V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 ● S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 N A T I O N A L E P A - T R I B A L S C I E N C E C O U N C I L

As the National EPA-Tribal Science Council (TSC) Tribal Co-Chair, I hope that you enjoy this issue. In these times of uncertainty, it is important to remember the key issues that surround us while celebrating our history. The TSC and its members have a long history of making a difference, like Mike Durglo, Region 8 Tribal Representative, who recently received the 2017 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. His efforts focus on climate change, an important issue that affects tribes and must be addressed. The Science Update features Region 7 tribal composting and water quality efforts as well as information about solar geoengineering. Finally, it is important to remember our origins, how we got to where we are today, and what makes us unique. To

celebrate its past, present and future, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska organized its Remembrance Walk,

SCIENCE UPDATE 2–3

KEY DATES & EVENTS 3

PONCA REMEMBRANCE

WALK

4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

detailed on page 4. May you find this issue informative.

Yaw^ko, Jeff Mears, Oneida Nation, TSC Region 5 Tribal Representative and Tribal Co-Chair jmears@oneidanation.org

The TSC: Making a Difference WhentheTSCwasformedin1999,aneedexistedforaworkgroupdesignedtoprovidescientifictechnical supportin Indian country. TheNational Tribal Caucusdeterminedthatthisworkgroupalsowouldbechargedwithincreasingtribalinvolvementin EPA’s scientificactivities—buildingbridges betweentribalandAgency programs.TheCouncil’sfoundersenvisionedtribalandEPA scientistslending theirexpertisetocollaborativeapproachesforaddressingpriorityscienceconcerns. The Councilwas officiallyestablishedin2001.Evenafter16yearstheTSCstillcontinuestomakeadifference!

TheTSCismakingadifferencebecause ofpeoplelikeMikeDurglo,amemberofthe

Confederated Salish andKootenai Tribes inMontana.Since joiningtheTSCin2011,Mikehasservedeffectivelyas Co‐Chairand guidedtheTSCin addressingitstwotriballyidentified priorityscienceissues:traditional ecological knowledge(TEK)andclimatechange.In2013,theTSC hosted anunprecedented TEKWorkshop inSyracuse, NewYork,withtheOnondagaNation.Thisworkshopignitedrobustdiscussionwithin EPAandotherfederalagencies.Mike usedthisplatformtodevelopaTSC‐sponsored ClimateChange Roundtable for FederalPartnersandtoco‐authorthe Guidelines for Considering Traditional Knowledges in Climate Change Initiatives.In2016,EPA’sOfficeofLandandEmergency Management published its Interim Approach for Considering Traditional Ecological Knowledge During the Cleanup Process.Byopeningadialoguein2011,theTSCaccomplishedoneofitsintendedoutcomes,incorporatingrespectforthediversityof TEKwithinEPA’sprogramsandpolicies.

Lastmonth,theTSC participatedin theRegion8 RegionalTribalOperations CommitteemeetinginRapidCity,SouthDakota.MikeinvitedtheTSCtopartner withRegion8 tribestoimproveunderstandingofscience issues.OnThursdayafternoon,Mikehostedadiscussionon theEnvironmentalAdvocatesfor GlobalandLocalEcologicalSustainability(EAGLES)programthat heandhisbrotherfoundedforyouthingradesK–12andbeyond. Ashespoke,itwaseasytoseeMike’s passion—leaving alegacy forhis children,grandchildrenandfuturegenerationsof tribalyouth.Mike desires toleaveyoungpeoplewithsomethingthey valuethatistieddirectlytotheenvironment andtheir culturalandtraditionalways.Thepresentationwasreminiscentofthe missionoftheTSC.Itis easytoseethatthe TSC’sfoundersand visionaryleaderslikeMikemake programsmatterbecausetheycare,and they leavean inspiringlegacy forotherstobuildon.

               

             

                             

             

                                         

EPA TRIBAL SCIENCE BULLETIN

SCIENCE UPDATE Student Composting Efforts at Haskell Indian Nations University HaskellIndianNationsUniversityhasimprovedits compostingsystemthissemester withsupportfrom EPA and theKansas Departmentof Health andEnvironment (KDHE).Haskellstudentsmet withaKDHEcompostingexpert,ArthurFink,whoexplainedhowtobestmonitorandadjustthe pile,helping wastetobreakdownintohealthy compost.Foodwastecollectionforthenewsystem began inearlyMarch.“It’s exciting becauseIthink improvingwastemanagementisthe bestwaytotargetpollutionpreventionandreduction,” saidLizBlackburn,theEPAtribal solidwastecoordinator helpingwiththiseffort. A HASKELL

Arthur Fink explains the benefits of adding the right amount of wood chips to a compost pile. Photo courtesy EPA Region 7.

EPARegion7 has STUDENT GROUP temperature. Heprovided aassisted studentsin

SET OUT TO longcompostingthermometer,bringing composting

which measuresthetoHaskellsince2015, IMPROVE THE

temperature underneaththebuilding onprevious SCHOOL’S FOOD pile’ssurface. “At140F,mostjointeffortsfroma

pathogenswillbedestroyed,”Memorandumof WASTE hesaid. “Italso denatures anyAgreement between MANAGEMENT. seeds.” Ifthe temperature dropsEPAandthe

university.Blackburnsaidthatshe’sproudtocontinuestrengtheningthatpartnership.

