"I couldn't think of a better day at work," an Internship Experience

Sheldon Waupochick, SDI Intern

My internship experience started with meeting new people, which so far is the best part.  A group of new people going through the same new experience as me; it was a very comfortable feeling.  The first thing we learned about was SEK (scientific ecological knowledge) and TEK (traditional ecological knowledge).   Looking at a forest and applying both of these methods to understand the true components, both traditionally and scientifically.  It was very interesting to learn more in-depth about the same forest I lived in a majority of my life.  With the presence of Dr. Kimmerer, instructor from SUNY ESF, I had much help in understanding factors that affect the rate of tree growth, species, soil depth, and temperature.  I found out that there is an answer to all these factors, and it is “It depends.” I now have a better knowledge of tree identification, which is kind of annoying now that I am always trying to identify trees outside of work. 

With the other interns from SUNY ESF, we took several trips to various vantage points throughout the Menominee reservation.   I thought it was “cool” to be able to help show these people from New York the “Dells” and other places where I have been enjoying recreational activities my whole life.  Places like the “Dells” probably don't exist many other places on earth and we had the opportunity to explore the area and learn in depth of the tree species with Dr. Kimmerer.  At that moment, I couldn't think of a better day at work than that.

On the 6^th of June, the other interns and I were given the opportunity to attend the 37^th Annual National Indian Timber Symposium.  Located in the conference center of my hometown I learned from many interesting people.  During the symposium I learned about climate-change, forest ecology, invasive species, and species range shifts.  These instructors came from all over the country, and I was most pleased to spend time with instructor Tony Waupochick, who is my father.  During a tour of the Menominee reservation and Stockbridge reservation I met another Native American from California.  We had several conversations, and in one of them, he said he met the president and had dinner with him. I thought that was very interesting. 

As an LFTL intern, we were given a task to team with SUNY ESF interns and repair an Oak Wilt Gap.  This Oak Wilt Gap was an area on the Menominee reservation that has been exposed to the Oak Wilt Disease.  Mentored by Jeff Grignon (Menominee Forester), we as a group, got to decide the future of this piece of land by how we would repair it.  First we had to think about how the forest sustains us, and how we sustain the forest.  After learning a variety of aspects of forest management we applied these methods to our Oak Wilt Gap prescription.  Menominee Tribal Enterprises has the capability to prescribe burn or manipulate land mechanically with machines or men with chainsaws.   In a group presentation we described how we recorded the tree species, temperature, and other data of the area.  In two weeks we completed our prescription and possibly made our mark on the future of the Menominee forest. 

After completing only half the internship I feel I've learned a lot.  I can’t wait to get the opportunity to travel to the Huntington Wildlife Forest, New York and live vise versa of SUNY ESF interns.  I believe that the Sustainable Development Institute is making great strides in innovating learning experiences to us interns.  The second best factor of this internship is that I get to keep my knowledge forever and apply it throughout the rest of my educational journey. 

Blog post written by Sheldon Waupochick, Summer 2013 CMN SDI Intern for the Learning From the Land Experience

SDI Intern Studies Ecological Recovery and Environmental Disasters

Last month SDI Intern Lloyd Frieson visited New Orleans to study ecological recovery and prevention of environmental disasters. Here he learned about harnessing science and building social resilience. As a College of Menominee Nation student, Lloyd plans on using this knowledge in Sustainable Development Institute programming. Hear from Lloyd himself on some information he'd like to share with you:

"In this photo I'm standing by a levy which stands only ten feet high and is the only defense the community has for protection against storm surges. The storm surge for Hurricane Katrina reached 21 ft. high. The community was completely under water. Some roof tops were visible and many homes floated away. Behind this wall was a forest of Cypress trees but due to the development of progress, the government thought it would be beneficial to build a canal for easier transport of sea export and import. By creating such a canal, saltwater was released into bayou where the Cypress trees lived and completely wiped them out. The forest acted as a buffer for wind and storm surge. Now the area behind this wall is known as the Ghost Forest."

"One day we did some community engagement work and visited the New Orleans lower 9th ward. Here I learned that Brad Pitt donated millions of dollars to the hard hit area of the lower nine ward in New Orleans, LA. He founded an organization called “Make It Right”. Mr. Pitt held a contest for young architecture students and chose three to design the houses to be partially sustainable. Each home has a large solar panel on the roof and a rain harvesting system to purify the water. These homes were given to the people who had homes before Hurricane Katrina. Most homes in that terrible storm were destroyed or washed away. A person can request a home that is raised six to eight feet off the ground for flooding precaution.  These homes are built to withstand 160 mph winds."

