Indigenous Land Stewardship & Carbon Management Symposium

A display of Indigenous cultural items, including photographs, woven baskets, various seeds, and handcrafted materials spread out on a table. — *A display of native made baskets, tools, beadwork, and First Foods, laid out on a large tule mat, provided by Caretakers of the Land.*

This fall, DEQ staff joined over 70 others in a multi-day Carbon and Culture Symposium, hosted by the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) First Foods Policy Program. After two years in the making, their idea of a gathering focused on Indigenous land stewardship and carbon management came to fruition in the beautiful setting of Cove, Oregon.

Attendees included Tribal members, Tribal staff, state agencies, non-profit partners, educators, and other practitioners from throughout the region.

Two people walking on a dirt path through a grassy field, with a group of people visible in the background. — *Symposium participants tour restoration work happening at the Ascension School Camp & Conference Center in Cove, Oregon, facilitated by Caretakers of the Land, an Indigenous-led organization.*

The event included presentations from the CTUIR First Foods Policy and Cultural Resources Protection Programs, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Nature Conservancy, the Department of Geologic and Mineral Industries, Whitman College, Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Global Ocean Health, the Indigenous Environmental Network, and the Caretakers of the Land.

Staffer Lily Herd presented on DEQ’s work in Reducing Food Impacts: A Strategic Plan for Oregon. Morgan Schafer presented on the state’s Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant and the Climate Equity and Resilience Through Action (CERTA) implementation grant. Whitney Dorer presented on the Climate Protection Program, including Community Climate Investments. Many other DEQ programs supplied materials for tabling, fostering connections across media.

Caretakers of the Land, an Indigenous-led organization focused on the adaptive revitalization and preservation of vital arts, crafts, skills, foodways, and lifeways of the Mid-Columbia River Basin, facilitated a dogbane cordage workshop and shared both their challenges and successes with the restoration work happening onsite.

The dialogue centered on solutions for managing carbon, which included space to share concerns regarding specific carbon mitigation strategies. What was clear was the value of being together and having the conversations in person. Everyone shared different perspectives on how to move forward, but everyone agreed that we must move forward together if we are going to make a difference during this critical time.

Two individuals seated indoors, engaged in discussion during a presentation at the Carbon and Culture Symposium, with one holding a book. — *Colleen Sanders, Climate Adaptation Planner for the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, interviews Brosnan Spencer, First Foods gatherer and co-founder of Caretakers of the Land.*

The event team will collect feedback from the symposium and incorporate it into a report that will be included in the final deliverable of Oregon’s Climate Pollution Reduction planning grant.

A board filled with colorful sticky notes expressing various concerns about climate mitigation projects, with the title 'CONCERNS ABOUT C-MITIGATION PROJECTS' written at the top. — *Participants shared concerns about various carbon mitigation projects and considerations to have in mind when planning.*

By Whitney Dorer, Climate Policy Community Engagement Coordinator
Office of Greenhouse Gas Programs

Carbon and Culture: Indigenous land stewardship and carbon management

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Published by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

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Published by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

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