Indigenous trail crews empower the next generation of environmental stewards

Today on 01/25/2024 the ALCC Acoma program were awarded the Heart of the Land Award for Outstanding Leadership in Farming and Ranching award. The Acoma office’s work on their growing Traditional Farm Corps have focused on restoring local food systems through agriculture, seed, rematriation, & learning traditional knowledge that come from planting.

Grand Canyon Conservancy & Grand Canyon North Rim staff sat down with Crew 663 out of Zuni, New Mexico to talk about the work that they had completed on the North Rim.

Take a moment to learn about their connections to Grand Canyon, to learn about their culture & heritage, and what motivates them in their work and daily lives.

Across the Zuni Mountains landscape, ALCC is cultivating the next generation of local land stewards. In what is now known as El Morro National Monument, ALCC crews have spearheaded the Headland Trail project which consists of removing the existing asphalt trail and replacing it with “Sta-Lok” material, which is a paving material made of decomposed granite and crushed stone. The project also includes masonry work, such as foundation setting for trail curbing and retaining walls. This project will increase accessibility for visitors while creating a natural look.

Here in Yosemite National Park, the Yosemite Ancestral Stewards program is an attempt to introduce a new generation of the original caretakers to the land, while creating pathways to employment and career opportunities for Indigenous youth.

An Ancestral Lands Conservation Corp crew was doing stabilization work on the Tuzigoot National Monuments on Monday, July 31, 2023.

A project called Wood for Life found a way to protect Arizona forests while improving life for the Native American communities that surround them.

The roars of chainsaws and ATV engines echoed last week through an area of the Coconino National Forest west of Flagstaff as youth crews collected and processed wood for Navajo and Hopi communities.

The crews are part of Wood for Life, which worked Thursday afternoon to repurpose downed trees from various forest health and restoration projects into much-needed firewood and building materials for nearby tribal communities.

Now in its fourth year, the program is the result of a partnership between the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, the National Forest Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service and more. This year, Wood for Life also received a $50,000 boost from the Arizona Lottery Gives Back program.

The map is a just a start to what those involved hope to accomplish. “Acknowledging the land is the very first step, but we have to make progress towards the second and third step of giving back to the land and making sure Indigenous people are at the tables and being properly consulted,” says Kiana Etsate-Gashytewa, a graduate of Northern Arizona University’s Applied Indigenous Studies and Political Science programs and an Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Individual Placement (IP) of Zuni and Hopi heritage, to lead the mapping project. “That's my hope—and that we fight climate change in a way that we're able to help the land, ecosystems, and wildlife into their natural states.”

The Fund supports efforts to increase equitable access to outdoor spaces and recreation opportunities, with a specific focus on community-led solutions that bring environmental benefits closer to home for marginalized communities. Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps is a new grantee involved in this incredible Action Fund.