Check out the conference program here.
The Intertribal Nursery Council is a USDA Forest Service managed, tribally guided, organization for advancing the interests of native peoples involved with plant production in nurseries. Meetings are hosted by a tribe and held annually on a three-year rotation (west of the Rockies, east of the Rockies, and held jointly with another nursery association). Participation is open to tribal members and non-tribal members, who work for or with tribal agencies, and are interested in nurseries, conifers, hardwoods, native plants, and first foods.
The Intertribal Nursery Council is happy to announce the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde (CTGR) will be hosting this year’s meeting. No specific theme is slated for this year, but presentations will span a diverse array of topics including seeds, native plant production, restoration, traditional knowledge, training programs, special tribal projects, Forest Service resources, and cultural exchange. The program will also include touring the CTGR native plant nursery, a nearby restoration site, and a visit to the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center. We are also excited to have a traditional dinner at the Achaf-Hammi Plankhouse on Tuesday evening. Please come join us as we gather, share knowledge, and learn from one another!
The early registration price is $195. Late registration is $275 and begins 24 August. The registration fee includes tour transportation, lunches (Tuesday and Wednesday), refreshments (all days), and the traditional dinner (Tuesday evening). Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.
Travel Funds Available
The USDA Forest Service has secured money to help pay travel and registration costs for individuals attending the annual nursery meeting. A limited amount of funds are available and will be awarded to students and tribes with limited or no travel funds. Priority will be given to those tribes that have nurseries or are in the planning stages of nursery development. Contact Jeremy Pinto to find out the details.
Activities will take place the Spirit Mountain Casino and Hotel at 27100 SW Salmon River Hwy, Grand Ronde, OR 97347. For overnight accommodations, a room block has been held at the hotel for a reduced rate ($69/nt + tax, double occupancy). After the cut-off date below, the rate will increase ($129/nt + tax, double occupancy). Reservations can be made by calling 800-760-7977 and using booking ID 5352 (2024 Intertribal Nursery Council). Reservations must be made by Sunday, 25 August 2024. Reservations cannot be made online.
Welcome – Lindsay McClary, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde, OR
Welcome – Kathleen George, Tribal Councilwoman, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde, OR
Blessing – Jon George, Tribal Councilman, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde, OR
Welcome and meeting overview – Jeremiah Pinto, USDA Forest Service, Moscow, ID
Natural Resource Programs at the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde – Colby Drake, Natural Resources Department Manager, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde, OR
Break
Diné Native Plants Program: Native plant material production and cultural revitalization on the Navajo Nation – Jesse Mike (Diné), Forester, Navajo Natural Heritage Program/Navajo Nation Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Fort Defiance, AZ
Starting and Operating a Tribal Native Plant Nursery – Jessica Raspitha (Akwesasne Mohawk) Land Resources Program Manager, and McKay Burley, Plant Nursery Technician, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Environment Division, Akwesasne, NY
Moon Trees: A Conservation Education Program – Emily Rhoades, Southern Nursery Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Athens, GA (virtual)
Lunch (included with registration)
Take a Gamble on Grandmother’s Greenhouse! Play some bingo to uncover how a start-up native plant nursery is revolutionizing restoration in Canada’s north – Bess Legault, General Manager, Jenna Apsassin (Blueberry River First Nation), Seed Collection Lead, and Linden Stoney (Blueberry River First Nation), Greenhouse Lead, Aso’s Danaetl ‘Adze Kwa (Grandmother’s Greenhouse), Blueberry River First Nations, Fort St John, BC, Canada
Engage, Explore, and Enjoy Learning. Developing and delivering fun and effective training programs for your organization – Nanette Richards, Vegetation Ecologist and Owner Silverberry Pro, Calgary, AB, Canada
Rivercane Revival: Restoring a Culturally Significant Ecosystem – Marvin Bouknight, Wildlife/Habitat Stewardship Program Manager, Catawba Nation, Rock Hill, SC
Empowering Tribal Communities Through Native Seed Sovereignty and Biocultural Restoration – Kaya DeerInWater (Citizen Band of Potawatomi), American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Grand Rapids, MI
Break
Native Agriculture – Spring Alaska Schreiner (Chugach Alaska Native Corporation/Valdez Native Tribe [Inupiaq]), CEO/Owner of Sakari Farms, Bend, OR
Plant Procurement and Propagation Resources for Tribes – Jean-Paul Zagarola, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Joey Hulbert, Washington State University, Kas Guillozet, Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Day 1 adjourn
Traditional Dinner (included with registration)
Depart Spirit Mountain Casino
Rotation of: Chachalu museum, Grand Ronde Native Plant Nursery, and Grand Ronde restoration site
Rotation of: Chachalu museum, Grand Ronde Native Plant Nursery, and Grand Ronde restoration site
Box lunch (provided) Grand Ronde Pow Wow Grounds
Rotation of: Chachalu museum, Grand Ronde Native Plant Nursery, and Grand Ronde restoration site
Return to hotel
Welcome and logistics
Native Seed Stories of Stewardship, from Secwepemcul’ecw – Tiffany Traverse (Secwépemc/seme7), Indigenous Researcher, Land and Seed Steward, Progress, BC, Canada
Indigenous Garden Network – Kimberly Lane (Siletz), Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Siletz, OR, Representative (TBD), Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde, OR
Reviving Sacred Tobacco for Northwest Tribes – Nicole Romine (miluk Coos), Tribal Tobacco Prevention Program Specialist, Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, Coos Bay, OR
Break
Agave & Bat Restoration/ Seed Ball & Pellet Making – James Dennison (Diné), Horticulture & Native Plants Technician, Borderlands Restoration, Patagonia, AZ
Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources updates and opportunities – Jeremiah Pinto (Diné), Tribal Nursery Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Moscow, ID
Meeting adjourns
Ahéhee’