Partners 15

Tribal Natural Resources

Released May 2006

**Announcer**

This time on Partners, it's tribal natural resources

From bison research that promises to deliver selenium-rich meat...

To local residents relearning the power of prairie plants...

To an inspiring outreach program that mixes youth & horses...

Tribal colleges and neighboring land-grant universities are working
together to meet the challenges of the Great Plains.

Number range CHAPTERWelcome to Partners! In the next half-hour, we'll
travel the nation and see breakthrough work in research, education and
Extension. That's what CSREES is all about - helping universities
generate valuable knowledge for those who need it, and educating our
next generation of Americans. And now, it's time for Partners!

Narrator

For centuries, Native Americans have solved problems, debated issues,
and come to consensus by using the Talking Circle. It allows individuals
within a group to speak their mind, without interruption, for as long as
they feel is needed. The speaker is assured that his or her viewpoint
will be heard in its entirety, and listening is key to its success.

In 2001, the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
of USDA funded a unique collaborative group consisting of four tribal
colleges, and four land-grant universities from the Great Plains.
Working together, they decided to improve tribal natural resources and
natural resources education in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The Talking Circle was used by the group to determine the goals of this
ambitious project. Students, faculty, farmers, ranchers, spiritual
leaders, elders and natural resource professionals all spoke their
minds. Those opinions shaped the actions the group would take during the
next five years on the joint Natural Resource Education project. Here is
their story.

Lisa Colombe/ Sinte Gleska University

*Sunka wakan*...

It's a great spirit dog.

When our tribe first saw the horse running across the prairie and had
never seen this before -- they of course had very limited vocabulary --
and all they could think of is that it had four legs like a dog.

So the first guy that had seen him runs back to the tribe -- the crier
or whatever -- and you know, 'I've seen something amazing. I don't know
what it was, but it was *wakan*. And *wakan* to us is the ultimate...

So to add that word to the dog\--you won't believe\--this thing is just
magical.

And they knew that from the second they laid their eyes on that animal.
And immediately took advantage of those horses and became some of the
best horse people in the entire world. Today, it's in the spirit of
these kids... They're born with it. I was born with it.

Narrator

Lisa Columbe is the director of Sinte Gleska University's ranch. Here,
local youth learn how to ride, do ranch chores and take care of the
horses. Beyond horsemanship, Lisa sees this as an opportunity for the
kids to connect with their rich cultural heritage and to the land.

Lisa Colombe

Within each Indian person... it's a spiritual thing. It's born within
you. Once you're actually out here and on the horse, it's a spiritual
connection that takes you to the land itself that actually makes you
look around and realize... that the earth grows plants and that the
animals need that to survive.

Adult Volunteer

Here. Turn her around real quick?

Lisa Colombe

We have open enrollment between 12 and 15 kids every 4 weeks. And they
come to the program everyday after school. Our university vans pick the
kids up from the schools, deliver them from out here to the university's
ranch.

We really try to instill a lot of respect for the land, a lot of respect
for mother nature, and try to bring those principles back into their
daily lives where they're caring for animals. They're being responsible.

This program isn't for every kid as ballet or piano isn't for every kid.
But I guarantee you 9 out of 10 kids that come out here end up staying
through one of our programs.

Narrator

One person that completed the program is Savannah Cook. In addition to
having become a competitive barrel racer, Savannah now works as a
volunteer at the ranch.

Savannah Cook/ranch volunteer

They taught me how to barrel race and how to ride the horse right, and
how not to act when you're around a horse.

Lisa Colombe

She helps with the kids mainly by just being there. She's really become
a good mentor.

Savannah Cook

It's just really fun because you know something that they don't for
once. So it makes you feel all older and stuff. It's fun!

There is always something to do. You're never bored. And it doesn't
matter if you're riding the horse or not-you're always learning
something.

When you're running like that, it's a rush. You feel like you're flying.
And when you're done, your horse is like all happy. And then you're
proud of your horse and your horse just shows you love.

Lisa Colombe

We all are under extreme social crises many days of our lives. It's an
emotional thing, you know. The kids-they come here and they're venting.
They've got a lot on their minds.

Just little issues within yourself. You're insecure about or you feel
bad because maybe a family member is away.