Lloyd visited New Orleans as part of ESA-SEEDS. According to their web site, SEEDs is an education program of the Ecological Society of America and their mission is to diversity and advance the ecology profession through opportunities that stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students to not only participate in ecology, but to lead. 

SDI Puts on Middle School Night Hike and Lock-in Activity

On February 8, twenty-four Menominee Indian Middle School students participated in an overnight lock-in at the College of Menominee Nation Keshena campus. Students explored astronomy through hands-on night activities and participated in scientific, sustainable, and cultural programming.  “Nothing like this had been done on the CMN campus before, but we knew it could be done,” said Kate Flick, event organizer and SDI Education Coordinator, “It turned out great! Primarily it was to have fun, but it’s always nice when you can do fun events and teach and learn at the same time.”

Paula Fernandez, Cultural Resource Specialist for Menominee Indian School District, guided students in stories and emphasized that the group respect the night-time. Paula shared that Menominee people traditionally do not go out at night; this is the time for the sprits. Students were particularly respectful while they looked at the stars and participated in night time activities.

Students hiked on the CMN walking trail and gathered in a clearing where they identified the seven sisters/seven brothers and told the story of how those stars came to be. The stars were exceptionally visible and it was especially dark –a new moon cycle was about to begin. Students were able to match start color to their temperature and “temperament.” (As Kate described it, “The bright blue-ish/white stars are the ones burning hot and fast like hyperactive youngsters.  Yellow are a little mellower, not as hot and burn a little slower, like middle-aged people—and red stars are low temperature and burn slowly, like grandparents.  It's kind of like fire.“)

Later, around a fire, students and staff told stories. “They are very impressive story tellers!” said Kate. Musician Wade Fernandez provided the group with a performance where he played the flute in the wintry night air. Students told more stories and made s’mores before heading inside. Students slept in the CMN Commons Building where they watched movies, played pool, and got a little sleep.  

Participants woke up to a magical snowy morning where snowflakes hung on tree branches like crystals. Participants went for a morning walk—which turned into outdoor games a snowball fight! The students had a great time and the event was a big hit. Programming supplemented student’s in-class learning where they are currently learning about astronomy, stars, and the universe. SDI sends a huge thank you to all the chaperons who helped during the event.

CMN Internship Fair and Information Session A Great Success

On Wednesday, February 13, 2013, CMN students and faculty gathered for an Internship Fair and Information Session.  Attendees learned what internships are, whey they important, and got announcements about current and upcoming internship opportunities. CMN students with internship experience gave presentations and shared their research and personal reflections with attendees.

Brennan Waupoose and McKaylee Duquain presented research data from an earthworm invasion research project. CMN students and staff heard about their nationally-recognized project and how their internship gave them the opportunity to travel and opened doors for funding opportunities. 

Lloyd Frieson, current Garden Intern with the Sustainable Development Institute, gave a genuine presentation about his passion and knowledge of Menominee gardening. He talked about experimenting with winter plants and showed pictures of garden and community projects he facilitates through his internship. “I’m really excited for what we have planned for this year,” said Friesen. Friesen also mentioned global warming as a major concern. “It caused a big issue with maple syrup harvest last year,” he noted.

Amber Chevalier, CMN staff, talked about her internship experience with the USFS and highly encouraged students to apply for internships. “They look really good on a resume,” she said. Chevalier’s experience through internships helped her get jobs with the US Forest Service and with College of Menominee Nation.  Mike Dockry, USDA Forest Service Liaison to the College of Menominee Nation, announced internships with the Forest Service and how students can apply through www.usajobs.gov.  

All of the intern presenters said their experience was well worth their time and they learned a lot. “There are endless opportunities,” said Frieson, “You meet a lot of cool people and can exercise your ideas in a good way.”  Chris Caldwell, Director of the Sustainable Development Institute announced that their department may hire up to seven interns for the summer of 2013. Watch for those internship postings at www.sustainabledevelopmentinstitute.org.

If you have questions about internships or would like to get more information on how to apply and what internships are available, contact CMN’s internship coordinator Cary B. Waubanascum at 715-799-6226 ext. 3230 or by emailing cwaubanascum@menominee.edu.  For information about the internship fair, contact event organizer Julie Edler at 715-799-6226 ext. 3244 or by emailing jedler@menominee.edu

High School Sustainability Cohort

Hello, blog world!

The Sustainable Development Institute is offering a unique opportunity for high school students to engage in a “Sustainability Leadership Cohort.” The Cohort is a paid opportunity for students to travel to New York, participate in a forest and climate leaders research retreat, edit and produce a film, engage in a community based action research film project, and celebrate their participation in an indigenous science forest camp. The program is at no cost to the students and they have the potential to earn up to $1,300 throughout the program. Students must apply by February 18, 2013; application materials are attached. Any high school student currently in grades 9-12 is eligible to apply provided they have transportation to CMN, especially through out the summer.