In2015,aHaskellstudentgroupsetouttoimprovetheschool’sfoodwaste management with grantassistancethroughEPA’sTribalecoAmbassadorsProgram. Thenewcompostingsystem isa majorpieceofthewaste reduction plan,whicharoseafter assessmentsat Haskell’sdininghallshowedhowmuchfoodcouldbe composted.Haskellstarted

composting withaone‐binsystemshortlyaftertheassessments,butthestudentswantedtoimprovetheirmethodssotheysoughtoutideasfromEPA,nearbytribalnationsandothers.

Basedonwhatthey learned,studentsbuiltthreeadjacentbinswithreused,untreatedwoodpallets.Thepalletsallowforairflow,whichkeepsthecompostfromproducingmethane.Havingthree binsallowsfor olderpilestobreak downwhileanewonebegins.Foodwastebecomesnutrient‐rich compostanywherefrom2monthsto2years.

Finksaidthat onekeyaspecttohelpitbreak downis

to120Fand thewaste has notbeenbrokendown,itis The wooden pallets that will be used to hold

Haskell’s food waste as it breaks down. Photo courtesy EPA Region 7.

timetoturnthepile.

Oneofthebig benefits ofcompostinganddivertingfood,Finksaid,isthatfoodtakesupalotoflandfillspaceandisheavytotransport.Also,inlandfillsfoodoftenbreaksdownwithoutoxygen,givingoffmethane asa product.

Steven Peña, astudentinHaskell’sAmerican IndianStudies Program,saidthathehopesthiseffortissuccessfulenoughthat ina coupleof years,theuniversitycanbuild something more permanent with concrete.

“Also,compostingissomethingyoucanuseathome,”Peña said.“We’rehoping peopleheretakethishabitwiththem.”

Solar Geoengineering: Going Volcanic on Climate Change Solargeoengineering has beensuggested asawayto reducegreenhousegases andcoolthe planet.Someresistance exists,however,becauseof thescaleof atmosphericmanipulation. Readthefullarticle aboutthispotentialcourseofactiontoaddressclimate changeand asimilarnatural eventthathad global effects,including helpingtoshapethe course ofNative American nations fordecades tocome,at www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017‐07/documents/bulletin‐solar‐summer2017.pdf.

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NATIONAL EPA-TRIBAL SCIENCE COUNCIL

SCIENCE UPDATE Cover Crops Help Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Meet Water Quality Goals Covercropsimprovewaterandsoilqualitybyhelpingwaterstayavailable to the plants; they help maintain cropyieldsthroughbetterweedmanagement.EPA and otherfederalandstatepartnersattendedthePrairie BandPotawatomiNation’sCoverCropWorkshopinNovember2016tobetterunderstandhowtohelplandownersusecovercropsaspartoftheirfarmingoperations. Theworkshop wasaimedatfarmers in theregion who mightbeinterested inusingcovercropsbuthavequestionsaboutthepractice.

EPARegion7 staff,includingHeatherDuncan,attendedtheworkshop insupport ofEPA’spartnershipwithtribalcommunities.“It’srewardingtoheardirectly fromtheproducersabouthowcovercropsfit and

Ma’Ko’Quah Abigail Jones and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation planted cover crops and buffer strips to protect water quality in Soldier Creek. Photo courtesy EPA Region 7.

enhancetheir farmingoperations,” season. “We’d liketoseecovercrops Duncansaid.“Theirexpertiseis onallourfields,”Dakota said.invaluableto theirneighborswho

Dakotaalsoshowedattendeesthemightconsidercover cropsinthe

filterstrips placedbetween thefieldfuture.Farmerswillsell

andthestreambanks.farmersonthesepractices COVER CROPS

FilterstripsarevegetatedbetterthanthetribeorEPA IMPROVE SOIL areasthat bufferastreamever could.”

against pollution.TheyHEALTH AND Cover crops areplantsthat slowdownwaterrunoff,

WATER QUALITY.mixinwiththemain crops or trapsedimentandareplantedaftertheharvesttoimprovesoilhealth and waterquality.Thesecropsallowlesswatertorunoffinto streamsandmoretoinfiltrate into thesoil.Less waterrunoffalsoresultsinfewer pollutantsgettingtothestreamandlessintenseflooding.Covercropshaveotherbenefits,too.Thesoilstoresmorewater,sothat whena droughthits,amoisturereservestillexists.Becausethecropsprovidemore soilcover, soilisless vulnerable towindand watererosion. They also suppressweedsandnaturallyaerate thesoil.Inlivestocksystems, cover cropsprovide feedfortheanimals.Thelivestockgrazeandlaydownmanure,whichgivesnutrientstothesoil,a practicesimilartowhatbisonweredoingbeforethesettlerscame.

