Land Back
<aside> đź’ˇ Quotes
It’s the reclamation of our kinship systems, our governance systems, our ceremony and spirituality, our language, our culture, our food systems, our housing, our health care...those are all based on our relationship to the land. The land provides for us and is a life source for us.” -Krystal Two Bulls (Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne)
“Without being able to freely engage in our cultural burning practices, we lose our culture. We can’t teach someone how to make a basket if we don’t have the materials that are pliable enough to make them. And we can’t access our food resources. We lose our salmon, we lose our acorns, we lose all those things, and we don’t have a culture. We just slowly disappear.” -Bill Tripp, Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy for the Karuk Tribe </aside>
<aside> đź’ˇ Connections
Leo talking about learning about the history of her people(video of Native Youth Kayak Klamath River) —> me learning the history of my people (25% czech roughly and learning the language after great grandparents not teach grandmother, great aunt, and mother, 75% german roughly —> great grandparents were refugees from Czechia after WWII) </aside>
<aside> ✏ Notes:
relationship with land
Not something to be “owned”
Land is sacred
“We are the land”
Vital role in spiritual and cultural connection
Stewards of the land
today
Indigenous communities around the world protect the vast majority of the planet’s biodiversity
They maintain 80% of the planet’s biodiversity in, or adjacent to, 85 percent of the world’s protected areas!
Securing land rights for Indigenous communities could generate billions of dollars in economic returns and carbon-emissions reduction benefits.
seperation from land
Mission System, 1769
Gold Rush, 1848
Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, 1850
Treaties, 1851
Dawes Act, 1887
Relocation, 1956
Rancheria Act, 1958
recent examples
In 2024, California returned 2,800 acres of ancestral land to the Shasta Indian Nation
The largest in state history!
The CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) transferred over 40 acres of the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery to the Fort Independence Indian Community
This was the CDFW’s first-ever land return to a California tribe.
Historical Policies Affecting Indigenous Land Access in California
Mission System:Â Facilitated Spanish colonization and land appropriation.
Gold Rush:Â Led to widespread displacement and land seizure.
Act for the Government and Protection of Indians (1850):
Legally permitted the seizure of Native American children found alone.
Enabled the enslavement and forced labor of Native Americans.
Example: A settler in Humboldt County claimed a Native child was an orphan after killing his parents, gaining free labor.
Treaties:
18 treaties were made with Native American tribes in California.
None of these treaties were honored by the U.S. government.
Dawes Act (1887):
Aimed to assimilate Native Americans by breaking up reservation lands.
"Checkerboarding" involved allotting some land parcels to Native individuals (black squares) while selling others to white Americans (white/red squares).
Relocation Program:
Moved Native Americans off their tribal lands into urban communities.
Intended to reduce Native presence on ancestral lands and make land available for non-Native settlement.
Rancheria Act:
Terminated federal recognition for certain California tribes.
These tribes lost access to the protections and resources afforded to federally recognized tribes, including land rights.
Klamath River Undamming
2024: Removal of four dams on the Klamath River.
This is considered the largest dam dismantling in U.S. history.
Crucial for restoring the salmon's migratory patterns.
Impacts the ecosystem and the food sovereignty of Northern California tribes.
Salmon are central to the existence and identity of these tribes.
Impacts of Damming:
Caused sediment buildup.
Led to the loss of traditional foods.
Resulted in the separation of traditional ways of life.
Created a narrative of fear around the river.
"Waters" Program (through Rios: Rivers organization):
Teaches Indigenous youth from the Klamath River basin to whitewater kayak.
Prepares them for the first ascent of the undammed Klamath River.
Includes youth from various tribes, including the Klamath, Karuk, and Yurok tribes.
Indigenous Perspective on the Klamath River:
Health and well-being are connected to the health of the river and environment.
Generations of leaders have fought for fishing rights, river access, and river protection.
The history of the river carries intense, traumatic weight due to damming and environmental degradation.
Calls for dam removal (e.g., by Scottish Power) to allow salmon to return.
Historically, the Klamath River was the 3rd largest fish-producing river in the lower U.S.; now down to single-digit percentages.
Witnessed a devastating fish kill in 2002, a "travesty of federal water policy."
Faced genocide, land dispossession, and the loss of primary food sources.
Significance of Dam Removal:
Allows the river to "breathe" and flow freely.
Enables salmon to return to ancestral homelands.