For more information, check out our website here:

http://sustainabledevelopmentinstitute.org/2013/01/high-school-sustainability-cohort-opportunity/

CMN student Cierra Dickenson's Internship Experience with Natural Resources

College of Menominee Nation student Cierra Dickenson gave a presentation about her internship experience working over the summer of 2012. The internship focused on natural resources with a various team of experts as mentors.  She had the opportunity to work in many fields related to sustainability and the health of the forest on the Menominee Indian Reservation. She worked not only with Paul Crocker, MTE, on GIS inventory, but she got a comprehensive look at many different career options. Thanks to some great mentors, Cierra said they made even the challenging aspects enjoyable.

One of the summer projects detailed working on regeneration surveys with Jeff Grignon. "The purpose was to create a healthy stand in the long-run," said Dickenson. They would record tree population and identify tree species. Another project included working as a fishery biologist with the help of Rich Annamitta. "We shocked the fish which was pretty cool," said Dickenson, "the purpose was to get an estimate on fish population."

Cierra also worked as a water resource technician under the guidance of Joe Lyons, Water Resource specialist at the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin - Environmental Services. They would test water quality and get samples for the lab. In another project, Cierra focused on forest health with Dr. Dave Mausel. "We'd ride down the river to record where purple loosestrife was and how bad it was," said Cierra. "Awesome job," noted Mausel, health forester, who was an attendee at the presentation.

Other summer projects included working on timber harvest with Mike Waukau, fire protection with Ron Waukau, and identifying cultural sites with Jeff Grignon. "He showed us how to identify different kinds of sites," said Cierra.

After the presentation, when Cierra was asked what the most challenging part was, Cierra said the amount of help and teamwork she got throughout the internship made it all manageable. In addition, she added, "The internship helped me figure out what I want to do." She plans on continuing her studies in Natural Resources, and finishing her bachelor's degree, perhaps at UW-Stevens Point.

Intern Experience: By Brennan Waupoose

Brennan Waupoose, College of Menominee Nation student and Sustainable Development Institute Intern, shares his internship experience in the piece below. Brennan's hometown is Keshena, WI and he is a CMN Biological and Physical Sciences major.

SDI Intern: Invasive Species Research Technician

"In the summer of 2012 I spent 6 weeks with Dave Mausel Ph.D., Forest Health Forester with Menominee Tribal Enterprise studying the different invasive plants, insects, and diseases that impact the Menominee forest.

As part of the internship I was to be included in a research project identifying what impacts European earthworms may have on hardwood forests. With a professor and students from UW-Platteville and a student from UW-Madison we spent one week in the Chequamegon National Forest in northwestern Wisconsin collecting our samples and another week at the TREES Lab on the UW-Platteville campus carefully analyzing our data. With our findings we developed a poster presentation to be presented at two national conferences.

·         Society for Advancing Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Conference was held in Seattle, WA Oct. 11-14. 1 of 3 awarded in Environmental Sciences category.

·         American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference in Anchorage, Alaska Oct 29-Nov 4. Received 4^th Place of 88 Undergraduate Research Poster presentations.

This opportunity has changed my career goals. I enrolled in Spring 2012 thinking I would go for a nursing degree. I actually applied for a different internship that I was interested in and was offered this one instead. I was hesitant to accept the position since it was not in my intended field but it has all been worth it. I have met an incredible group of people who have made this project a memory impossible to forget. The most positive outcome of this has been the educational path formed with the help of Evan Larson Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Geography at UW-Platteville who has helped open doors to working in his lab if I go to school at UW-Platteville.

The internship experience also led me to the AISES  conference where I met an admissions director from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Science who joined McKaylee Duquain, Evan Larson and I in our celebratory dinner and offered us unbiased insight on the application process and  how the programs work at Yale. Now, I have a goal in mind: to earn a Masters and possibly Ph.D in Ecology at Yale. Furthermore, more opportunities continue to arise where I can keep presenting results from this project and to develop other projects based off of this one experience.

I highly encourage others to apply for something they may not initially be interested in because in the end it will be beneficial in some way. You will find out if you like it or not, it will look good on any resume, and most importantly you will meet people that may help direct you in the right path."

UW Madison Professor Ankur Desai on Carbon, Climate, and the Forest

 

On November 2, 2012, Guest Lecturer, Professor Ankur Desai, from UW Madison gave a presentation on Carbon, Climate and the Forest. Desai explained carbon uptake and how it may affect the Menominee forest and climate change. Desai also highlighted the importance of getting CMN students internships to study such subjects. “My hope is that the simple act of exposure, in a field-based setting, provides that first taste to some College of Menominee Nation students that might go on to careers in science,” said Professor Desai.

