{"id":11974,"date":"2019-03-02t14:02:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-02t14:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/how-a-california-tribe-is-restoring-the-environment-along-with-their-culture\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28t22:05:40","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28t22:05:40","slug":"tribe-culture-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/tribe-culture-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"how a california tribe is restoring the environment along with their culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\u201ckashia culture and identity is strongly rooted in the natural world. managing our natural resources and lands in a way that increases their resiliency and productivity ensures our traditional practices and cultural values are passed to future generations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014abby gomes, kashia band of pomo indians tribe member<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
before colonization, the kashia band of pomo indians lived along california\u2019s vast sonoma county coast. by 1915 the kashia only owned .007% of their original territory on a reservation called stewarts point rancheria, or as the tribe calls it \u201csu nu nu shinal\u201d (meaning \u201chuckleberry heights\u201d). this drastic decrease in territory caused equally drastic changes for the kashia\u2019s livelihood, diet, and culture forcing many tribe members to live off-reservation. today, with the help of numerous organizations, the kashia\u2019s reservation and territories span around 1,230 acres, including the kashia coastal reserve<\/u><\/a>. with this increase in territory, kashia land management and cultural practices also resurged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
i had the opportunity to learn about the reintroduction of such practices from kashia tribe members abby gomes, hannah banuelos, and otis parrish. kashia traditional practices teach invaluable lessons on living in harmony with the environment for ourselves and our local ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sustainable land and resource management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
the dense pine forests we see today did not exist prior to european settlement. in fact, many of the trees and shrubs that now litter the coast are invasive species which have taken over without indigenous land management. the kashia previously managed such species through burning the brush, maintaining the iconic california \u201cgolden hills\u201d landscape. \u201cperiodic cultural burnings maintained these coastal grasslands and openings from encroachment by bishop pine forest and coastal scrub,\u201d kashia member gomes said. the cultural burnings also encouraged seed germination of native plant species as well as the presence of large populations of deer and elk through maintaining their natural grazing areas. \u201cthe land and natural resources were managed in a way that ensured their continuance and productivity into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
this cultural burning is being reintroduced to the area by the kashia to manage invasive species, reduce forest fires, encourage native species growth, and restore natural habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
beyond periodic burning, the kashia are also taking a traditional-turned-modern approach to maintaining their ecosystems through formally surveying and monitoring their reserve with their planned kashia coastal reserve tribal citizen science monitoring program.<\/p>\n\n\n
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