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Telling the Story of the Land:
Revitalizing Traditional Plant Knowledge and Harvest with a View toward
Sustainability
Institutional Research Plan
The Northwest Indian College (NWIC) institutional research plan is embedded in
multiple documents, including the Native Environmental Science Program Handbook,
the Native Environmental Science Internship Handbook, and the Northwest Indian
College Strategic Plan 2010-2017. The last speaks directly to the college’s underlying
vision for increasing research opportunities for its students. The plan has four core
themes: 1) engage indigenous knowledge; 2) commitment to student success; 3) access to
higher education opportunities at all levels for tribal communities; and 4) advance placebased community education and outreach.
Three of the plan’s ten goals are especially relevant to the research project
proposed herein. The first is that “NWIC actively engages faculty and students in
research and scholarship in support of the college’s mission and programs.” This goal has
three objectives. They are to: 1) increase the indigenous body of knowledge through a
supportive environment for scholarship and research; 2) increase capacity for research
and scholarship, particularly among students and Native scholars; and 3) publish and
disseminate research.
The second relevant objective is that “NWIC promotes healthy living and
nutrition, leadership, and financial security.” One of the three objectives under this goal is
to: “conduct research . . . associated with current and new curriculum and training
projects.”
The third relevant goal is that NWIC “builds institutional and community capacity
in the marine sciences, aquaculture, and natural resources.” One of the three objectives
under this goal is to “provide education, training, and workforce development
opportunities that support the stewardship and management of natural resources.”
The Bachelor of Science in Native Environmental Science (BSNES) is NWIC’s
first four year degree program. Designed to meet the critical need for effective American
Indian leaders and environmental scientists who are rooted in their culture, the program
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emphasizes the interrelatedness and integration of Native ways of knowing, traditional
ecological knowledge, and “Western” science. Prominent program aspects include handson experiential learning and student involvement in research, internships, and community
service.
All BSNES students are required to participate in an internship. The NWIC
Native Environmental Science Internship Handbook states that internships must involve
“investigative, research-based elements [that] prepare students for further academic and
career work in science related disciplines of interest and value to tribes.” The handbook
adds that internships must include “investigative research rather than simply involve
work tasks for the intern.”
A culminating capstone project is also a BSNES requirement. As stated in the
NWIC Native Environmental Science Program Handbook, the student, under supervision
of a faculty advisor, must select an appropriate subject, perform the necessary research
and/or fieldwork, and present the findings to a panel that could include tribal natural
resource managers, tribal elders, other relevant community members, and NWIC faculty,
staff, and students.
Research Environment: Northwest Indian College (NWIC) is the only
accredited tribal college in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Rather than serving one tribe
or a closely related group of tribes, as do most tribal colleges, NWIC serves many tribes
in a large geographic region. Most tribes served are in the broad and extended Coast
Salish group. NWIC’s mission statement is: Through education, NWIC promotes
indigenous self-determination and knowledge.
The Lummi Nation School of Aquaculture was founded in 1973. In 1983, Lummi
Nation recognized the need for a more comprehensive college and chartered the school as
Lummi Community College. In 1988, in recognition of a broader mandate to serve all
Northwest tribes, the college was renamed Northwest Indian College. Accreditation as a
two-year degree granting institution was awarded in 1993 and as a four-year degree
granting institution in 2010.
The main NWIC campus is at Lummi Nation near Bellingham, Washington. Fullservice extended campuses are located at five reservations in Washington and one in
Idaho. Courses are offered through a variety of distance learning modalities nationwide.
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In the 2011-12 academic year, academic courses were provided to 1,410 students
from over 100 tribes. Over 87 percent of students were Native American, 68 percent were
female, 53 percent were 30 years of age or older, and over 38 percent were single with
dependent children (NWIC Registrar 2012). Median household income for first time
entering students was $13,552 as opposed to $56,835 for all Washington households
(NWIC AIMS AKIS 2012).
Research Statement of Inquiry
Research Goal: Revitalization of traditional plant knowledge and harvest
practices related to lowland forest ecosystems with a focus on promoting sustainability.
Research Project’s Relationship to USDA NIFA Goals: The proposed project
directly relates to Goal 3 (sustainable use of natural resources) of USDA’s Research,
Education and Economics (REE) Action Plan. Just two generations ago, tribal culture was
still inextricably intertwined with the sustainable use of natural resources. Knowledge of
plants and their cultural roles was widespread. Age-old traditional practices supporting
sustainable interactions with the environment included the harvest of plants for use in the
family, as trade items, and in other practices that helped enhance plant populations.