Through slides and an interactive game, a CMN audience of about 30 students, faculty, and staff learned from Desai. “One particular service the landscape can provide is the uptake of carbon and that’s what we want to talk about today,” said Desai. He also explained how understanding microclimates, soil, and carbon uptake throughout various ecosystems varies – not to mention population.  “We can use atmosphere to understand land systems,” said Desai, “but you have to think about each person’s use of energy, not just space.” Furthermore, this energy use will influence our future. “As we change C02, we change the climate,” Desai noted, “the short story is solid science.”

To explain the exchange of carbon between atmosphere, the ocean, decomposers, and the like, the room participated in a game which simulated the global carbon cycle. Participants visualized first-hand the atmosphere as an exchange system and the large influence that photosynthesis has. Most critically, it was clear to see how fossil fuels are such a small part of the carbon exchange, but how over time, it builds up in the atmosphere. Desai explained how carbon exchange can be variable and sensitive and the uncertainty is what scientists are often trying to figure out.  Although science shows this change globally, factors like water vapor effect, land warming, snow melting, permafrost, and positive and negative feedbacks are all influencers. “This is what makes climate change modeling so difficult,” said Desai.

It is critical that Menominee students to get involved in this science. Students need to study physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and economics to study the relation to climate change. Impacts for Menominee will be great and it is necessary to have CMN students trained how to maintain forestry in the face of climate change –for example, to study how winter temperature change may affect summer plants. There is potential through Desai’s research for students to study these research topics. This research is widespread and topics could cover anywhere from soil decomposition in spreadsheets measured in spatial variables on the reservation to engineering long term measurements with specialized equipment.

Hear From SDI Intern, Laundi Keepseagle

"Híŋhaŋni wašté.  Emačiyapi ye Laundi Keepseagle. Good Morning. My name is Laundi Keepseagle. I am Dakota Sioux from the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. I have two beautiful daughters, Alexanndrea Germaine and Kyemoni Dakota. The blessing of my children laid out a new path in my life. I decided to attend college shortly after my first daughter was born.

I am currently a Sustainable Development major at the College of Menominee Nation and an active SEEDS member.  I am very inspired by one of my professors, Dr. William VanLopik. During his Intro to Sustainable Development course, I was first introduced to the interconnections of economics, ecology and social equity. I was drawn to social equity issues and hope to continue my education further in this direction. My major goal for the future is to open eyes and hearts to social equity issues happening everyday throughout indigenous tribes across the globe.

The Sustainable Development Institute Sustainability Outreach Event Planner Internship has offered me a running start on my goal. With this opportunity, I have been able to connect with the audience I find most important, children. Thus far, I have taught four classes on sustainability with an emphasis in science and art. I feel that hands-on learning is far more effective than lectures and this internship has given me the chance to explore this thought. I hope to step outside my box and not be afraid to fail. I want to make an impact on the community and spark interest in sustainability."  

"Hello!" from SDI Intern Deidre Wolfe

My name is Deidre Ann Wolfe. I am 29 years old and the proud mother of an amazing and beautiful girl named Nevaeh Boyd and the significant other of Jerred Caldwell. We are also happily awaiting a baby that will be here in early February 2013. I am also a member of the Lac Courte Orellies Ojibwe Nation. I have obtained associates’ degrees in pre-nursing and biological sciences from College of Menominee Nation (CMN) and am currently working on a bachelor’s degree in education. My current goals and intentions for my educational journey are to provide the best life I can for my family and to work for a Native American tribe. My teaching goal is to help inspire Native American children to reach their full potentials and continue on into higher education. I also want to incorporate my love of sciences into my teaching and open up children’s eyes to the possibilities, creativity, exploration and opportunities that science brings.

I am super excited now to have the opportunity working as the Sustainability Outreach Event Planner Intern. I will be working with Laundi Keepseagle who has the same position and our supervisor is Kate Flick. This internship is perfect for me because it gives me the opportunity to reach the community through science, technology, engineering, and math. The audiences we are planning to reach are K – 12 students, CMN and the broader community.

Planning these events is very exciting because there are so many possibilities. My personal goals for this internship are to build my creativity for my future teaching career. I also want to inspire people to be more interested in science and to help people connect with nature. A lot of children do not know all of the possibilities of science careers and the more awareness we put out there, the more educational success our community will have.

USDA Representatives Visit CMN with Opportunity Information

On September 5, College of Menominee Nation met with visiting USDA representatives Stephanie Koziski and Lavina (Vinnie) Panizo to learn about student opportunities for internships and employment in the public sector. The USDA offers both a Pathways and Tribal Scholars program for enrolled Tribal members or students in Tribal colleges."We need indigenous knowledge in the USDA," said Koziski.

