Haudenosaunee Forest Stewardship

Abstract

Indigenous Communities throughout Canada and the United States pose unique challenges for resource management on reservations due to their ecological and political history with settler-colonial states and their biocultural context (i.e. context specificity). Context specificity emphasizes the diversity of Indigenous Communities and limitations of a one-size-fits-all strategy. The Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) Community of Akwesasne, an Indigenous Community straddling the US and Canadian border, was the site chosen for the development of biocultural land stewardship strategies for existing and new settled Land Claims handled by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (governing body in the southern portion of Akwesasne). This research utilizes a participatory action approach that is informed by Akwesasronon (Akwesasne Community Member) voices and context specificity. Interview analysis revealed the complex connectivity of Akwesasronon with forested landscapes through various values and sub-values. This research conveys the importance of paralleling land and cultural stewardship in strategies for successful implementation within Indigenous Communities.