Today, culturally significant plants are often scattered in patchwork mosaics next to roads
or developments and are subjected to many threats, such as mowing, pollution, herbicide
application, and other barriers to their safe and culturally appropriate use. Current
management systems are in stark contrast to the sustainable indigenous activities that
took place for thousands of years. The proposed project begins to reintroduce NWIC
students and others to the basic concepts of indigenous forest knowledge. The project is
intended to help revitalize traditional knowledge and practices and expand on those
aspects by exploring the potential for innovative forest gardening practices that may
enhance and expand human use of local forest resources.
REE Goal 6 (education and science literacy) is also addressed by the project.
NWIC’s Bachelor of Science in Native Environmental Science (BSNES) in general and
this project specifically introduce students to lowland woodland habitats through field
and lab-based events involving aspects of botany, chemistry, ecology, and ethnobotany
linked to broader concerns regarding water quality and salmon habitat in the region.
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Students and interns will share knowledge gained broadly. This, in turn, will ultimately
help leaders from Lummi Nation and other nearby Coast Salish tribes make positive land
use, resource, and development decisions.
Research Need: A radical change in the cultural knowledge base and the
abandonment of many traditional practices of indigenous peoples has taken place as a
result of migration, acculturation, and interruption of intergenerational knowledge
transmission (Benz et al. 2000, Reyes-Garcia et al. 2005, Srithi et al. 2009). O’Brien
(2010) suggests that the younger generations have experienced the highest degree of loss
of cultural knowledge.
Fortunately, among American Indians in the Pacific Northwest, there is a rapidly
growing interest in returning to the culture as a means of dealing with the challenges
many tribes face, including those related to health and wellness. For example, the NWIC
Cooperative Extension Office created a Traditional Plants and Foods Program in 2006.
It annually serves thousands of people from many tribes. As a result of this program’s
influence, many tribes have initiated their own plants and foods based wellness program.
Demand for program services continues to grow.
NWIC’s educational philosophy recognizes that tribal values and beliefs are the
foundation of education. This is important, because whenever Native students’ cultural
affiliations are valued in the classroom, their motivation for learning increases (Kanu
2006). Also, incorporating local relevancy and Native history, language, and culture into
curricula improves Native students’ educational outcomes (Lipka & Adams 2002; Strand
& Peacock 2002; Research Agenda Working Group 2001). Tribal colleges improve
participation and persistence rates of Native students by creating culturally-relevant
learning environments (Capriccioso 2006).
The design of the NWIC’s BSNES program is based on solid evidence.
Emphasizing research and internships increases and enhances science education by
contextualizing it and making it relevant to regional issues (Berardi et al. 2002).
Engaging students in activities relevant to their own community helps create deep
connections between the concrete realities of local life and the abstract ideas posed by
academic science (Weeks 2003). Addressing local concerns also earns family and
community support for science education (Demmert 2001).
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Research Site: The Lummi Nation is just northwest of Bellingham, Washington,
and 25 miles south of the Canadian border. The reservation sits on a peninsula between
the Salish Sea and Bellingham Bay. In 2002, NWIC acquired over 240 acres of land
known as the Kwina Estate, which is in the heart of the reservation. Of the total acreage,
113 acres are directly across Kwina Road from the original NWIC campus. In 2004,
plans were created to develop the easternmost 40 acres into a new college campus. To
date, seven buildings have been constructed, another (the Salish Sea Research Center)
will be completed in May 2013, and two others are scheduled for completion in 2014.
The photo shows the location of the research site, the original campus (above the words
“Northwest Indian College”) and the new campus (below the words “Northwest Indian
College”).
Much of the remainder of the land is to be preserved as an ecological and cultural
resource (Mithun 2004). The property has a rich ecological and cultural history. Many
prominent Lummi grew up on or near the site and used it for resource gathering.
Most of the undeveloped property is an established native forest with cedar, alder,
and Douglas fir trees and smaller native species such as licorice and sword fern, nettles,
snowberry, and salmonberry. Generally the area has resisted the infiltration of invasive
species, though an intermediate area on the eastern edge of the forest is a mixture of
native and invasive plants. The forest landforms include a mix of striking topography and
rolling hills. The forested area provides an expanded environmental education
opportunity as well as being an asset to cultural learning programs specific to the
traditional plants in the area.