Koziski suggested that although many programs have a math and sciences focus, students with any background of study are encouraged to apply. She encouraged students to "follow your hearts" and apply for anything that sounds interesting. "You don't know what you're missing until you've tried," noted Panizo,  "You get to see it and bring it back to your community."

Alongside job experience, the programs offer extensive leadership training. "Many students find their voice," said Koziski. The programs offer opportunities for real-life experience with the potential to carry on to full-time jobs anywhere in the United States. Students have many options to do short-term or long-term commitments with various programs. "There's a lot of stuff you don't know till you throw your name in the hat," said Panizo.

Students are encouraged to send Stephanie Koziski an "I'm Interested" e-mail at stephanie.koziski@osc.usda.gov. As Koziski noted, "You have nothing to loose!"

More information can be found on the USDA's website. Check out www.usda.gov and click around the "Mission Areas" for opportunities.

The Future of Energy at College of Menominee Nation

On August 23, 2012, Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Fellow Sarah Jeglum gave a presentation about “The Future of Energy on the CMN Campus.” Twenty four attendees heard Sarah’s recommendations, discussed future projects, shared ideas, and asked questions about her work over the summer of 2012. Jeglum worked with the College of Menominee Nation to identify energy efficiency projects and begin developing a long-term energy management plan for the Keshena campus. The Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps program places trained MBA and MPA fellows into companies, cities, and universities to identify and analyze energy efficiency investments that can both reduce costs and energy use in buildings.

SDI Interim Director Dean Fellman introduced Jeglum saying she has served as a strong asset in the Sustainable Development Institute. Jeglum gave an overview of the project and highlighted CMN’s commitment to be a climate-neutral campus. Jeglum cited dedication for carbon neutrality and energy independence in keeping with the more than 12,000-year-old tribal value of sustainability. “We are looking how to move forward with energy goals from today,” said Jegulm, “It’s important we have these far-reaching goals for the future.”

Jeglum stressed the importance of developing a plan and getting a CMN energy team together. “It’s very important to have the structure of the energy plan in place,” noted Jeglum. “I recommend you start with a team and plan and move forward with that.” Jegulm said that CMN has the resources available to do so and encouraged presentation attendees to be proactive about the energy team.

There are many ways in which CMN can cut down its energy use. Jeglum recommended monitoring successes or failures. “Set energy saving goals” said Jeglum. She also stated that although CMN may be a small campus, it is still important to focus on energy. “We can be successful even on a small-scale,” she said.

Jegulm went on to point out specific projects CMN can implement on campus to make the campus more efficient. Projects included installing motion sensors, switching out old light fixtures, and more energy-saving initiatives across all facets of campus energy. “No matter what kind of energy it is, we want to be putting that in an efficient energy machine” she stated.  Jeglum continued to explain that just as you wouldn’t put premium gasoline in an old vehicle, CMN needs to implement specific action items by paying most attention to projects that will produce resourceful results.

College of Menominee Nation is the first Tribal College to host a Climate Corps Fellow. CMN President Verna Fowler noted that this energy action illustrates our commitment to sustainability and commended Jeglum on her work for Climate Corps and CMN.

Both Sarah Jeglum and Dr. Fowler expressed enthusiasm for getting the information out and getting community members and students informed.  “It’s exciting for me to have it be a campus where you can get students involved” said Jeglum. Dr. Fowler recommended spreading the importance and benefits of energy saving out to the community, perhaps in the form of workshops.

College of Menominee Nation thanks Sarah Jeglum and the Climate Corps for the dedication over the summer of 2012. The Sustainable Development Institute plans to use Jeglum’s information to assist in planning future goals and directions.

Sustainable Agriculture Conference Experience

SDI Gardening Intern Lloyd Friesen and SDI Multimedia Specialist Patrick Waukau attended a Green Bay Sustainable Agriculture Conference August 6-8. This is what Lloyd had to say about the experience:

"The Oneida Nation of Green Bay, WI hosted a conference for sustainable agriculture to many tribes that were present. To name some were the Osage from Oklahoma, Cheyenne from Montana, Ojibiwe from Minnesota, Kul Wicasa from Nebraska and Lakota Sioux from South Dakota. There were also some department heads like Susan Ratcliff from IPM, which is a branch of the EPA. We started with introductions followed by the breakdown of the conference by Jeff Metoxen, Director of the Oneida farm and livestock department. One by one we explained what we were expecting to learn from this conference and as one of the young ladies from Minnesota exclaimed that she did not wish to be "power-pointed to death". That was a really good ice breaker and many of the people agreed. 

