prioritization of Indigenous voices and the inclusion of social and environmental justice components is essential. This article outlines a specific approach to build climate and community resilience and serves as an example of how to center Indigenous perspectives in climate science. The work presented brings together knowledge systems of Southern California Tribes, and academic research through meaningful engagement and rigorous capacity-building training sessions.

Collaborating partners were able to inform and advance actions that conserve biodiversity and the ecocultural integrity of the lands of Southern California Tribes by identifying and evaluating climate change impacts on culturally significant plants. The work presented promotes cultural and ecological resilience, under climate change, helps plan for climate adaptation that serves ecosystems and Tribal communities, and respects and values the cultural importance of vulnerable plant species to Southern California’s Tribal communities through the equal valuation of knowledge systems.

BRIDGING ACADEMIC AND INDIGENOUS SCIENCE

The historical disconnect between Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) sustained by Indigenous Peoples and the ecological sciences maintained by the academic sphere has prevented a comprehensive understanding of socioecological systems and the effects climate change has on them (Vinyetta and Lynn 2013; Johnson et al. 2016; Long et al. 2020). Southern California’s terrestrial ecosystems are not an exception, and to fully understand them, the incorporation of social and environmental justice components that accompany human-nature interactions into academic sciences is crucial (Leonard et al. 2020; Fischer 2015; Johnson et al. 2016). As part of advancing climate change adaptation and resilience, decolonization is a key element, and can be enriched by prioritizing the integration of Indigenous voices into research that implicates Tribal Nations and their Ancestors (Leonard et al. 2020).

As the climate changes, Indigenous environmental stewardship practices must also change so they can continue to advance climate resilience for Tribal Nations and preserve cultural practices, ecosystems, and species that are integral to the Tribal community (Ford et al. 2020). Climate impacts such as habitat loss, drought, and temperature changes have impacted plants, animals, and gathering practices that hold cultural importance to many Indigenous communities (Lynn et al. 2013). In a similar way, increased fuel loads, the historical suppression of fire, and climate change have also affected traditional Indigenous burning practices in many Southern California Tribes that have historically relied on fire to increase the quality and quantity of plants, limit pests, enhance germination or resprouting, and promote desirable forms of growth (Lake and Long 2014; Lake and Christianson 2019). This type of fire or “cultural burning” is also referred to as “good fire.”

To support Tribal Nations and safeguard natural and human communities in the face of a changing climate, the Climate Science Alliance (the Alliance) team has sustained a commitment to deep collaborative learning while addressing foundational vulnerabilities that many communities experience. The Alliance’s work serves as a bridge between academic and Indigenous sciences, while continually advocating for the equal valuation of knowledge, co-stewardship of all ancestral lands, and the importance of Indigenous Peoples being at the forefront of land management and the environmental justice movement.

The Alliance’s work in southern California is guided by members of the Climate Science Alliance’s Tribal Working Group (TWG), who lead the identification and prioritization of environmental topics of concern based on community needs. The TWG is an intertribal collaborative of more than 20 Tribal Nations and Indigenous organizations across Southern California with ties across the southwest, including Kumeyaay, Luiseño, Cahuilla, Cupeño, Tongva, Juaneño/Acjachemen, and Chumash peoples. In early 2020, members of the TWG identified a need to develop local and culturally relevant data on climate change impacts to southern California native plant species to help inform stewardship practices now and in the future.

“Fire isn’t something you use, fire is family.”

—La Jolla Tribal member, 2023 Cultural Burn event

In addition to developing this research, members of the TWG expressed their desire for capacity-building training events for Tribal community members to elevate and nurture new or existing skills, which in the long term would aid trainees to make the most out of the newly gathered data in their respective communities. In the summer of 2020, the project Resilient Restoration: Advancing Ecological, Cultural, and Community Resilience with Tribal Nations in Southern California was launched around these specific needs through a multidisciplinary and immersive approach to natural and cultural climate resilience.

