Karuk Agroecosystem Resilience and Cultural Foods and Fibers Revitalization Initiative: xúus nu’éethti—we are caring for it

The Karuk Tribe-UC Berkeley Collaborative has released findings from a four-year collaborative research initiative in their report: “Karuk Agroecosystem Resilience and Cultural Foods and Fibers Revitalization Initiative: xúus nu’éethti – we are caring for it”. This project integrated Indigenous and Western science perspectives to assess climate change impacts on cultural use species and associated habitats, and developed strategies and tools for long term monitoring.  The project aimed to (a) increase collective understanding of the condition and quality of culturally significant food and fiber species and the habitats in which they grow, in Karuk Aboriginal Territory and (b) provide recommendations for monitoring and management to enhance resilience of these cultural agroecosystems under changing climate conditions. Over the course of three years, the project team codesigned and implemented field-based research integrating Indigenous and western science, co-created innovative decision support and monitoring tools and technologies to support the long-term monitoring and management of these areas, and developed and implemented K–12 STEM curriculum and youth programming centered on climate change and biodiversity.

Core team members responsible for leading and coordinating the research, education and extension elements of the project include (listed alphabetically): Shawn Bourque, Marit Doshi, Sean Hogan, Frank Lake, Andy Lyons, Kathy McCovey, Leaf Hillman, Lisa Morehead-Hillman, Megan Mucioki, Vikki Preston, Daniel Sarna-Wojcicki, Jennifer Sowerwine, Frankie Tripp, and Christopher Weinstein. We acknowledge the following individuals and organizations who contributed their knowledge and expertise in different phases of the project through advising, participating in research and/or field work, leading extension modules or class instruction, and/or contributing to the report (listed alphabetically): Phil Albers, Thomas Carlson, Melissa Eitzel Solera, Edith Friedman, Annelia Hillman, Chook-Chook Hillman, Alexander Keith (Designer, Creative Lab), Royale Pinassi, Wiyaka Previte, Colleen Rossier, Heather Rickard, Ben Saxon, Isabella Schreiber (Creative Lab), Toz Soto, Bari Talley, Analisa Tripp, Emilio Tripp, Bill Tripp, Sylvia Van Royen, Olivia Rose Williams, and Cleo Wölfle-Hazard; UC Berkeley interns Martin Banuelos, Aliya Haas Blinman, Elizabeth Carlton, Reid Harwood, Bryce Hutchins, Lena Kondrashova and Cori Nelson; members of the Karuk community and residents of Karuk Aboriginal Territory; and staff of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Informatics and GIS (IGIS), Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (WKRP) and of the University & Jepson Herbarium of the University of California at Berkeley.

We want to call special attention to the following cultural practitioners whose Indigenous scientific knowledge, expertise, guidance and wisdom were invaluable to the project, including core team members Frank Lake, Kathy McCovey, Leaf Hillman, Lisa Morehead-Hillman, Vikki Preston, and Frankie Tripp, as well as Phil Albers, Poppy George, Adrian Gilkison, Annelia Hillman, Chook-Chook Hillman, Verna Reese, Ben Saxton, Analisa Tripp, Bill Tripp, and Emilio Tripp.

Suggested citation: Karuk Tribe – UC Berkeley Collaborative. Karuk Agroecosystem Resilience and Cultural Foods and Fibers Revitalization Initiative: xúus nu’éethti – we are caring for it. Karuk Aboriginal Territory, 2023.

For more information about the Karuk Tribe-UC Berkeley Collaborative, please visit the

following website: https://nature.berkeley.edu/karuk-collaborative/

This research was funded by the USDA-NIFA-AFRI Resilient Agroecosystems in a Changing

Climate Challenge Area, Grant #: 2018-68002-27916

Please consider donating to the Karuk Endowment for Eco-cultural Revitalization to support sustained stewardship and revitalization of Karuk lands, ecosystems and cultural food systems by the Karuk people.