The conference was mainly hands-on and the people liked it. We discussed how to start green houses and hoop houses. We also talked about what was the best time of year to start plants and how long can we grow crops. I was asked this question as it was directed towards what we were doing at the college and I explained to the group that I believed we were going to have a season longer than the trusty old farmer’s almanac was implying. I explained how the seasons are changing and that the old way will have to adapt to the new way the world is today with global warming and climate change. Seed harvest was also another popular topic that many had questions and some of the group members had answers that very easy to implement. This was a very good conference and I hope to be at next year’s event."

Water Quality Internship Update by Deidre Wolfe

Benjamin White and I are currently in the initial planning stages of the internship.  The main goal of our internship is to relay information gathered during the “Great Lakes Land Grant Institutions Tribal Water Resource Summit” to the Great Lakes area surrounding tribes.  In addition, we will make sure the summit results are concurrent with water resource needs today.  These are the top ten water resource needs compiled during the water summit:

1.      Water resource management and education through the lens of the local tribal culture

2.      Engage tribal leaders in water issues, education, etc.

3.      Degree program for tribal colleges/colleges serving tribal communities related to tribal environmental management

4.      Youth leadership and involvement

5.      Wild rice protection and management

6.      Interpreting and translation water data for a broader audience data to information

7.      Safe drinking water

8.      Habitat degradation

9.      Climate change affects on water, ecosystems, communities, culture

1.   Increasing funding for tribal water resource work

During the last few weeks, I have been researching and getting familiar with the content and material to be covered.  I have been researching water issues from the “Great Lakes Tribal Volunteer Monitoring Inquiry” including: non-point source pollution, invasive species, safe drinking water, habitat for wildlife and nutritional vegetation, urban and agricultural runoff, chemicals, herbicides and pesticides, well drilling/hydro fracturing for oil and natural gas, bacteria and algae blooms, development along shoreline and agricultural tiling and channelization of streams.  I have also been learning new Native American perspectives on water resource management through watching Winona Laduke presentations, researching Native American environmental groups and reading various tribes culture stories pertaining to water from the Great Lakes area. 

            I currently am in the process of learning how to make presentations through http://prezi.com/.  This software allows for smoother transitions and a more dynamic way to present information.   This software will also allow a research poster to be up-loaded and then you can make a presentation focusing on main points of the poster.  We may use the Prezi software for our presentations and are brainstorming possibilities of making a short video to promote water resource needs awareness.

            In order to establish internship goals and get direction to develop a solid plan we had a conference call with the initiative collaborators of our internship grant: Patrick Robinson and Rebecca Powers.  The insights gained from the call were that we were in the right direction with the research, we have been doing and that we should research ways to introduce perspectives through a Native American cultural lens.  They also gave us a new task of reuniting the grant collaborators to form a Multistate Coordinating Committee with the grant collaborators.  Ben has been working to get this committee together and we are currently waiting on responses to plan a committee conference call.  I am excited and happy with how the internship is going and look forward to everything in the future. 

Tribal Youth Intern Program Fall 2012

Student Conservation Association -- US Fish & Wildlife Service

Tribal Youth Intern Program Fall 2012

SCA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have 3 new expense paid internships designed to provide students with Native American and Alaskan Native heritage the opportunity to learn more about conservation science, management, and career options through projects at national wildlife refuges.

Available Internships

            Resource Management Intern

            Huron Wetlands Management District, Huron, SD

(August 6 to October 28, 2012) 

Environmental Education Internship

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Brigham City, UT

(August 27 to November 11, 2012)

Resource Management Internship

National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge, Moiese, MT

(September 3 to November 25, 2012)

The Details

• 12 week positions
• At US Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges in South Dakota, Utah and Montana
• Weekly living allowance of $150
• Free housing and reimbursement for roundtrip transportation provided
• Potential AmeriCorps Education Award  ($1,200)
• Must be 18 or older.
• Be available Fall 2012

Application Process

Email your name, address, phone number and College/University to:  SCArecruiting@thesca.org with the subject “USFWS Tribal Intern Program”.  Or you may call me and I will coach you through the online application process.

If you would like more information, please contact Mike Dockry or the Sustainable Development Institute. (715-799-6226)

About SDI Intern, Henry Dodge, In His Own Words

Hi.  My name is Henry Dodge, I am a Menominee Indian.  I would like to tell you a little bit about myself.  I am twenty-seven years old, and I have lived on the reservation all my life. All of my education has been done here on the reservation.  My first day of daycare was here on the reservation.  My first day of Head Start was here on the reservation, and all of my grade schooling has been done here on the reservation.  I am very proud to have all of my schooling done here on my reservation.