Anticipated Gains: The project begins a long-term commitment on the part of
NWIC faculty, staff, and students to thoroughly research questions related to indigenous
forest gardening practices. Indigenous forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable
plant-based production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems,
incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which
have been useful to American Indians. Project outcomes will be an increased
understanding of the requirements for maintenance, cultivation, and harvest of traditional
edible, material, and medicinal plants in woodland ecosystems of the Lummi Nation and
other nearby Coast Salish tribes. Questions answered through the research include the
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following. What was the pre-contact function of these ecosystems? How can current
vegetation be used to determine the footprint of colonization? What is the feasibility of
restoring the ecosystem to its pre-contact function? Which plant species have the greatest
potential for reintroduction success? What is the potential for restoring cultural
interaction within these habitats? Are small-scale pilot-level restoration efforts feasible
and desirable?
Since the BSNES program was founded in 2007, most research at NWIC has had
a marine focus. With the proposed project, students interested in terrestrial plant and
related topics will be better served. Finally, by creating a space for tribal elders and other
cultural leaders to interact with native plants and the land, the project will generate
stronger and deeper relationships between the college and the tribal communities it
serves.
Advancing NWIC’s Research Capacity: The project builds on existing efforts
of NWIC faculty who use this and similar ecosystems for field trips and laboratory
sessions. While NWIC faculty and staff have an interest in building the capacity for
terrestrial and botany research, staff and resource limitations have prevented a systematic
monitoring and data program directed at traditional plants. This project addresses that
challenge.
Washington State University (WSU) is NWIC’s 1862 project partner. While he
serves on the NWIC Cooperative Extension advisory board and helps guide that office’s
Traditional Plants and Foods Program, this research project offers the first opportunity
for NWIC terrestrial science faculty, staff, and students to work with WSU’s James Freed
on a classroom education project. Mr. Freed has worked extensively with indigenous
peoples internationally. Expanding NWIC’s relationship with him will have positive
long-term benefits on terrestrial research at NWIC.
Research Project Design
Project Activities and Timeline: The project title is Telling the Story of the
Land: Revitalizing Traditional Plant Knowledge and Harvest with a View toward
Sustainability. While most project activities will occur during summer quarter, others will
occur throughout the year.
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Fall Quarter 2013: NWIC’s Environmental Technician I will work with
Environmental Science 201 (ENVS 201) students to use GPS points to define the
boundary of the project site. ENVS 201, which is taught throughout the year by the
Project Director, is a field-based course that acquaints students with the flora of the
Northwest within the geographic and cultural contexts of the Coast Salish homelands. It
covers ecology, identification, and traditional uses of regional flora. James Freed from
NWIC’s 1862 partner will visit the NWIC campus at least once to work with project staff
and students to identify research methods to be used during the project.
Winter Quarter 2014: Project staff will work with ENVS 201 students to identify
plants in the project plot. This will help develop student interest in the project. Project
staff assume that some ENVS 201 students will be applicants for the two internship
positions. Students will also engage in archival research by taking a field trip to both the
local Whatcom Museum as well as Western Washington University’s Center for Pacific
Northwest Studies, where extensive photo collections and other records will be useful in
identifying historical uses of the research site.
Spring Quarter 2014: Biology 310 (BIOL 310: Ecology and the Web of
Interrelatedness), which examines the relationships between organisms and their
environments, will be taught. BIOL 310 students will do transects of the project site. At
least once, Mr. Freed will visit NWIC to work with students and to assist the Project
Director and the Environmental Technician I in the selection of the two student interns.
He will then meet with the interns and their faculty advisors to help identify specific
research questions within the broader context of the research title.
Summer Quarter 2014: At the beginning for the quarter, two student interns will
visit sites where relevant archival information is stored, including the NWIC Coast Salish
Institute (the college’s cultural arm), Whatcom Museum, Center for Pacific NW Studies,
and Lummi Nation Archives. For the remainder of the quarter, the interns will work 35
hours per week in the field and laboratory. Mr. Freed will make two site visits. At midquarter he will work directly with students. At the quarter’s end, he will participate in a
symposium at which interns make oral and poster presentations to NWIC faculty and
staff, Lummi and other tribal natural resource managers, and Lummi community
members. Poster presentations follow the guidelines of the All Nations Louis Stokes
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Alliance for Minority Participation. This ensures their appropriateness for conferences
organized by regional and national science organizations.
The year two process will essentially mirror that of year one. Additional elements
added in year two will be to possibly begin manipulation of the forest ecosystem, pursue
funding for further research, and preparation of both year one and full project reports for
NIFA.
