CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI), based at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., recently hired two tribal liaisons to advance collaboration with Native American tribes on regional grassland conservation and advance ecological and botanical knowledge of Native Americans into his work.
Corlee Thomas-Hill, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), and Gabrielle Patterson (Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb), a historian with a focus on Native American and early American history, have been tasked with building relationships building and trust between SGI and Native American tribes. SGI will also hire a third liaison in the coming weeks, allowing the institute to have tribal liaisons in three locations across the 24-state focus region.
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These positions were made possible through funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Working Lands for Wildlife Program. The three liaisons will develop and oversee SGI’s tribal program and ultimately hire six to twelve interns to help achieve the following goals:
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Bringing Indigenous Land Management Back to the Southeastern US
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Understanding tribal priorities on current tribal lands
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Pursuing meaningful collaborative projects on ancestral lands
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Support the compilation of information on cultural resources
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Facilitating tribal access to culturally important populations of plants and animals
By hiring tribal interns, SGI aims to help develop transferable skills that will positively benefit Indigenous communities.
“Building trust with the tribes is important, and we want to make sure we do the things we say we’re going to do and continue to nurture the relationships we build,” Thomas-Hill said. “SGI understands that some of the information tribes share about culturally significant plants should not be released as public information; tribes are already working to preserve their current and historic homelands, so we want to make sure we listen to what they want and don’t exaggerate what they’re already doing.”
Both Patterson and Thomas-Hill are acutely aware of the logistical challenges of working with diverse tribes, some of whom have been displaced from their ancestral lands for more than 200 years. SGI liaisons will work closely with the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPO).
Patterson said it is especially important to be accessible and engaged with every tribe SGI works with, and she is excited to begin making and strengthening those connections.
“It is critical to stay in touch with tribes,” she said. “When a tribe that SGI partners with is hosting an event, it is essential that one of the liaisons be present.”
SGI’s tribal liaisons will also navigate the complex landscape of working with diverse tribes, each with unique histories, cultures and challenges.
“People tend to think of indigenous people as a monolith, but there are so many tribes in the Southeast with different perspectives and viewpoints, [and] it is important to raise voices and ensure we are doing things the right way and integrating as much knowledge as possible,” said Thomas Smith. “Tribal liaisons are not here to speak for tribes, but to build connections so that our organization can listen to tribal citizens and understand their perspectives and needs.”
There remains a fine line between balancing the needs of each tribe and the desire of organizations like SGI not to overstep boundaries. As the tribal liaison program evolves, SGI remains committed to balancing scientific knowledge with cultural and social history and traditional ecological knowledge.
Thomas-Hill, Patterson and their future teammates will serve as critical bridges between SGI and Native American communities as they work together to build and maintain trust, facilitate the exchange of ecological knowledge, and create meaningful impact on grassland conservation in the southeast.
Corlee Thomas-Hill, artist Philip Juras and Tracy Frist during a retreat at Elevating Grasslands in Tucson, Arizona.
“SGI is excited to launch its first tribally led grassland conservation project at the 63-acre Old Town Farm near Franklin, Tennessee,” said Dr. Dwayne Estes, executive director of SGI and professor of biology at Austin Peay State University.
Old Town is home to one of the largest prehistoric Native American villages in central Tennessee. From approximately 1000-1450 AD, Old Town was a heavily fortified Mississippian culture village, centered on two large pyramid-shaped, earthen temple mounds, surrounded by extensive Native American burial grounds. SGI’s tribal liaisons will work with current owners, Tracy and former Senator Bill Frist, to restore and manage native meadows and forests.
“In Old Town, Corlee, Gabrielle and future tribal interns will develop skills in pasture design and planting, prescribed fire, invasive species control, seed collection and species rewilding,” said Senator Frist. “There are a number of important plants in the old city and nearby that the SGI team will help preserve, including river reeds (Arundinaria gigantea), hydrangea plum (Prunus hortulana), green prairie clover (Dalea foliosa), Duck River Bladderpod (Paysonia densipila), and Price’s potato bean (Apios priceana).”
Tracy Frist emphasized her family’s desire to take this initiative far beyond the farm, adding that “through skills uniquely developed in Old Town, SGI can help advance tribally connected projects and tribally defined conservation priorities in the Southeast improve.”
Colby Wilson – Director of Communications, College of STEM
About the Author: “Levi \”Calm Before the Storm\” Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded the Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print category\/ online by the Native American Journalists Association. He is a member of the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net.
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