                Before I came to college, I worked in the woods as a logger for eight long years.  Working in the woods is not fun.  It is hard work, and if you don’t work you don’t get paid. I liked to get paid, so I work long hours in the woods.  I would work ten to twelve hours days every day.  I had to carry a big saw with me everywhere I went, and in order to run the saw I needed gas and oil.  I had to carry that with me too.  I soon became tired of this work, and I knew I had to find a new job or do something new with my life, so I did.  I knew my reservation had a college, so I might as well start school and see where it would take me. School only did good things for me.  I am now working for the college, and doing what I like to do now, not doing what I have to.       

 I attend the College Of Menominee Nation and am going on my third semester.  I have one semester left, then I will have my first college degree.  I am going to school for sustainable development, but I would like to work with our community more, especially with our youth here on the reservation.  I want to show them what they can do if they try hard and stay out of trouble.  I want them to go to school and get good grades. I have an internship with the sustainable development, which allows me to work with the community, both adults and children. I coordinate summer youth activities such as baseball games, walking clubs, cleaning up the reservation, and more.  I also teach concepts having to do with sustainable development.  Recently, we learned how many trees we breathe in a year, and how much oxygen does a tree give off.  These are just some of the fun educational things we do, and I look forward to doing more with the youth in my position here.

                

POSOH Summer Sustainability Club Wrapping Up

The POSOH summer sustainability club has been busy all summer long doing sustainable related projects. They have harvested sweet grass, worked on an app development for a CMN sustainable-related tour, planted crops in the garden, assisted in POSOH development, and MANY MANY more projects. Come to the CMN Keshena campus Wednesday, August 1, at 4:30 to have some pizza, talk with the group, and see what they've been up to! The friends and family day goes from 4:30-6 and will be located either by the water tower or the volleyball courts. There will be games, prizes, and tye-dying, so be sure to bring a white T or socks to tye-dye!

Harvesting sweet grass

 Gardening with Lloyd

Layered Bed Near CMN Greenhouse - by Lloyd Frieson

Layered Bed

     In this particular area we exercised layering newspapers, weed tops, top soil, compost and manure. We began prepping this area by clearing away all of the weeds and grass. Second, we soaked the ground really good before laying the newspaper on the wet soil. Third we cut the roots from the weeds and began placing the weed tops on the newspaper. Laying out the weed tops evenly will ensure equal soil distribution. Next is a four inch soil and compost mix. Level out the soil to the best of your ability or to your plan and have your starter plants ready for bedding. The best time to transfer plants is in the morning or evening, when the sun is not as hot or at its peak. Doing this will reduce the strain on the plants as you begin to introduce them to their new home. Once you have placed the plants where you want them, make sure to water them to give them a sort of boost.

Plants in the bed consist of Yellow Sweet Corn, Mohawk Beans and 1,000 year old Squash.

In the dark brown area in front of the bed is a row of carrots 

A Day In The Internship - by Lloyd Frieson

Lloyd Frieson

6-15-12 ( Oneida Farm )

