Tiana Cachini’s service with the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC) stands as a powerful example of how Corps programs and national service can elevate Indigenous voices, strengthen cultural representation, and contribute to lasting, community-centered conservation outcomes. As the Indigenous Mapping and Research Individual Placement supporting Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM) and Native Lands, National Trails (NLNT), Tiana combined technical skill-building with deep cultural responsibility to produce work that will shape how tribal histories are respectfully shared for years to come.

Deandra Jones wraps barbed wire around trees in the Chuska Mountains, places sardines and glazed doughnuts in the center of a square-shaped collection site, then sprays commercial liquid called Bear Lure that smells sweet and fishy. When black bears arrive to investigate the scents, they brush against the wire and leave behind hair samples containing their DNA.