Cultural Revitalization Through Restoring Indigenous Land Stewardship Practices

For centuries California Indians managed and sustained cultural ecosystems with traditional resource and environmental management practices. Today, after a period of colonial dispossession, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are returning to the path of their ancestors so they can continue their journey and fulfill their obligation to Creator.   The Amah Mutsun are working to relearn their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), return to their traditional territory and steward and care for Mother Earth. Amah Mutsun Tribal Chairman Valentin Lopez will discuss the history of the tribe and how the Amah Mutsun Land Trust was developed as a means to assist the tribe in their efforts and gain access to lands within their tribal territory. Rick Flores, research associate with AMLT, will discuss TEK and the implications for this indigenous science to collaborate with western science, restoring cultural ecosystems and promoting biodiversity.