Mission: Restore and ensure the long-term persistence of Emory oak (Quercus emoryi Torr.) and other traditional subsistence foods for present and future generations. Emory oak trees are not replacing themselves, “because of what humans have done to the land.” The EOCTRI seeks to mitigate the impacts of human influence on the environment to provide a safe environment for young trees to come back. 

“Acorns, eagles, and otters are an indication of environmental health to the Apache people. . . Chí’chil (acorns) are the single most important traditional food today. Chí’chil are vital to almost every Ndee social and ceremonial function…– This is more than a project. It’s an opportunity for each and every one of us to learn about something new and how to do it. But, more than that, we are all on a spiritual journey, that’s how important these trees are. Whenever we visit them, we give thanks to the Creator, they are here for us, because of the Creator. We must approach this work with respect and reverence in order to be successful. If we do it wrong, we risk offending the Creator, and everything can be taken away.” – Vincent Randall, Yavapai-Apache Nation

“Anything we do as Ndee people is geared toward improving the world for Apache children that are here and yet to be born” – Victoria Wesley, San Carlos Apache Tribe & Arnold Beach, White Mountain Apache Tribe

Goals: The Emory Oak Collaborative Tribal Restoration Initiative (EOCTRI) seeks to: identify, restore, and protect Emory oak groves and other culturally utilized plants that co-occur in these groves; learn about Emory oak, including best practices for co-management and restoration; incorporate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) into research efforts, treatments, and decision-making; reconnect tribal communities to ancestral lands; influence forest management practices for a broader impact; increase grove resilience to natural disturbances and changing climate; improve watershed function to ensure viable habitat sustainability; support tribal training, employment, capacity building, and youth education; and provide opportunities for elders and youth to share their cultural traditions. 

Background: Emory oak acorns are a critical resource for Ndee Tribal Nations, due to the acorn’s importance as a food source and its cultural and ceremonial significance. Ndee elders attest that over recent decades, Emory oak groves have yielded less acorns, declined in overall health, and failed to regenerate new trees. If trees are unable to replace themselves, the long-term persistence of Emory oaks, as well as associated cultural traditions, are threatened. Potential factors that depress Emory oak regeneration include: increasingly severe drought conditions; habitat loss due to urban development; grazing by domesticated herbivores; catastrophic wildfire; and encroachment by invasive species. 

The request for the Forest Service to focus on Emory oak restoration on both National Forest System and other lands, was heard during consultation for large-scale Forest restoration efforts in response to climate change and catastrophic wildfire. The request was made by the Western Apache Working group, consisting of San Carlos Apache, Tonto Apache, White Mountain Apache, and the Yavapai Apache Nation. Primary partners include: tribal historic preservation offices, tribal forestry programs, tribal natural resource programs, Northern Arizona University (NAU), the Tonto and Coconino National Forests, and Resolution Copper Mine,. These partners have since worked to identify and assess important Emory oak stands in central and northern Arizona, conduct environmental and cultural resources surveys, complete NEPA and NHPA compliance clearances, implement research protocols to collect baseline data for each grove, and implement a variety of restoration and protection activities to study which are most successful. Groves are undergoing site-specific treatment(s), and additional groves will be added as they are identified. Future activities will place an emphasis on supporting cultural activities for tribal members, such as elder/youth visits to groves to collect acorns and exchange traditional knowledge (this has been delayed due to Covid-19 precautions). 

To date, the majority of project funding has been provided by Resolution Copper Mine LLC (RCM). Funds to treat groves have also been provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Arizona Public Services, and the Salt River Project. 

Project Area: Emory Oak is an endemic species in the mountains stretching from Northern Arizona to Northern Mexico. EOCTRI is working with the same goal in mind to develop treatments that can be applied across the entire Emory oak distribution.

Research Efforts: The CAB, foresters (FS and tribal), and ecologists recommend a holistic, landscape scale restoration approach. The EOCTRI research team has identified and studied risk factors (such as habitat loss, fire suppression, livestock grazing, groundwater reduction, species competition, and climate change), and continues to examine how these factors interact to influence Emory oak viability. Restoration treatments are discussed with the CAB for each grove and study plots in each grove will be monitored using biological sampling to determine successful restoration strategies, adaptively manage on-going treatments, and monitor for emergent threats, such as pest and pathogen outbreaks. Findings will be published and shared with land managers to improve management of groves beyond our project. Annual reporting provides data including population dynamics, acorn harvest rates (harvested annually by participating tribes), seedling recruitment, and community vegetation composition and diversity that will be compared pre- and post-treatment to improve treatment efficacy. Research will support educational activities by training Tribal Monitors in ecological survey techniques and plant identification, providing information for tribal youth activities, and coordinating events such as acorn harvest events that generate data on restoration efficacy and while supporting opportunities for cross-generational knowledge sharing. Given lag times in ecological response and the need for repeat treatments at particular groves, research will require monitoring over multiple years. 

Youth Education: To facilitate the goals of reconnecting tribal communities to ancestral lands and supporting the revitalization of cultural practices among Ndee people, Ndee youth activities will be facilitated and supported, including cultural activities and education/media materials focusing on the traditional harvest and utilization of Chí’chil. Youth will be incorporated in every aspect of the project that can provide developmental/education experience.

Implementation: The EOCTRI prioritizes the training and employment of tribal members and tribal-owned entities. Tribal Monitors  implement archaeological resource surveys and biological sampling plots, write Tribal Monitor Reports, and assist with treatments. Tribal-owned businesses are staged to work with the Forest Service to conduct restoration activities and install protective fencing around treated grove plots. Activities such as prescribed burning, not suitable for contractors, will be conducted by FS, BIA, and Tribal Forestry Departments.