2024 Tribal Summit on
Sierra Nevada Indigenous Guardianship
7:30 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Opening Gathering in Ceremony:
Honored Guest Rollie Fillmore, Elder/Knowledge Bearer Cultural Preservation Department Representative Jackson Rancheria
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, TEK Department Culture Bearers, Singers and welcome
Welcoming:
Honorable Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chair, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Honorable Pam Cubbler, Vice Chair, Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe
Opening Remarks:
Honorable A. Brian Wallace, The Sierra Fund, CEO
Introductions
9:45 am
Session 1 – Panel: Learning:
Addressing impacts of colonial environmental policy and building a future of Indigenous led land stewardship requires learning and sharing innovative models of planning and implementation. Prof Don Hankins will discuss Indigenous leadership to impact state policy in the application of good fire, Dr. Nina Fontana will discuss land stewardship assessments on CA Indian allotment lands, and First Nations Emergency Services’ Brenden Mercer will share his work with First Nations and California nations to infuse Indigenous values in GIS tools to ensure communities can prioritize homelands most in need of stewardship.
Session Facilitator:
Honorable Dr. Beth Rose Middleton, U.C. Davis, Professor, Department of Native American Studies
Confirmed Speakers:
• Honorable A. Brian Wallace, CEO, The Sierra Fund
• Dr. Nina Fontana, UC Davis, Research Faculty, Native American Studies
• Dr. Don Hankins, Professor of Geography, California State University Chico
10:45 am
Break
11:00 am
Session 2 – Roundtable: Collective Action on Integrating Indigenous Values into California Water Governance:
For all Tribal people, water is life and central to Tribal identity and survival. Federal and state agencies are behind the curve in integrating Tribal voices and values into the water planning, management, and cleanup. This session focuses on how to change that dynamic by bringing Tribal and allied voices together to elevate Indigenous place-based wisdom.
Session Facilitator:
Dr. James Sarmento, Executive Director Cultural Resources Division, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Confirmed Speakers:
• Honorable Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chair and TEK Director, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
• Sherri Norris, Osage Nation, California Indian Environmental Alliance
• Krystal Moreno (Yaqui/Kumeyaay), TEK Manager, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
• Joseph Miller (Big Pine Paiute), Indigenous Community Relations Coordinator, Friends of the Inyo
• Laura Feinstein, Director Resilient Landscapes Program, San Francisco Estuary Institute
12:15 pm
Lunch
1:45 pm
Session 3 – Roundtable: Knowledge:
This panel brings together esteemed Knowledge Bearers and leaders of the Sierra Nevada. They will share the importance of building meaningful connections—between communities, cultures, and the environment—as essential for ensuring sustainability and the health of the planet for future generations. The urgency of their messages serves as a call to action, inviting all to participate in this vital work of connection and healing, creating a more resilient Sierra Nevada region.
Session Facilitators:
Dr. Lisa Grayshield, Washiw Zulshish Goom Tahn Nu | Chair of the The Sierra Fund Board of Directors, Washoe
Knowledge Bearers Roundtable:
• Honorable Diana Almendariz, Elder/Knowledge Bearer, Maidu\/Wintun,
Hupa\/Yurok
• Honorable Matthew Moore, Knowledge Bearer, Nisenan/Washoe
• Honorable Chairman Ron Goode, North Fork Mono Tribe, Honorable
Chairman
• Honorable Rollie Fillmore, Elder/Knowledge Bearer, Jackson Rancheria,
Cultural Preservation Department
• Honorable Alice Lincoln-Cooke, California Indian Basketweaving
Association
3:15 pm
Break
3:30 pm
Session 4 – Panel: Agency:
Agency through place-specific knowledge rests on Indigenous knowledge’s leadership tending to land and community. Jonathan Freeman will present a values-led community development framework. Zack Emmerson will discuss using good fire for land restoration. Bill Tripp will speak to the Karuk Tribe’s blending of indigenous knowledge, land guardianship, and partnerships. Danny Manning will discuss Greenville Rancheria’s work in fire, restoration, and Tribal crews.
Session Facilitators:
Cherilyn Ashmead, Forest Business Alliance
Confirmed Speakers:
• Jonathon Freeman, Co-Director/Instigator, Native Roots Network (NRN)
• Zack Emerson, Restoration Ecologist and Burn Boss, Colfax Todds Valley
Miwok Maidu Consolidated Tribe
• Danny Manning, Assistant Fire Chief, Greenville Rancheria
• Bill Tripp, Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy,
Karuk Tribe
7:30 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 am
Opening Gathering in Ceremony
Opening Prayer:
Honored Guest Rollie Fillmore, Elder/Knowledge Bearer Cultural Preservation
Department Representative Jackson Rancheria
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, TEK Department Culture Bearers, Singers and welcome
Welcoming:
Honorable Pam Cubbler, Vice Chair, Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe
Honorable Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chair, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Introductions
9:45 am
Session 5: Institutions and Involving the Next Generation of Leaders in Technology that Supports Tribal Sovereignty
Adapting new technologies such as GIS mapping, lidar, drone studies, ground
penetrating radar, and more holds much promise for identifying and preserving
Indigenous cultural and ecological heritage. It can also be overwhelming, which is why partnering with accomplished academics and non-profit organizations is a good strategy. This panel presents successes of technology integration, preserving data sovereignty, and enthusiastic end-users.
