TWP Staff Ray Tollison TWP Staff Ray Tollison

TWP Staff Retreat 2024

On August 12th-14th, the TWP team gathered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for our annual retreat. 

Our staff has grown to 18 diverse individuals, representing eight countries and five Tribal nations, and the retreat offered much-needed space to connect, reflect, and renew the relationships that hold TWP together.

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ILP, Indigenous Lands Program Ray Tollison ILP, Indigenous Lands Program Ray Tollison

The Pueblo Revolt

On August 10, 1680, the Pueblo nations of New Mexico rose up against the Spanish colonizers. For over eighty years, the Pueblo people suffered violence, cruelty, and hunger; exploitation of labor and resources; harassment and persecution for practicing long-held religious traditions that are interwoven in daily life; and psychological and physical stress. Pueblo leaders realized negotiations with the Spaniards was useless.

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Indigenous Sovereignty Ray Tollison Indigenous Sovereignty Ray Tollison

Looking Forward: Working the Land for Future Generations

Indigenous lands are ancestral lands. Ancestral lands are all lands.

This is an echo of the survival and resiliency of our ancestral lineage from the elders to the youth. In New Mexico there are twenty three sovereign Tribal nations that steward the land for preservation, restoration, protection, education and peace. These are the same beliefs our ancestors upheld and passed on through generations.

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Bridging Cultures: Championing Indigenous Sovereignty

It is satisfying to know that people around the world are intrigued with Indigenous Peoples and support the feats being endured. Working with Trees, Water & People (TWP), I have learned that this is one of our best and strongest virtues. We bring like-minded people to the table and our organization to move our mission and virtues forward.

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Tribal Forest and Fire Summit Sparks Future of Forest Restoration & Stewardship in the Southwest

Santa Ana - In a groundbreaking gathering from January 29th - February 1st, 2024, the inaugural Tribal Forest and Fire Summit convened at Santa Ana Pueblo, NM uniting over 175 participants from 22 pueblos, tribes, and native nations. This catalyzing event also welcomed a broad spectrum of agencies and nonprofits from across the state, fostering a vibrant forum for exchanging ideas on land management, conservation, and forest fire mitigation.

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Hope and Community Strength

One year ago, my beloved home state of New Mexico experienced its worst wildfire in recorded history. The aftermath of the fire has displaced centuries-old communities, devastated critical ecosystems and challenged how land management policies need to be refined. Even with support and resources, the road to recovery remains long and challenging.

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Learning and Working with Native American Women

Conventional conservation often portrays stewards and land managers working together to conserve, protect and/or restore critical landscapes for the survival of our planet. But underneath the macroscopic lens of conservation, women, more specifically Native American women, are rarely recognized for their achievements and dedication in the world of conservation.

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Seed to Seedling: What it Takes to Grow Conifers for Reforestation Projects

Winter is a quiet time of year for communities working on reforestation initiatives, including our partners at Santo Domingo Pueblo and the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, but winter is a critical time for our nursery partners and the baby seedlings that will be planted in the coming months.

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Preserving culture and land through the lens of a Pueblo elder-Santo Domingo Pueblo

For Santo Domingo Pueblo elder, Joe Bird, the restoration of Tribal lands is more than regenerating critical natural resources. He believes in restoration as a form of medicine to preserve the land, language and rich traditional values that are imperative to the survival of people in Santo Domingo Pueblo.

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