Indigenous Connection To Land- Writers memo
Creators: name: Cruz, Maya
Publisher: name: Stanford Digital Repository
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Federal recognition of tribes
subject: Environmental degradation
subject: Shifting Baselines
subject: Resilience

description: This research project examines the lasting effects of colonization on Indigenous communities and the environment, focusing on the question: "What happened to the original stewards of the land, and how has the environment been affected as a result?"  The study centers on the experiences of Southeast and California tribes, using the Trail of Tears and the California Mission system as case studies.  The Trail of Tears epitomizes the forced removal of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, disrupting cultural connections, identities, and traditional practices. The California Mission system, on the other hand, aimed to dismantle Indigenous societies by replacing sustainable land stewardship with exploitative labor systems, leading to significant environmental degradation.

This research underscores the crucial link between the health of the land and the well-being, culture, and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. Colonization severed this connection, leading to the displacement of Native peoples, the normalization of environmental degradation (shifting baseline syndrome), and the marginalization of Indigenous knowledge systems.

The project emphasizes the vital role of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)and Indigenous knowledge systems in environmental stewardship. These systems, honed over millennia, provide crucial insights into sustainable practices like cultural burning, traditional agriculture, and food sovereignty movements. Incorporating TEK into restoration efforts can revitalize ecosystems, reconnect communities to their heritage and the land, and promote healing and sustainability.

Furthermore, the project addresses the challenges faced by tribes seeking federal recognition in the United States. Federal recognition is essential for tribes to receive funding, governmental support, and sovereignty rights over their lands. However, the stringent criteria for recognition often present obstacles, especially for tribes that have endured the long-lasting effects of colonization. The Muwekma Ohlone tribe, despite meeting the criteria for federal recognition, remains on a waitlist due to historical record-keeping errors and a contentious report, hampering their ability to effectively steward their ancestral lands. This lack of recognition becomes even more detrimental in the face of climate change and escalating environmental degradation.

The project employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating oral histories and interviews with contemporary Native people to uncover marginalized knowledge systems and gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of Indigenous communities. The research culminates in two community-engaged events: a teach-in for local fourth-grade students and a community-building event for Stanford Native students and allies. The teach-in focuses on land-based education, highlighting fire ecology and TEK, while the community-building event involves creating tobacco ties for a ceremony, promoting a connection to the land and Indigenous cultural practices. These events aim to educate youth, foster community, and advocate for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s pursuit of federal recognition, ultimately contributing to the restoration of the interconnectedness between people and the land.