Empowerment in an Era of Self-Determination:The Case of the Washoe Tribe and U.S. Forest Service Co-Management Agreement

[摘要] iiAbstractTribes and the U.S. Government have entered into co-management agreements toaccommodate tribal interests in regaining access and reasserting traditional practices onancestral lands that were lost during colonization. While some Native Americans havecontinued to fight court battles to regain ancestral lands, others have sought negotiatedagreements wherein they serve as the principal managers and caretakers of publicresources. One such agreement is between the Washoe Tribe and the U.S. Forest Servicein the Lake Tahoe basin. The implementation of the co-management agreement allowsnot only access to ancestral sites but also the restoration of traditional uses, so it is morereflective of the Tribe’s own needs and culture. The Tribe’s goal is to help preserve itsrich cultural heritage and historical relationship with Lake Tahoe, while reintegratingtraditional ecological knowledge that evolved with this ecosystem for over 9,000 years.The research provides a multi-dimensional understanding of how the co-managementagreement emerged, the negotiation process, and the end result. Further, it exploresimplementation of the agreement from the tribe’s perspective to better understand whatthe co-management agreement provides to tribal members that they did not already haveand how the Forest Service has changed local forest management and consultationpractices with the tribe as a result of the agreement. Finally, this research examines whatco-management does not change to better understand its limitations in addressing theneeds of tribal communities.

[发布机构] University of Michigan

[效力级别] Science

[关键词] Natural Resources and Environment;Science;Natural Resources and Environment