CONSIDER TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE (TEK)*
a) Consult with Tribal Elders/Medicine Men/Healers/Gatherers/Basket Weavers
b) Discuss changes in the environment they have seen (Sample Questions below)
I. Have animals, such as frogs, crustaceans, etc. disappeared from streams/wetland?
II. Have cultural/medicinal plants decreased, increased, or stayed the same?
1. Are these plants in the same location/locale/ecosystem?
2. If location has changed, is this due to disturbance caused by development?
3. Has ecosystem changed over time, i.e. from grassland to brush to now a forest ecosystem or vice versa?
III. Are there algae blooms in the streams and wetlands where none occurred before?
IV. In the uplands, are the insects more, less, or about the same? Same question about birds or other common animals in your area.
c) What did the Reservation look like when your elders were young? What did their elders tell them? When you were young? Can they explain any changes to the ecosystem because of natural causes, such as fire, flood, blizzards, drought, etc.
d) When did things change (i.e., dates/years)? Are they still visible?
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
CONSIDER AVAILABLE USET RESOURCES
The USET Wetlands Program provides technical assistance and trainings for USET member Tribal Nations through regional training seminars, Wetland Program Plan writing webinars, and pilot research partnerships.
b) Agriculture
The USET Agriculture program supports Tribal Nations in their pursuit of protecting and revitalizing agriculture.. Current projects include propagation and restoration of river cane, youth engagement programs, and direct technical assistance to USET member Tribal Nation farms and farmers.
c) Water and Wastewater Utilities
The Utilities Program is assisting USET member Tribal Nations with their priorities to provide clean, safe, and adequate water to their communities; and sustainable wastewater treatment. We provide technical assistance and training to assist Tribal Utilities with building their workforce capacity, compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, and support of infrastructure development through Capital Improvement Plans.
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