I think it just gives them security within themselves. It's somewhere
where they're spiritually free. Everybody loves the grooming part of it,
and I think that's an important connection with the animal. And it's a
respect level that's created within you and your horse before you even
get on the horse.

They do any of the painting that we need on the ranch. Low maintenance-
putting boards up here & there, hanging a hook, picking up trash, and so
they really look after each other.

It's shared by everybody. Everybody owns it. When the kids show up and
say, you know, 'Whose horse is this one?' It's your guys's. It's
everybody's. It's the community's. And that's the way that we want to
educate. And education is the largest tool here on the reservation.

Over the last 4 or 5 years, it's been a struggle and we are a tribal
institution so we don't have a lot of capital to maintain and to keep
things going. We do our best. If it wasn't for the Natural Resource
Education project and the extra funding that came in, in order for to
make some of these Extension education projects possible, we might have
fell by the wayside.

We have a real sustainable program here and we have something that many
kids have participated in.

Announcer

Iowa State University provides leadership for the Natural Resource
Education project \-- the only USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture
and Food Systems program that combines 1994 Tribal Colleges and 1862
land-grant universities.

Hank Miller/Nebraska Indian Community College

It's a big garden . We've had about 15 different people come and work on
it.

Narrator

Hank Miller is the natural resources director at Nebraska Indian
Community College.

Hank and others have established this 10-acre community garden near
Santee, Nebraska as part of the Natural Resources Education grant. The
goals of this effort are to produce food for needy community members,
serve as an outdoor lab for community college students, and reconnect
residents to traditional plants. The native people of this area have a
long tradition of using the land to produce food.

Hank Miller

A lot of the elders are really worried about losing those skills. What
we're trying to do with the community garden right now is use technology
in a good ecological way that works with the old ways and try to
re-instill that interest again.

I think the average wage in Santee is about \$8,000 a year. So I feel
that part of my job and responsibilities is trying to help teach people
how to raise healthy food.

What we want to do is we want other people to do what we're doing. Not
necessarily as big, but doing it for themselves. And what we're trying
to do is create food for the elderly, the poor -- who ever really needs
it. And it's the Indian way.

The other thing that's kind of neat is that we've had both the white
culture and the Indian culture come together and work on this. The
communications relationships, I think that's even getting better. I like
that. I think this could be a real good example of about how we can all
work together.

We hope that students or other interested people in the reservation
after we get the marketing established that they become excited and want
to do it for themselves. So we're trying to create opportunities as well
as increase the food supply.

Narrator

Another grant project is Sinte Gleska University's native herb garden on
the Rosebud Reservation. The emphasis here is to reconnect the residents
with their rich medicinal plant heritage.

Erin Black Feather/Sinte Gleska University

This is the mullen plant and it can be used as an analgesic -- a pain
killer. And it's widely used for chest complaints, such as bronchitis...

Narrator

Erin Black Feather is a Sinte Gleska University intern at the garden.

Student in blue

Eight.

Erin Black Feather

Eight.

Narrator

Erin and others know the importance of this effort. Since many of these
prairie plants are over-harvested, the garden serves to protect the
species locally. It also acts as a 'hands-on' training ground for
students.

Erin Black Feather

We're growing all types of mints, different types of sage, mullen,
fenel, bee balm...

The ones that are growing out in the fields naturally-they are being
over-harvested by people that are coming from out of town. So this could
be a great project to restore them.

You can make teas out of these plants and drink it or else it can be
applied to your body, the tea. You can grind it up and combine it with
other stuff like olive oil, and that will be like a lotion. It's really
great to take care of plants and watch them grow and learn of their
different uses and their habitats.

I learn better when something's right in front of me, you know, and I
can make a medicine and create a salve or something. And whereas in
class, you know, it's kind of hard for me to absorb all the information
when I am reading it. But I'll remember it better when it's hands-on.

Narrator

In addition to providing educational opportunities, Sioux traditions are
also being practiced here at the Rosebud Reservation herb garden.

Erin Black Feather

We offer the tobacco and it's a sign of respect towards the plant
because we have to give something since we're taking part of the plant.
Anybody who's interested in coming out here and learning about the
plants is going to find out how they're used and, what they can be used
for.

Narrator

To get the word out to more people, Sinte Gleska University started
"Herbs-Why herbs?" The series ran consecutive weeks in the local
newspaper.