Techniques Employed, Their Feasibility, and Project Rationale: Students,
interns, and staff will consult with the Lummi Natural Resources Department and the
NWIC Office of Campus Development to identify a specific study site that will both
serve the purposes of the research and that will be highly unlikely to be developed or
otherwise altered in the future. This will help ensure that the site will be appropriate for
long-term research activities. Due to long-term relationships with entity, the feasibility of
success is assured.
Students and interns will undertake an archival and literature review to identify to
the greatest extent possible the pre-contact uses of lowland forest habitats by Lummi
people specifically and other Coast Salish peoples generally. This will provide important
baseline information. While there are many potential sources of information, finding
reports specific to the Lummi people could prove problematic due to the relatively small
size of their territory. Finding reports on the Coast Salish peoples is much more likely.
Students and interns will conduct field surveys and analysis, including setting up
plots, specimen collection and identification, development of a data-gathering protocol,
and more. Due to the extensive experience of project staff, the feasibility of success is
high.
Experimental Design, Protocols for Collecting / Analyzing Data,
Instrumentation and their Protocols, and Type of Training Employed to Ensure
Accuracy: Project interns will establish an historical baseline of native plant occurrence
in the study area. Then they will establish current conditions of the study area, including
an assessment of the presence of invasive species. Within the larger context of the
general research question, interns will work with project staff to identify specific research
questions. Examples include the following: 1) assessment of the feasibility of restoring
native plants at the natural community level versus the pilot (small-scale) level and
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identify candidate sites where small-scale protection and restoration measures could be
implemented; 2) identify species for which protection and restoration would have the
greatest potential for success; 3) identify potential means of obtaining plants for
restoration efforts, including an assessment of possible establishment of a nursery
specific to restoration of lowland forest habitats; and 4) define potential best management
practices for restoration efforts, including examination of management methods as a
means of restoring native plant communities and assessment of the use of biological
methods for controlling invasive species.
Expected outcomes include: 1) historical baseline of existing plant life to assist in
establishing possible restoration goals; 2) identification of the long-term experimental
capacity for the chosen site; 3) identification of invasive and other non-native species; 4)
current conditions as compared to pre-contact conditions; 5) identification of the
feasibility of plant/habitat restoration; 6) identification of best management practices; 7)
initiation of a stewardship plan for lowland forest habitats (including both scientific and
cultural aspects) on the Lummi reservation; 8) identification of potential barriers to
implementation of the stewardship plan and potential activities to overcome those
barriers; and 9) public awareness education.
Communication / Dissemination Plan: NWIC has healthy working relationships
with many regional and national organizations, including the following.
• American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) – an association of
tribal colleges and universities in the U. S. and Canada.
• First Americans Land-grant Consortium (FALCON) – an association of the
1994 land grant institutions’ administrators, directors, and faculty.
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) – an organization
that works to substantially increase American Indian and Alaska Native
representation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
(SACNAS) – a society dedicated to supporting Chicanos and Native American in
pursing advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in science.
Each organization hosts annual regional and/or national conferences. Project staff
and interns will pursue opportunities to make presentations on the project at a minimum
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of one regional or national conference each year.
A final project report will be posted on the NWIC website. All tribes in NWIC’s
tri-state service area and each of the 36 colleges and universities in the tribal college
network will be notified of the report’s availability.
Articles authored or co-authored by the project’s student interns will be submitted
to relevant publications, including those of each of the above-named organizations as
well as the Journal of American Indian Education, Native American Times, and Indian
Country Today.
Anticipated Issues: One potential issue is the departure of project faculty / staff
midway through the project period. Even though NWIC personnel work on year-to-year
contracts, this is not expected to be a problem. Both the Project Director (supported with
grant funds) and the Environmental Technician I (not supported with grant funds, but a
key project player) have long histories at NWIC. It is highly unlikely that either will
leave the college during the grant period. However, should this occur, other NWIC
faculty and staff are capable of successfully fulfilling the grant requirements. Likewise,
James Freed, NWIC’s Washington State University (WSU) partner, has a long history
with WSU and is fully committed to and excited about the project.
Student intern engagement is an important element of project success. To help
ensure that selected interns are thoroughly committed to the project, the project design
includes a thorough student screening and selection process. Interested students must
complete an application which will be due no later than the end of the fourth week of
NWIC’s spring quarter each year. The application materials include: a résumé,
educational background, and work, volunteer and / or other related experiences; an essay
addressing career and educational goals and their commitment to the project; and two
letters of reference. A selection committee that includes the Project Director, the
Environmental Technician I, and Mr. Freed will review applications and rate the students.