It was 6/15/12 on the Oneida farm and was very excited to finally get to visit a place where I had only heard about through hearsay and my uncle who works there. The day was pretty basic, we had to feed and water the chickens, cows and plants. I helped worked on a hay baling machine and chased an escaped baby cow for two hours. The hay machine was bought at a very low price and the staff was wondering why these people sold this piece of equipment so cheap? We found out why when they started the machine and tried to make a bale of hay. The machine started smoking and making a high whining sound. They raised the back of the machine where the hay bale is deployed and we seen why the machine was so cheap. All of the belts that rotate the hay into a bale were crossed. Looking at the machine with this kind of malfunction was sobering but it only looked hard. With the loosening of three bolts we were able to realign the belts and the machine worked perfectly. Fixing this machine took a little time but we gotter done. It was a half hour before lunch and I got to seed corn. This is when the corn that has been dried and is now ready to be processed by removing the kernels and placing them into a bucket to be washed and later packaged. This is Oneida’s main product. Grabbing a corn cob and twisting your hands like you were giving someone an Indian burn was the easiest way of cleaning the cob. When picking a corn cob there were some that had blotches on the kernels, those kernels were discarded along with the cob in a completely different bucket. I forgot to ask what they did with the bucket, if they fed these kernels to chickens or did they completely throw them away. I will have to remember to ask them about the waste when I return later this week.  I had a chance to observe their plant beds and how different they were from each other. One of the areas for example was flat with weed guard and holes for the seeds in the top. I asked, what was the purpose of this technique and does this way solve your problem of erosion because the area was on a slight hill?  One of the workers answered that this was just the layout that was suggested and did not know if it was designed for combating erosion. I explained why I asked that question, because I seen raised beds in between the rows that looked like they had been used the year before and they were pointed in a different direction. Besides the flat crop bed there were a couple of other beds, one was a three-sisters garden which contained about seven mounds and the other was a tobacco garden that had twenty plants. I had the honor of watering these beds for one of my tasks of the day. I asked Jeff Metoxen, if they were planning to use composting as a system of fertilizing the plants? He replied he really didn’t know if they were but if I had some ideas I could share them with him and he would try to make composting part of the farm duties. As we were fixing the hay baling machine I noticed that the corn, Oneida’s money maker, was not doing well at all. I asked if they had a plan just in case no rain comes this way because the corn looked really dry. One of the workers said that they would call the fire department and use the truck to wet the crop down. I am guessing that doing so would cost a great deal of money and that the farm would want to stay away from spending. We returned from lunch and it is time to water the cows again because it was pretty hot that fine day. One of the workers had turned off the live wire to move the cattle and all went well except for a new born calf that was only a day old. This little calf ran between the wires and headed for the highway, at least that’s we thought. We were running around asking people did they see a cow on the road and we got some real funny looks from most of the people. I even flagged down an officer of the Oneida Police Department asked if any calls came in concerning any livestock, he smiled and called it in and still no one saw anything. All of this running around and worrying that this baby calf was going to get hit by a car or even killed made us look even harder. The reason no one seen this calf is because when the calf crossed the street into the bushes, we assumed that it kept going, the calf stopped as soon as it got in the bushes and was lying there watching us scamper around whooping and hollering. It was probably thinking, weirdos. My uncle found the little lady lying in same spot she went in. That was a big relief. We got the calf back to her mother and all was well so we thought. As we approached the chicken coop, there were twenty chickens dead of heat exhaustion. Earlier that day a hawk spotted a chicken that looked wounded and was circling the coop, stirring up the other birds. An organic chicken is about fifteen dollars per bird and all of those chickens were already sold to someone. The chickens looked as if they were trying to get out of the sun because they were all in the shadows of the cooler and along the fence line. I know the boss will not be pleased. This wraps up my report for day one at the Oneida Farm.

About Deidre and the Water Quality Internship

My name is Deidre Ann Wolfe.  I am 29 years old and the proud mother of an amazing and beautiful girl named Nevaeh Boyd and the significant other of Jerred Caldwell. I am also a member of the Lac Courte Orellies Ojibwe Nation.  I have obtained associates’ degrees in pre-nursing and biological sciences from College of Menominee Nation (CMN) and am currently working on a bachelor’s degree in education.  My current goals and intentions for my educational journey are to provide the best life I can for my family and to work for a Native American tribe.  My teaching goal is to help inspire Native American children to reach their full potentials and continue on into higher education.  I also want to incorporate my love of sciences into my teaching and open up children’s eyes to the possibilities, creativity, exploration and opportunities that science brings. 

Continuing on with my education has opened many new doors, challenges, successes and triumphs into my life.  I am honored and appreciative of the fact that my newest educational opportunity was receiving a summer internship through the CMN Sustainable Development Institute.  I was granted the Water Summit intern position.  This position is the second half of an internship that was initially completed by Ben White in 2010.   Ben helped coordinate and plan the Great Lakes Land Grant Tribal Water Resources Summit. The purpose of the summit was to: identify priority tribal water resource issues of the Great Lakes Area Tribal communities, develop collaborations to address the priority issues, and to increase the understanding of potential resources to address the issues and increase the understanding of the cultural importance of water to tribal communities.  In addition to the summit, Ben also conducted a Great Lakes Tribal Water Resources Inquiry in order to, according to the Great Lakes Tribal Water Resources Inquiry Executive Summary, “obtain information that related to water resource issues and determine appropriate paths to develop relationships between the 1862 Land Grant institutions and Tribal Colleges as well as leverage research resources to address water resource issues and improve tribal water quality.”  I now have the privilege of working alongside Ben to complete the second half of the Water Summit internship.  We will be researching and compiling information of water resource related materials pertaining to local Native American communities to promote a better understanding Tribal water quality issues.  We will create a research poster and presentation of our findings combined with information from the Great Lakes Land Grant Tribal Water Resources Summit and the Great Lakes Tribal Resources Inquiry.  We will then travel to the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota and the Bay Mills Tribal/Community College in Michigan to present our information obtained.

My personal goals for this internship are in the areas of Community involvement, public speaking and learning more about water quality from a Native American Community perspective.  I am looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone to build up my communication skills and become more confident in my public speaking.  I also want to become more involved with in environmental issues in my community, and this is a remarkable way to introduce myself to the coordination, planning and presentation of issues important to Native communities.  I am also excited to learn everything I can from Ben White and everyone in the Sustainable Development Institute.  I appreciate this opportunity and know it will be an amazing experience.