Natalie Johner/Todd County Tribune

We serve Todd County and the Rosebud Reservation.

We had a lot of people comment that they liked it- a lot of the
ranchers, the farmers, and a lot of the native people-they also liked
it. Being a native myself, we were nomads and relied on herbs to keep us
healthy, feed us, and so on. So I thought it was really a great idea.
People read it. People Liked it.

Narrator

Another natural resource project at the university is focused on sage, a
plant that is decreasing rapidly on the Rosebud reservation. Project
scientists have collected plant samples and are conducting propagation
trials with future plans to re-introduce sage on tribal lands.

Tim Nichols/South Dakota State Unievrsity

The sage project came about because of the collaboration that was formed
by the Natural Resources Education project. Our colleagues at Sinte
Gleska University had needs and ideas. We will have trials here on the
reservation. We'll also have a set of trials at South Dakota State
University and Iowa State University. So the NRE in this project has
been a catalyst.

Narrator

Back in Nebraska, Hank Miller also collaborates with other partners such
as the University of Nebraska on prairie and riparian woodland
restoration.

Hank Miller

In 100 years, Nebraska has lost over 80% of their native, tall-grass
prairie

Narrator

Now, the group is taking crop land that erodes easily, like this corn
field, and converting it to profitable prairie.

Fields are plowed...

Holes are dug...

The planting crew goes to work...

Plants are watered...

Eventually, fields like this will nurture young saplings and other
native plants.

Hank Miller

We want to create opportunity and economic viability. So within this
prairie restoration, we did these woody florals which are dogwoods and
willows of different types. And we can harvest those and sell them to
florist markets.

We're doing seed collection on wild flowers. We're trying to create our
own package and our own marketing of wildflower seed from each
reservation.

The networking and the relationships and the bonds that have been formed
are incredible. Incredible personally for me but also for me to do my
job. I've got a question -- I can call anyone of those people involved
in that grant and it's there.

You know, tribal colleges-we don't have a huge budget. So the help of
these 1862s is immense. And people are so willing. If we're willing to
work together with an open mind, we can be better at the end then work
separate. And I think this program that we've had shows that immensely.

Announcer

Talking Circle participants identified these four natural resource areas
as points of focus for the project.

Narrator

For centuries, bison have roamed the vast landscape of the Great Plains.

Known as *tatanka* by the Sioux, tribes here depended on this robust
animal for food, clothing and shelter. The Plains Indians led a nomadic
life, following the herds throughout the ever changing seasons.

Today, bison are still greatly valued by Native Americans. In fact,
Sitting Bull College, Sinte Gleska University and Fort Berthold
Community College have partnered with North Dakota State University in a
unique research project centered on this great animal of the prairie.

Kevin Sedivec/North Dakota State University

In this study we initially wanted to look at what the selenium potential
is from the soil and the vegetation. So what we did here is come out and
collect the soil on five different bison herd pastures. Looked at the
soil and vegetation.

Narrator

Selenium is a natural mineral found in prairie grasses. It has strong
anti-cancer properties. The project's goal is to find out which grasses
are high in selenium, raise the herds on this mineral-rich feed, and
then market bison meat as a value-added health product.

Kevin Sedivec

Natural selenium- this high selenium protein complex- can reduce colon
cancers by as much as 60% and other cancers by 20-60%

Great marketing potential. If you can create a niche market with it, the
potential to provide a high-end product that's healthy -- not only
healthy for Native Americans but also healthy for the general public --
is a great thing to look at.

What you find with the natural selenium, whether you see it in a meat
product or a grain product, is it gives you the proper selenium protein
complex that gives you the most powerful anti-oxidant or selenium in the
diet that gives you the biggest benefit in terms of anti-carcinogens. We
knew we had high selenium potential in this region on the tribal lands.
Well, I thought it would be a natural fit for the tribes to look at some
economic development.

The high selenium product that we created here really comes from the
soil. It is that parent material that comes from the cretaceous shale,
which is a rock that is broken down to create soil.

We actually brought in the bison herds and selected 12 animals and
looked at the selenium content\...in the hair and the blood to see if we
are getting that selenium from the plant to the animal.

Narrator

Once the samples were gathered on reservation lands, they were
transported to the labs at North Dakota State University. Kevin and his
team ran the samples through a spectrophotometer to determine selenium
content. By correlating which grasses the animal grazed on, data would
reveal the optimum plants for raising bison with selenium-rich meat.

