#Siletz Celebrate Historic #LandBack Deal

Tribe’s focus will be #restoration, #preservation and #cultural uses like #FirstFoods for the 2,000-acre site at the base of #TableRocks in Southern #Oregon.

by Nika Bartoo-Smith, Underscore + ICT January 17, 2025

"The property was purchased directly from the previous landowner. The #NatureConservancy preserves a #ConservationEasement on the land. The Siletz will continue to work closely with The Nature Conservancy and the BLM across the properties in the region to emphasize conservation and restoration.

Expanding access to first foods

"Moving forward, the tribe’s goal is to create opportunities for Siletz tribal members to access the historically significant land while safeguarding its character. The nation plans to work on preservation and restoration, focusing on protecting the natural area rather than developing it.

“'There will be big opportunities for restoration and enhancement of the food plants themselves,' [Robert] Kentta said. '[And] also enhancing tribal members’ access to use of and reconnection with those resources that we’ve been separated from.'

"Kentta mentioned some important first foods of the region that he hopes will become a focus at the property, including #camas, #tarweed and #yampah root. The land will also be used for other cultural purposes.

"Chairman Pigsley spoke of her hope that future generations of Siletz people will be able to go up to the rocks, hearing important stories and learning about the plant and animal relatives all around."

Read more:
https://www.underscore.news/land/siletz-celebrate-historic-land-back-deal/
#SolarPunkSunday #Rewilding #Restoring #Nature #NativeAmericanNews #RogueRiverTribe #ConferatedTribesOfSiletz

I attended an amazing symposium today, put on by some of our local tribes. Tons of people came.
The Tribal Fire Council is generously offering to teach the community at large, cultural fire practices, and how we start working as a community to make our communities fire safe, while regenerating cultural plant communities, wild foods for humans and wildlife. It is the most hope I've had for our community in a long, long, time. I've been working on my own native food forest, but often feel like I'm floundering because information is not always easily come by. Information on species utilized is available, but there's a huge gap in knowledge on how to actually care for stands, how to burn, harvest, process, cook, store, etc.
A huge door has just opened. I had no idea how extensive tarweeds like madia were utilized. The seeds are high protein and comparable to almonds in nutritional value. Madia can be made into a high quality oil.
I have a few big stands of madia, but historical stands filled vast meadows. I'm definitely going to start thinking bigger.
Photo: Madia Eleganse northern CA.
#Tarweed
#Madia
#Culturalburning #PrescribedBurn
#FoodForests
#CommunityKnowledge
#IndigenousKnowledge