Preserving our Homelands

"Native people had to be scientists in order to survive," says Green, the Natural Resources director. "So they had to understand the natural world and what was going on and how to deal with it."

Since starting the program in 2012, three additional tribes have developed similar camps for their kids: the Seneca Nation in New York, the Penobscot Nation and the Houlton Band of Maliseets, both in Maine.

Both Green and Hendricks say, ultimately, they hope kids from the tribe will get degrees in science and then come back home to lead research on things like resource preservation. They believe that as the world and the climate continue to change, it’s important that people who have historic and cultural ties to the land are the ones helping the broader community adapt.

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