Kevin Sedivec

The reason we looked at the hair...was there was some initial research
that showed there is a great correlation between hair and meat. So we
looked at the hair because it gave us the potential to say, "Yes, this
tribal herd will have a highest level market potential. And this one
will not." What was interesting is that out of the five different
pastures we've looked at, there's a difference among pastures. Some
pastures seem to have a high level of selenium. Some seem to have very
normal levels of selenium.

Some of the tribes will have a potential to create a niche market.
Others will not because of what they have for initial parent material.
Our next step is to look at where we are getting selenium in the muscle
tissue.

Narrator

Once the research is complete, the tribal colleges and North Dakota
State University will turn their attention to getting the value-added
product to the consumer.

Kevin Sedivec

We'll go through the next year to see the marketability and what kind of
return that they can get from this high niche, high selenium bison meat.

Announcer

Upon completion of the Natural Resource Education grant in 2006, student
internships will continue between the project's tribal colleges and
state land-grant universities

Kerry Hartman/Fort Berthold Community College

Juneberries are special because of their link to the past. They were
used extensively by all the tribes on the Northern Great Plains.

They're one of the many plants that there is a great interest in
revitalizing because of their healthful benefits and their cultural
applications.

Narrator

Kerry Hartman is on the science faculty at Fort Berthold Community
College.

Working with North Dakota State University, he and community members
from the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations have been trying to
re-establish this plant that, at one time, provided important nutrition
for local residents.

Kerry Hartman

The actual impetus for the juneberries came from the Talking Circles
that were held for the NRE grant. They were mentioned repeatedly by
elders by practitioners and by educators. Hartman, a graduate of South
Dakota State's Prairie PhD program, is now putting his natural resources
knowledge to work.

He and his team are trying to determine the ideal conditions for growing
juneberries. At a 500-tree test plot at Fort Berthold - and here at this
community garden at White Shields - the plant is being put to the test.
Samples are taken to determine which soil provides optimum growth.

Various types of plastic, used to retard weeds, are being evaluated.

Some plots are fed by drip irrigation. Others rely only on weather's
precipitation.

Three different cultivars are also being tested.

Kerry Hartman

We purchased one-inch pot seedlings from the only supplier in the
Northern Plains area.

We're going to try and correlate all of those factors to find out what
are the best conditions for re-establishing juneberries for the tribal
members who would like to have a plot.

The hope is that juneberries will again become an important part of
daily life. As one Fort Berthold elder expressed during a Talking Circle
session, "Our home had apple trees, crab apple trees, a big strawberry
patch, and plum trees. And now they are all gone."

But the road back to that kind of life is one that will take patience
and determination, especially with Juneberries.

Kerry Hartman

We're hoping lots more for the future when we can actually harvest.
Juneberries don't yield for 4-6 years and when that is happening we
foresee elders and youths harvesting together, preserving together so
this is a long term plan. We're planning to be here for 5-10 years
minimum.

Laurel Vermillion/Sitting Bull College

I believe that having the four tribal colleges and the other four
mainstream colleges and universities as partners within the NRE program
has been very beneficial. It provided us expertise especially the tribal
colleges because they are so similar to our college. Taking a look at
what...is making them work and what is not working so that we can really
learn from each other. So having that partnership was very beneficial.

Narrator

From water quality studies at Sitting Bull College...

to the youth & horses program at Sinte Gleshka University...

From the gardens of Nebraska Indian Community College...

to bison research at Fort Berthold Community College...

The Natural Resource Education grant has brought together the talents
from tribal colleges and neighboring land-grant universities.

And their cooperative efforts will help build a sustainable future on
tribal lands of the Great Plains for years to come.

Announcer

On the next edition, Partners presents "Protecting The Homeland"

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, America's land-grant universities went
to work.

From EDEN-The Extension Disaster Emergency Network distributing vital
information

to Mississippi residents to new storm-resistant housing solutions in
Louisiana.

Claudette Richell/Louisiana State University

Welcome to La House, our showcase of solutions for the Gulf Coast home.

Announcer

That's Protecting the Homeland, next time on Partners.

Announcer

For more information on Tribal Natural Resources and other Partners
episodes, log on to this web site.