Themes in Comparison
The Trans-Pacific Y to Y: Pathways
to local and global learning
1. Cultural, ecological, political factors affecting
system resilience (or vulnerability) and
sustainability
2. Indigenous people
a) Minority
b) Loss of traditional practices
3. Lessons for today
a) National Park Conservation (Practices)
b) How much of the world lives
c) Evolution of conservation, as a field, from biodiversity
to ecosystem services
d) Systems with people and the impact of people
Select the incorrect answer
(Traditional Ecology vs. Scientific
Knowledge
Local (Yakama Nation)
Yakama Nation/Reservation
1. TEK is qualitative
2. SK is quantitative
3. TEK is valueladen
4. TEK = hunt the
oldest male
caribou
5. SK = hunt the
oldest male
caribou
Treaty of 1855
• In 1855 the U.S. Government and Yakama Nation signed a
treaty.
• They gave up, or ceded, to the United States more than
10.8 million acres. In exchange, a parcel of land was
designated as the Yakama Indian Reservation which the
tribes would retain as a permanent homeland (~1.2 million).
• They reserved rights to fish, hunt, and gather traditional
foods and medicines throughout the ceded lands.
• It is important to understand that the U.S. Government and
the Treaty did not "give" the Tribal people those rights to
fish, hunt, and gather foods and medicines. They are rights
that they have had and exercised since time immemorial. In
the Treaty, our ancestors RESERVED those rights to
ensure that the tribe's future generations would be able to
maintain and exercise our traditions and customs.
International (China)
Implications
Key Steps
• 1491: 18,000,000
• > 1492: Diseases
– Puget Sound: 57,000 - 9,000
– 1832: Indian Vaccination Act
• 1819: Civilization Fund Act (1973:
60,000 NA in Boarding Schools
• 1855 Treaties
• 1871 Indian Appropriations Act
• 1887 Dawes Act - General
Allotment Act
• 1974 Boldt Decision
• 1975 Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act
1
3
2
Boldt Decisions
4
3
2
5
• Boldt (1974) - “By dictionary definition and
as intended and used in the Indian
treaties and in this decision, 'in common
with' means sharing equally the
opportunity to take fish”
Local (Yakama Nation)
International (China)
5
Yakama Nation
1
1
4
• Composed of 14 bands and tribes
• ~ 1.3 million acres
Local (Yakama Nation)
History, culture,
learning, stories
International (China)
Meadow restoration:
Introduce beaver,
road removal,
raise stream bed
Camas Patch, Pah’to, wild horses, traditional
place to harvest roots
Local (Yakama Nation)
International (China)
Stream & riparian
habitat, fish
passage
Local (Yakama Nation)
Reduce density: reduce
insect & fire risk
Generate revenue & jobs
Re-create earlier forest
structure
International (China)
“Papuchan Papasapsikw’at ku Papatmaakt”
“To Teach and Respect Each Other.”
• Role of culture, place and history in land
stewardship
• Contrast with private and public land
management
• How tradition, culture, & stewardship are merged
• A different culture’s perspective
• A model as to how to manage dry-site forest land
for insect and fire resistance (resilience)
• An approach to climate change
2
Local (Yakama Nation)
International (China)
Adaptation to Climate change
• Reality: Your land and your culture
• Reality: Consequences of Climate Change
• Restore system’s hydrology (comprehensive)
– Even flow
– Retain water
– Reduce channels and speed
• Maintain or enhance cultural values
• Derive economic values
Restore Streams & Wetlands
Take-Home Lessons
• Legacy of Euro-American Impacts
• In the 1970s Native American selfdetermination replaced Indian termination
policy as the official United States policy
towards Native Americans.
• Boldt I and II decisions
• Salmon mitigation (dam re-licensing)
• Technical & legal expertise mixed with cultural
& socio-economic values and the role of place.
Local (Yakama Nation)
International (China)
Local (Yakama Nation)
International (China): Yangjuan
Land-use in the Baiwu Watershed:
Focus on forest resources
Cool Mountain
Education Fund
Project 111..