Restores opportunities for recreation and exploration of previously inaccessible areas.
Facilitates the rediscovery and practice of traditional food gathering (e.g., "tully" - a spongy food).
Represents a tremendous victory after over 200 years of struggle across multiple generations.
Restores cultural practices and a sense of freedom for Indigenous youth.
#Land Back
LandBack is about restoring Indigenous sovereignty and stewardship over their ancestral lands
Ultimately, it is an Indigenous- led environmental, cultural and political movement that seeks to place Indigenous land back in Indigenous hands.
the Black Hills (He Sapa)
One of the longest existing legal and political battles over land in the United States
233,000 acres or 1 in every 5 acres in the Black Hills are currently under mining claims.
These mining claims range from uranium, gold, lithium, precious metals and others. •
All of these mining claims present a threat to water, to the animals, plants, people and Mother Earth.
Aims to protect from further destruction, shutting down mining, mining exploration, and protecting water.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Knowledge built on a history, gained through many generations of learning passed down by elders about practical as well as spiritual practices
Knowledge of how nature works and how to judiciously harvest and steward its plants and animals without destroying them
The product of keen observation, patience, and long-term relationships with plants and animals
Indigenous Land Management Practices
Promoting habitat heterogeneity, increasing biodiversity, and maintaining certain vegetation types that would otherwise have undergone successional change
Examples:
Crop Rotation
Use of Native plants
Cultural burns!
Case Study: The Black Hills and Mount Rushmore
Location:Â The Black Hills, South Dakota.
Historical Context:
The area has been inhabited by Native American peoples for approximately 10,000 years.
It is particularly sacred to the Lakota people, who believe it is where they first emerged.
The Lakota named one of the mountains "Six Grandfathers" after their sacred directional spirits.
In the 1800s, access to the Black Hills for the Lakota was threatened by white settlers' expansion.
The U.S. government made numerous treaties with Native American nations, but often broke them or used coercion.
An 1868 treaty of Fort Laramie established that the Black Hills belonged to the Sioux Nation, in exchange for safe passage for U.S. travelers.
However, the treaty also aimed to assimilate the Lakota into white culture (e.g., encouraging farming over hunting, adopting U.S. clothing).
Just seven years later, the U.S. broke the treaty after gold was discovered in the Black Hills, leading to miners, military attacks, and illegal seizure of the land.
Mount Rushmore Construction:
Began between 1927 and 1941, with 400 workers carving 45,000 tons of rock.
Led by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who originally proposed including Western figures but ultimately chose his own heroes.
The monument was seen as a desecration by the Lakota, symbolizing brutal colonial legacies.
George Washington is referred to as "Town Destroyer" by the Iroquois Confederacy for his role in military campaigns against their villages.
Theodore Roosevelt championed forced assimilation policies for Native Americans.
Legal and Political Battles:
One of the longest-standing legal and political battles over land in the U.S.
The Black Hills comprise 233,000 acres of land.
Mining claims exist for uranium, gold, lithium, and other precious metals, posing threats to water, animals, plants, and people.
The Lakota people advocate against mining exploration to protect the space and its water.
A picture from a protest during a Donald Trump speech is shown.
Supreme Court Ruling and Refusal of Compensation:
The Sioux Nation sued the U.S. for treaty violations.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Black Hills were unlawfully taken and the Sioux Nation was entitled to compensation.
The amount owed has reached over a billion dollars.
The Sioux Nation refused the money, maintaining that the Black Hills were never for sale.
Current Debates and Desires:
Responses to what should happen to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills vary.
Some, including tribal leaders and Borglum's great-granddaughter, call for its removal.
Others view it as a patriotic symbol and economic asset for South Dakota.
Many Lakota wish for the 1868 treaty to be honored and the federally controlled lands returned to the tribal community.
Some suggest co-management of parts of the Black Hills between the Lakota and the U.S.
Currently, there are no plans for change.
Broader Implications:Â The U.S. government's broken promises with Indigenous nations make issues like the Black Hills common. Native people continue to fight for broken treaties to be honored, achieving victories over generations.
Importance of Fire
Identified at least 70 different uses of fire among Indigenous peoples:
Clear travel routes
Long-distance signaling
Reduce pest populations (e.g. rodents and insects)
Hunting
Vegetation
So much more!