Session Facilitator:
Dr. Rebecca Allen, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and The Sierra Fund
Confirmed Speakers:
• Brenden Mercer, MSc., RFT, Executive Director, First Nations Emergency Services Society, Video Guest
• Jennifer Fulton, Decision Support Administrative Coordinator, First Nations Emergency Services Society
• Jun Sunseri, UC Berkeley Associate Professor, Anthropology
• Dr. Nina Fontana, UC Davis, Research Faculty, Native American Studies
• FLICKER Crew, Marcus Hampshire, Sadie Hampshire, Justin Prout, Brandon Prout
11:00 am
Break
11:15 am
Action Session
12:30 pm
Lunch
2:00 pm
Option of Film or Field Tour
“Fire Tender” Film with Filmmaker Q/A
Indian Creek Field Tour: Culturally Adaptive Places and Species
7:30 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 am
Opening Gathering in Ceremony:
Honored Guest Rollie Fillmore, Elder/Knowledge Bearer Cultural Preservation Department Representative Jackson Rancheria
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, TEK Department Culture Bearers, Singers and welcome
9:00 am
Opening Remarks: Ethical Space(s) – A. Brian Wallace
“Thriving Venues of Indigenous Collaboration, Rooted in Relationships of Truth and Openness”
(1) Ethical space is a space where all knowledge systems interact with mutual respect, and kindness – no single system has more weight or legitimacy than another;
(2) One system does not need the other to “corroborate” it to achieve internal validity;
(3) Ethical space requires flexibility and patience, as unforeseen factors may (and likely will) arise; and
(4) Ethical space is not a tool for satisfying mandated consultation or accommodation steps in existing federal or provincial legislation or policies. In sum, ethical space is a relationship of peace and openness.
9:15 am
Circle of Indigenous Experts/Knowledge Bearers: What is Ethical Space and Ethical Collaboration
Session Facilitator:
Honorable A.Brian Wallace, The Sierra Fund, CEO
Confirmed Roundtable Members:
• Melba Rawko, Board Chair-Ambassador Washiw Zulshish Goom Tahn Nu
(Washoe Warrior Society)
• Honorable Diana Almendariz, Elder/Knowledge Bearer, Maidu/Wintun,
Hupa/Yurok
• Honorable Pam Cubbler, Vice Chair, Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe
• Zack Emerson, Restoration Ecologist and Burn Boss, Colfax Todds Valley
Miwok Maidu Consolidated Tribe
• Frances Ragle, Todds Valley Miwok Maidu Cultural Foundation
10:30 am
Break
10:45 am
Strategic Tribal Allies Roundtable: Efforts Reflecting Ethical Spaces
Session Facilitator:
Joan Clayburgh, The Sierra Fund, Executive Officer of Collaborations and Operations
Confirmed Roundtable Members:
• Jennifer Johnson, Acting Tribal Liaison, USDA-NRCS
• Elyane Stefanik, California Program Director, Conservation Lands
Foundation
• Zoe Watson, Program Manager, Sierra Institute for Community and
Environment
• Lucy Blake, President, Northern Sierra Partnership
• Rebecca Tortes, Director, California Tribal Fund, First Nations Development
Institute
• Mary Adelzadeh, Senior Program Officer, FDNI-Stewarding Native Lands Program
• Cherilyn Ashmead, Consultant, Forest Business Alliance
12:15 pm
Lunch
2:00 pm
Government Agency Roundtable: Agency Tribal Partnership Efforts and Ideas for Future Part 1
Session Facilitator: Dr. James Sarmento, Executive Director Cultural Resources Division, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Confirmed Roundtable Members:
• Hon. Elizabeth Berger, Dep. Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region IX, US Forest Service
• Sabine Talaugon, CalEPA Deputy Secretary Intergovernmental Relations
• Melissa Castiano (Diné), Native American Affairs Liaison, Intermountain Region, National Park Service
• Angela Avery, Executive Officer, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
3:00 pm
Government Agency Roundtable: Agency Tribal Partnership Efforts and Ideas for Future Part 2
Session Facilitator: Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Confirmed Roundtable Members:
• E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair, State Water Resources Control Board
• Leslie Hartzell, PhD, Department Preservation Officer and Tribal Liaison, Cultural Resources Division Chief, California State Parks
• Honorable Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of California Natural Resources Agency
• Dr. Jennifer Norris, Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation Board
4:00 pm
Closing Thoughts and Actionable Guidance:
A. Brian Wallace, The Sierra Fund, CEO
Dr. Rebecca Allen, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and The Sierra Fund
4:30 pm
Summit Adjournment
Traveling Song and Closing Prayer:
Honorable Guest, Rollie Fillmore, Sr., Cultural Preservation Department Representative, Jackson Rancheria