3
Yangjuan, China
The “Great Leap Forward” did
not do one of the following:
1. Force families to
live in collectives
2. Increase access
to air travel
3. Clearcut
extensive
forested areas
Early July 2002
ViewView
across
from
Yangjuan
Hill 1 to to
Yangjuan
pine hillsand
to the
Pianshui
east April
April2005
2005
View North July 2002
Hill 2 (Phil’s Hill)
Hill 1
Gangou
~3400 meters
View Hill 2 to Valley April 2005
Area Background & Brief History
•
•
•
•
•
Yi/Nuosu Minority
300 to 500 year history
Recent history
Most recent change
Four villages, about
1100 people
• Professor Stevan Harrell
• Student projects since
2002
4
Impacts of Decisions by
Government
• Similarities and differences with Native Americans
• 1957 - 1961: Collectivization of people &
agriculture - social chaos, starvation
• First, Second, and Third Major Clearcuttings
• Slope land conversion
• 1998 Yangtze River Floods - Reforms
– Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP)
– The Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP; also
called Grain-for-Green)
– Collective Forestry Reform (CFR) policy
Yangjuan - Previous
• 2002-03
–
–
–
–
Phil Chi
Victoria Poling
Marie Tsiang
Tom WorkerBraddock
– Joanne Ho
• 2003-04
Journal of Mountain Science Vol 4 No 4 (2007): 275-292
– Kayanna Warren http://jms.imde.ac.cn
– Chris Domeske
• 2005-06
– Christine Trac
• 2008-09
– Sara Jo Shepler
Methods
• Anthroecological
walks with
locals
• Independent
study of branch
removal
• Remote
Images
Methods: Plots
• GPS Position
• Elevation, slope, slope position,
aspect
• Rank top 3 overstory species
• Rank top 3 understory species
• Estimate degree of disturbance
–
–
–
–
Ground cover
Shrub slashing
Stumps
Branch removal
• Larger trees: diameter, height,
increment core
Methods: Anthro-eco Walks
5 km
• Take local expert(s)
with us.
• Record any interesting
point
– Expert
– Any of us
• Additional
measurements
Methods: Branch Removal
• “Pure” pine stands
• Four locations (different hills
& individual or community
ownerships)
• Three sites per location
• One to two pairs of
trees/site.
– Dominant
– Branches removed
– ~ no branches removed
5
Methods: Branch Removal Measures
• Each tree: Height,
length of live crown,
dbh, increment core
• Each stand: GPS,
elevation, slope,
aspect, slope position,
basal area
• Ring width
• Plot ring widths &
basal area increments
Results: Anthro-eco Tours
• Distribution and nature of
species and stands
– Ages
– Soil
– Potential Productivity
• Levels and kinds of
disturbances
• Impact of historical and
current community,
regional and national
decisions
Results: Stand & Tree
Results: Evidence of Disturbances
Results: Evidence of Disturbance
Discussion
• Analysis &
presentation to
community
• Community
feedback
• Request
• Invitation
• Return 2009
6
2009 Study
2009 Team
• Role of disturbance
– Historical (tree ages &
stories)
– Current (Observations &
feedback); soils
•
•
•
•
Role of precipitation
Role of bedrock
Role of productivity
Use of resilience theory
Conservation Practice
Broader Issue of
Regional ‘Sustainability’
• If people have been living … should their
impacts and practices on the land be
continued in a conservation plan?
– Nature of impacts
– Intensity of impacts
– Scale of impacts
– For how long?
• Restoration - returning a system to some
previous point. Define point?
• 1491.
Closure
•
•
•
•
•
Opportunities
Impacts on indigenous people
Impacts of policy decisions (plus/minus)
Ability to retain culture, language, customs
Role of Sovereignty on Selt-Determination
Lessons for today
a) National Park - what is natural
b) How much of the world lives
c) Evolution of conservation, as a field, from
biodiversity to ecosystem services - e.g.,
conservation of living systems
d) Systems with people and the impact of people
•
•
•
•
Field trip class Yakama N
Junior Exchange Sichuan
Interdisciplinary research
Multi-cultural awareness
7
References
• http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons
/fed-indian-policy/
• http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/history_
and_culture/americanindian_history.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americ
ans_in_the_United_States
• http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?Displ
ayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5282
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