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REQUEST FOR HELP SAVING ASH TREES
Black Ash trees - Emerald Ash Borer
Kwai Nidôbak! Hello Friends!
I am a member of Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation and a member of the Abenaki Artists Association as a Black Ash and sweetgrass basketmaker. I was invited by a member of the Vermont Land Trust and of the Vermont State Urban and Community Forestry Program to speak about the importance of the Black Ash trees for the Abenaki people in a webinar last May. Since then we have convened to begin dialogues about the challenges and possible opportunities related to the Emerald Ash Borer and Black Ash trees.
We will need a community across the state to be able to develop strategies to help save the ash trees from the EAB and to have a means to harvest and process into splints those trees that can’t be saved. I want to do all that is possible so that future generations have access to Black Ash for basket making and to understand the importance of Black Ash for our Abenaki community.
It is important to keep all interested groups apprised of the discussions to date and invite any who are interested in joining us to please do so! I cannot do this by myself. Would you please share this with your community and if there are people interested in participating at any level, please have them contact me by clicking the link below.
IF there are areas you feel we need to address/be aware of, please let me know. It is very important to me that we have processes in place that will create equitable distribution for the whole Abenaki community.
Kchi wliwni
Kerry Wood/Kalli Abazi
Challenge:
The emerald ash borer is now in Vermont and all ash trees are at risk. The Black Ash tree has significant cultural value for the Abenaki people. The Ash trees are integral to the environmental habitat in Vermont and critical for some areas related to ecological stability.
Summary discussion:
How do we preserve black ash so there are still some growing for grandchildren. If an ash tree needs to be harvested, how can we make sure it is appropriate for basketmaking. Need access to materials to be equal for all. It will take a community to preserve healthy trees for future generations. Stockpiling and meaningful distribution of splints is very important.
How might we as a community:
- Educate the broad community on identification of Black Ash trees, signs of EAB, treatment options available for trees to protect from EAB
- IF Black Ash trees need to be harvested; how to determine if a tree is good for basketry or other Abenaki cultural use; and how to process and distribute equitably
- Discuss collaborative options that advance access to black ash trees for harvest and preservation;
- Visit black ash stands on state lands to look for potential trees for harvest for basket making
- Harvest and transport these black ash;
- Develop an event or events that would help process ash into splints;
- Store the splints;
- Determine equitable distribution for splints
- And of course, share experiences and knowledge along the way!
Work to date
- State of Vermont and Vermont Land Trust working on inventory of Black Ash trees on State and Vermont Land Trust Lands
- Group discussed; Possible Seed saving options, working with Tech Programs for education on cultural significance of Black Ash and teaching them how to pound ash to process into splints, possibly create mechanical ash pounder (collaborate with UVM Engineering), Collaborate with camps and other organizations (Eagle Point/Camp Eagle have an adopt-a-tree program and are treating many black ash)
Current Team Members to Date Include:
- Allaire Diamond; Ecologist Vermont Land Trust
- Joanne Garton Technical Assistance Coordinator; VT Urban & Community Forestry Program, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
- Ginger Nickerson; Forest Pest Education Coordinator, VT Urban & Community Forestry Program, UVM Extension
- Nancy Patch; Franklin-Grand Isle County Forester , Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
- Rhy Wepaloki; artist, tree conservation, Abenaki Language Keeper
- Kerry Wood; Black ash and Sweetgrass Basketmaker, Member of Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, Abenaki Language Keeper
other volunteer opportunities
A message from Chief Don . . .
I am looking for tribal citizens who might want to be involved with the following few areas:
- Help with our current tribal land and other lands we may acquire or have access to. This includes projects on our lands, maintenance, and other uses.
- Our food security programs. This includes helping with seed and food distributions, education, and planting ceremonies for existing garden crops. Eventually, this will move into our meat production and herd management.
- Artist Programs. This includes coordinating/commissioning display items, holding teachings, finding display venues, and promoting our artists. Nulhegan has many artists and we should be organized together as a tribe.
- We have a tribal historic preservation office to help vet our true history. However, we also need people to help in teaching our history to our citizens. This may include ceremonies we performed throughout the year and practicing our culture.
- Communication: We need to find ways to communicate effectively with our citizens, keep them engaged, and create electronic newsletters. We currently have Facebook and our website, but it would be nice to coordinate all of the above things into teaching/informational moments on a consistent basis.
- Language programs: We have Jesse Bowman Bruchac running our language programs, which is awesome. However, there are also many opportunities to participate in renaming places in our Abenaki language, interpretive signs, and other items around our language programs that I believe that Jesse would love to have help on to facilitate things.
I feel that Nulhegan has moved into a new phase of being and no one person or council can do everything. We need to collectively come together as citizens in areas you feel that you can contribute and consistently commit too.
Wliwni (thank you)
Chief Don