Chris Dakota manages thetribe’sfarmland.Becausecovercropssuppress weeds,thetribeonlyneedsonesprayoftheherbicideglyphosphate fortheentire growing

pollutants,and controlstreambank erosion.Combiningfilterstrips withcovercropsmakesforevenbetteroutcomes,Dakotasaid.

Workshopparticipantswereabletovisitthetribe’sforestedriparianbufferonSoldierCreek,wheretreeshavebeen plantedtohelpkeepsedimentout ofthestream andmakethestream banksmorestable.Ma’Ko’Quah AbigailJones, thetribe’sCleanWaterAct319ProgramCoordinator,saidthattheprojectincorporatedtribalknowledgewithmodernmanagementtechniques,andsheconsultedtribalelderstoplanttreesthataresignificanttothe Potawatomiculture.

JonesandDuncanagreedthattheworkshopwasasuccess.“Thetribepulledtogetherafantastic tourthathighlighteditswaterqualityworkanditsenvironmentalpartnerships,”Duncansaid.

USET Annual Meeting, October 8–12, Cherokee, NC

Region 1 TribalLeadersSummit and Tribal Environmental Conference,November1–3,Aquinnah, MA

TSCFall2017 Face‐to‐FaceBusinessMeeting, December 4–8, Phoenix,AZ

The National EnforcementTrainingInstitute eLearning Center provides online eLearning,livewebinarand classroom trainingopportunitiestofederal,state,tribalandlocalenvironmentalenforcementpersonnel.Formoreinformation,visitwww.epa.gov/compliance/national‐enforcement‐training‐institute‐neti‐elearning‐center .

KEY DATES & EVENTS Tribal Lands and EnvironmentForum,August 14–17,Tulsa, OK

Region 10 RegionalTribalOperationsCommittee Meeting, September 12–14, Seattle,WA

NationalTribalOperations Committee Meeting, September2017,Washington, D.C.

PAGE 3 ●●● SUMMER 2017

                                                   

               

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TSC OR THE NEWSLETTER? CONTACT MONICA RODIA, TSC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, EPA OFFICE OF SCIENCE POLICY, AT RODIA.MONICA@EPA.GOV OR (202) 564‐8322.

EPA TRIBAL SCIENCE BULLETIN

PONCA REMEMBRANCE WALK The Ponca TribeofNebraskaandcitizens ofthePonca Tribeof Oklahomahonored theirpastand celebratedwherethey are todaythrough the12‐day Ponca RemembranceWalk.The282‐mile walkbeganwithaceremony onApril29 inNiobrara,nearthenorthernborderofNebraska,and concludedon May11in Barneston,near thesouthernborder.Otherstopsonthejourney included Verdigre,Neligh,NewmanGrove, Genoa, Columbus,DavidCity,Seward,Milford,Crete,DeWittand

Beatrice. The routeclosely retracedthe tribe’sforcedremoval fromitshomelandsinthe1870s.Tribalelderscommencedthewalk,andparticipants commemoratedtwoimportantPoncamembers,Chief StandingBearandhis daughter,PrairieFlower,alongthetrail. Adeed‐signing ceremony tookplaceonMay11in Barneston,atwhich thetribe received ownershipofa19.5‐milesegment ofthe Chief StandingBearTrail. Participants walked,ranorrode bicycles alongtheroute.Nebraskans’ reactionsalong thewalk werepositive.

Chief StandingBear (Maⁿchú‐Naⁿzhíⁿin thePonca language),for whomthetrail isnamed,wasaPoncachiefwhofoughttheforcedremovalofthetribe. In1877,helived ina modern(forthe times)house thathe hadbuilthimself, practicedChristianity,dressedinEuropean‐American clothing, andpossessedasignificantnetworth.InApril1879,afterhewas arrestedasafugitiveforlivingontribal landsthat theU.S.governmenthadn’t approved,he suedforawritof habeas corpus inthe landmarkUnited States ex rel. StandingBear v.Crookcaseagainstthe U.S.Army.Duringthetrial,StandingBearwasreportedtohavetestifiedthat, “Thathandisnotthe color ofyours,but ifI prick it,thebloodwill flow,andI shall feel pain. The bloodisofthe same color asyours. Godmademe,and I amaman.” Ultimately,the judgeruledthat“an Indian is aperson” withinthe meaningof habeas corpus,settingaprecedentthat,under

thelaw, Indiansare entitledto itsrightsandprotection.Following thedecision, which still guidesIndian treatylawsand trustresponsibilitiestoday,StandingBearbecamean advocate forIndianrightsintheUnitedStatesandEurope.

Incommemoratingtheseevents,thelife ofStandingBear,andtheresilience ofthetribe, PoncaTribeof NebraskaChairmanLarry Wright,Jr.,stated,“Aswe markthe 140thanniversaryofthe forcedremoval of the PoncaNation, wehonorour ancestors whohavegone beforeus and commemorate their sacrificeand losswhile also celebratingwhere we areasanationtodayandlook forwardforourfuturegenerations.”

“WE HONOR

OUR ANCESTORS

WHO HAVE

GONE BEFORE

US.”

All photos courtesy the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

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