Indigenous Ethics and Relations

Why are many of the properties within the boundaries of Native American reservations not owned by the tribe or its members?

• The Dawes Act allotted land to the tribe members, and the rest was sold to the publica as private property

• The Reservation are federal lands held in trust for individual tribes

What is the basis for tribal rights to lands and resources outside the boundaries of reservations?

• Retained rights language in treaties gives tribes a legal stake in fish, wildlife, forest, and water management off-reservation on federal lands

• Many federal laws require consultation with tribes regarding resources within traditional territories

What federal agency was (and continues to be) charged with managing natural resources on behalf of federally recognized tribes

The Bureau of Indian Affairs

What is traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)? How is it similar to and different from scientific ecological knowledge

• Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) refers to the knowledge, practices, and beliefs about the relationship of living beings to one another and to the physical environment that are held by peoples in relatively nontechnological societies with a direct dependence on local resources

• Inseparable from the social and spiritual context of the culture

What challenges might be present when attempting to “integrate” traditional and scientific ecological knowledge for natural resource decision-making and management?

• TEK is not based on data, so authority may not be convinced by the practices

• TEK doesn’t align with the science of western management, so the authority of others may not like it

Who owns family forests? What are the key management objectives? how many acres/ % of forest are represented?

• Representation:

  • 271.9M acres / 38.6% of forestland

• Ownership:

  • Individuals, families, estates, family trusts and partnerships

• Objectives:

  • Highly variable among owners, but conservation, quiet enjoyment, wildlife, and family heritage values tend to be predomina

Who owns Corporate Forests? What are the key management objectives? how many acres/ % of forest are represented?

• Ownership:

  • Vertically integrated timber companies, TIMOs, REITs, other corporate entities (foundations, universities, LLCs, etc)

• Objectives:

  • Income generation: for vertically integrated firms, the focus is income generation from wood products; for others the focus is all sources of income (including land sales, real estate development, easements, ecosystem services, etc.)

• Representation:

  • 137.1M acres / 19.5% of forestland