The level of demonstrated interest in the project will be the primary criterion, with
additional consideration given to overall academic performance (especially in science
courses) and strength of recommendations. The selection of the interns will be made by
the end of the sixth week of spring quarter. This will give project staff at least the final
five weeks of spring quarter to work with the interns and explore potential project
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activities. If, during this period, red flags are raised about the selected intern(s), project
staff will revisit the selection process.
Finally, to maintain student progress, the Project Director will meet weekly with
both interns. To maintain data quality and preservation the Project Director will collect
and catalog all data gathered by the interns. He will create and control a central data
repository to securely maintain data in a consistent way. And he will work with the
NWIC Office of Information Services to ensure that project data is securely backed up.
Project Personnel and Management and Adequacy of Facilities
Roles of Key Personnel: Dr. Brian Compton, Science Faculty, at Northwest
Indian College, will be the Project Director and will work nine weeks a year supported by
grant funds. With a PhD in botany, significant experience as a Project Director of
multiple grants, and a background of research involving traditional plants in American
Indian and Canadian First Nations settings, he is an ideal project leader. He will
coordinate research efforts, identify and train NWIC students, work with James Freed to
achieve the best possible outcome, and share the results of this project with NWIC and
the broader community.
James Freed, Washington State University (WSU) Extension Educator, has a
master’s degree in Vocational Agriculture Education, with a focus in Extension
Education and Marketing. He has over 30 years experience working with American
Indians in the management, harvesting, processing, and marketing of culturally-based
products from Pacific Northwest forest ecosystems. He also has considerable experience
working with American Indians in the production of native plants to be used in forest
restoration efforts. He will work an average of nine hours per month serving as the WSU
technical and education / outreach contact for the project. Mr. Freed will provide: 1)
technical support on the growing and establishment of native plants for restoration
efforts; 2) training for students and faculty on woodlands plant inventories; 3) leadership
on the development of a native plant stewardship plan; 4) liaison with other agencies and
organizations (e.g., Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Farm
Forestry Association, Intertribal Timber Council, and Intertribal Nursery Council) to
update them on project outcomes and solicit project evaluations and support; 5) training
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for students, faculty and staff on the long term care of established native plant areas; 6)
leadership on the development of a native plant forest restoration handbook and power
point; 7) lectures in relevant NWIC courses; 8) service on relevant NWIC student
capstone project committees; 9) students with information about potential employment
opportunities; and 10) input on new curriculum development.
Sufficiency of Support Staff, Facilities, Equipment, and Instrumentation:
Charlotte Clausing, NWIC Environmental Technician I, is a White Earth tribal member
with a bachelor’s degree in botany. She has been involved in science research for either
the Lummi Nation, the nearby Nooksack tribe, or NWIC since 1996. Ms. Clausing is an
active volunteer with the NWIC Cooperative Extension’s Traditional Plants and Foods
Program and serves on its advisory board. She will assist in field operations, student
mentoring, and outreach for this project. While devoting 0.10 FTE to this project, she will
not be supported by grant funds.
The College has built an impressive infrastructure to support science research. In
2010, a new science classroom and laboratory building was completed on the Lummi
campus. Also on the Lummi campus, a second research lab is under construction, with a
projected completion date of May 2013. Equipment needs for the project are minimal and
are on hand. Forestry field instruments owned by the college will allow project
participants to undertake activities related to boundary identification using GPS or GIS
equipment, plant surveys, storing samples in an herbarium, doing transects, measuring
canopy cover using densitometers, and soil analysis.
1862 Facilities and/or Equipment Contribution: Not applicable.
Timeline Documenting Planning: Overall planning to increase NWIC’s
emphasis on science research goes back to January 2003, when administrators initiated an
extensive region wide strategic planning process that was overseen by a committee
representing the college’s constituencies. The college’s mission, vision, and purposes
were re-examined. Community needs assessments, student and staff surveys, and a
review of prior planning activities provided guidance on academic and program priorities.
A new college strategic plan was developed.
Initiative one, goal one of the NWIC Strategic Plan: 2004-2009 (NWIC Strategic
Planning Committee 2004) was to “develop baccalaureate degree programs in areas of
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high priority to tribal communities in the NWIC service area.” The college trustees voted
unanimously to make the Bachelor of Science in Native Environmental Science (BSNES)
the first such degree program. Former NWIC President Cheryl Crazy Bull (Sicangu
Lakota) stressed the college’s commitment to the program when she wrote (Williams
2008):
Native people have incredible scientific and environmental knowledge to
share as we explore how to live on the earth in a good way. This degree
honors that knowledge while exposing our students to the tools and
resources of Western science. With the advent of this degree program, we
are moving into a new arena of professional opportunity for our students
and their tribes. We are bringing together the worlds that our students live
in, our traditional indigenous world, and our contemporary world of
resource management and preservation.