The research portion of the project aims to advance the understanding of climate change impacts on a suite of native plant species that are an important component of southern California’s biodiversity, and are critical to Tribal culture, health, and well-being. More than 80 native plants of concern were selected by the TWG that included many cultural keystone species with special emphasis on drought impacts to oak species including coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and Engelman oak (Quercus engelmanii). Under the direction of the TWG, researchers from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and San Diego State University (SDSU) created models that outlined the effects of climate change on habitat suitability and population trends for the plants of interest. The model mapped the potential habitat suitability for all plants based on four different climate change scenarios, identifying whether the selected plants had an increase or decrease in their suitable habitat, and how their population trends varied. The information is currently accessible to the TWG through a data portal. The portal was created based on feedback the TWG provided on the interface, organization, and features it can offer.

The secondary research component of this project focused on better understanding the diversity of oak species and their resilience to the impacts of climate change—namely, drought. With the permission and guidance of several Tribal Nations in San Diego County, thousands of acorns were gathered, and more than 1,700 acorns were propagated in a controlled greenhouse setting. Within the greenhouse, different oak species were studied to better understand their ability to withstand extreme drought-like conditions (Fig. 1a, 1b). Both unused acorns and propagated oaks were returned to their respective Tribal lands after the study was completed. The research conducted as part of this project can directly inform the development of strategies to advance the stewardship, conservation, and restoration of native plant communities on and off Tribal reservation lands, test and refine existing research questions, and advance coproduction of knowledge between academic science and TEK.

Due to the sensitive nature of the research project, all data, findings, and information derived from these efforts are subject to the Climate Science Alliance’s Indigenous Data Sovereignty Protocols (climatesciencealliance.org/info/data). The Climate Science Alliance team works to ensure that data for and about Indigenous partners we work and have established relationships with over time are utilized to advance their community priorities. To the Indigenous partners we work with, Indigenous data sovereignty means they have the right to govern the collection, ownership, and application of their own data. The Climate Science Alliance team honors the guidance and leadership of the TWG and has adopted the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance as defined by the Research Data Alliance. As an organization, the Alliance team will only engage in partnerships that honor and respect the data sovereignty of the Indigenous partners we collaborate with.

THE STEWARDSHIP PATHWAYS PILOT PROJECT

As expressed by the TWG, to make the most of the newly developed data and information, capacity-building training sessions for Indigenous community members became an essential component of the initiative. Under the umbrella of Resilient Restoration, the Alliance launched the Stewardship Pathways pilot project, which hosted a series of training sessions that integrated academic and Indigenous sciences. The goal of Stewardship Pathways is to build capacity, support economic development, and advance co-stewardship of all ancestral lands through various training pathways. By investing in intergenerational learning, the Alliance aims to encourage the sustainment of cultural and traditional resources and practices, while also investing in Tribal youth to become leaders now and in the future.

Training sessions focus on nurturing knowledge that will support Tribal efforts to address climate change, take initiative in decision-making with non-Tribal partners, maintain traditional resources and practices in the face of climate change, increase efficiency in how services and programs are managed, and advance general climate literacy around regional impacts and solutions. The program also provides a pathway for economic development and advances community-led conservation leadership for historically excluded communities through a multigenerational approach to training for careers in natural, cultural, and agricultural resource management.

The Stewardship Pathways Training program began with two main pathways based on the TWG’s interests: Native Plant Conservation, Propagation, and Restoration; and Indigenous Fire Stewardship. The pathways coexist, and as expressed by the TWG, native plants build our connection to land while fire is an inherent and necessary feature of the landscape. The Native Plant Conservation, Propagation, and Restoration pathway aims to help participants build a career path around plant propagation, restoration, and nursery operations by bringing together climate adaptation, natural resource management, and ecological and cultural restoration as natural resource solutions. The Indigenous Fire Stewardship pathway aims to advance career paths around wildland fire management, Tribal fire stewardship, and fuels reduction through a unique combination of technical wildland fire training and certification, climate science, and TEK.

As part of the first Native Plant Propagation cohort, 24 participants were selected to be part of seven capacity-building training sessions where they learned about native plant propagation, seed gathering and preservation, running a plant nursery, and how to support native plant use for land restoration in different ecosystems. Participants visited different locations around southern California, including nurseries, reserves, and restoration sites, and learned techniques for gathering, seed saving, propagation, and restoration across a variety of ecosystems and ancestral homelands (Figure 1c).