Fire was a tool that promoted ecological diversity and reduced the risk of catastrophic wildfires!
Important to forest health
Fire Suppression
California outlawed cultural burns in 1850
Native people could be shot if found participating in cultural burns up until the 1930’s
Cultural Burn Bill - January 1, 2022:
Allows Native American tribes to play a larger role in conducting controlled burns, a proven wildfire prevention method, helping to safeguard the state
California is fire dependent, that is why it is so important!
Since the early 20th century, the U.S. adopted policies to extinguish all viable fires, known as the era of fire suppression.
This effectively outlawed Indigenous use of fire for landscape management and maintaining "marrow houses."
The era involved severe punishments, including killing and rape, for those who started fires or got in the way of these policies.
The belief that "all fire is bad fire" is now known to contribute to the severity of modern wildfires.
Federal agencies are now reintroducing fire through prescribed burns, often in collaboration with tribal communities, implementing practices that were previously outlawed.
The Loss of Fire:Â When fire was removed, many cultural ways were also lost; Indigenous peoples are finding their way back to fire through this loss.
cultural burns
Fire as restorative rather than destructive
Controlled, low-intensity fires on the land to manage the ecosystem
Using fire as a tool
To enhance the productivity, diversity, and sustainability of key plant and animal resources in their territories
The Significance of Cultural Burns
Cultural burns are low-intensity and benefit the environment in multiple ways beyond wildfire mitigation.
They contribute to the health and sustainability of plants and ecosystems.
There is a deep respect for elders who hold this knowledge.
Burn bosses and designated individuals are responsible for specific areas during burns.
Colonization and Fire Suppression
Colonizers viewed fire as harmful and destructive, leading to policies of fire suppression.
Consequences of Fire Suppression Policies:
California outlawed cultural burning, a traditional practice of Indigenous tribes.
Indigenous individuals engaging in cultural burns risked punishment, including imprisonment.
These policies were in place until the 1930s.
Smokey the Bear was used as a prop to promote fire suppression.
Visual Comparison:
Fire-suppressed forests (left):Â Show uncontrolled fires with high flames due to accumulated fuel (dead vegetation).
Ecologically managed forests (right) with cultural burns:Â Exhibit low-intensity fires, maintained and controlled.
The removal of fire by colonial powers led to the loss of many cultural ways for Indigenous peoples.
Reclaiming Cultural Burning
Cultural Burn Definition:Â A low-intensity burn that benefits the environment, not about fighting but about healing and tradition.
Benefits of Cultural Burns:
Wildfire prevention.
Nourishing the soil.
Cleaning forest floors for wildlife.
Spurring the regrowth of native plants.
Promoting productivity, diversity, and sustainability of plants and renewable resources.
Legislative Changes:
In 2022, a cultural burn bill was passed in California, allowing Native American tribes a larger role in conducting controlled burns.
Tribes no longer need to ask permission or provide proof to engage in cultural burns.
This is recognized as a wildfire prevention method.
Key Differences:Â Agency burns (prescribed burns) differ from cultural burns; Indigenous communities are on a journey to reclaim their ancient practices.
Cultural burns are described as restorative, protecting the land base, and are low-intensity and manageable.
Demonstration of Traditional Fire Starting
A practical demonstration of starting a fire using only natural resources was performed.
Materials used included:
Elderberry (piece of)
Cottonwood (bundle or nest)
Chili bundles (for starting and carrying fire)
The process involved using these natural materials without any modern ignition sources like lighters or matches.
This method emphasizes the use of "own hands and energy" to create fire.
The speaker expresses a hope for the future where everyone can start fires in this traditional way, without relying on modern tools.
All necessary materials for starting the fire were found within the immediate natural environment ("in this area").
Evolution of Prescribed Burns and Government Recognition
As governments began to understand the value of cultural burning, they introduced "Prescribed Burns."
The lecture contrasts the methods used in these agency-led burns with traditional practices:
Agency Prescribed Burn:Â Observed use of a "fuel," implying a mechanical or non-natural ignition source. The example mentioned was potentially a "hellfire" tool.
Traditional Method:Â Fire created using only natural resources (cottonwood, elderberry) and human energy.
The use of fuels in agency burns raises concerns about potential environmental harm and the impact on ecosystems.
This highlights a fundamental difference: traditional methods are about working with nature, while some modern prescribed burns may still rely on external, potentially harmful, interventions. </aside>