During the 2007-08 academic year, the first junior level students began taking
courses in the BSNES program and the first student graduated at the end of the 2008-09
academic year.
NWIC’s Strategic Plan 2010-2017 (NWIC Strategic Planning Committee 2010)
paves the way for further growth and improvement of the BSNES program. Core theme
one of the plan is to “engage Indigenous knowledge.” Within this goal, relevant
objectives are “support four-year degree programs with culturally competent faculty,”
“increase the indigenous body of knowledge through a supportive environment for
scholarships and research,” and “increase capacity for research and scholarships,
particularly among students and Native scholars.”
Planning for this specific project began with informal conversations in fall 2012
between BSNES faculty and staff from NWIC’s Cooperative Extension Office. Mr.
Freed, from NWIC’s 1862 partner, sits on Extension’s advisory board. Through
Extension, the Project Director was introduced to and had conversations with Mr. Freed
about developing a research project related to indigenous forest gardening. Other science
faculty and staff joined in the planning, as did tribal members and students.
Collaboration / Communication / Data Sharing Throughout Project Period:
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Within NWIC, the interns will have many opportunities to make oral and written
presentations to students, faculty, staff, and community members. For example, as noted
above, interns from this and other college projects are required to make oral and poster
presentations at an annual summer internship symposium, with many people from both
the NWIC and Lummi communities present.
Regular updates about the project will be prepared by the interns and submitted to
tribal newspapers and blogs, including the Lummi Squol Quol and the newspapers and/or
blogs of two other nearby tribes. The Project Director and interns will also seek
opportunities to disseminate project information through three web-based Lummi Nation
news outlets (a webpage, Facebook page, and podcast page) and through Northwest
Indian News, a regional television news show that is broadcast into more than 50 million
households in the U.S. and Canada.
Mr. Freed will disseminate project findings to appropriate outlets at NWIC’s 1862
partner, Washington State University, and the many other organizations with which he
works.
Project Evaluation
The NWIC Director for Institutional Research will lead an internal evaluation of
the project and its effectiveness in achieving the project goal and objectives. The position
is currently vacant. A national search to fill the position is in process. The position is
responsible for maintaining current data about the college and its constituents,
preparation of institutional reports to document achievements of the college’s mission
and goals as stated in the NWIC strategic plan, and undertaking in-house evaluations of
grant-funded and research projects.
Research Goal: Revitalize traditional plant knowledge and harvest with a view
toward sustainability. Objective 1: Develop a baseline for ongoing, long-term lowland
forest research. Objective 2: Increase the scientific literacy of NWIC students and
student interns and Lummi Nation and other Coast Salish tribal members specific to
lowland forest ecosystems. Objective 3: Increase NWIC capacity to undertake culturallybased terrestrial research.
Evaluation Design: The Indigenous Evaluation Framework to be used was
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created by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium with National Science
Foundation funding. The approach uses mixed methods to guide the methodology of data
collection and analysis. The evaluation design is thorough, rigorous, systematic,
culturally relevant, and directly related to the project goals, objectives, and outcomes.
Quantitative and qualitative methods, including data analysis, interviews, observations,
document analysis, and activity assessments, will be used.
Data Collection: Once hired, the in-house evaluator will work with project staff
to create protocols and assessment tools that allow for relevant data collection. In
addition to assessing the overall project, an assessment involving each intern will also
occur. Internship supervisors will assess interns according to their employability skills
and the degree to which they achieved both broad learning objectives and project-specific
scientific, research, and academic objectives. Interns will assess their internships
experience by answering 14 questions, ranging from the specific (Did the internship
provide guidance and skills in written, oral and visual/graphic communication?) to the
general (Would you like to work in this field in the future?). The evaluation plan
establishes a process for data collection as follows.
Evaluation Questions
Data Source &
What Data are Needed
Instruments
1. How well did the project develop a baseline for a long-term lowland forest research
project?
1) What baseline data was
Project reports
1) Range & type of project-
collected that will aid in the
Project Director &
related data (e.g., historic
establishment of a long-
staff
records, plant
term
Activity protocols
census, invasive vs. native
research project?
Intern presentations
species, etc.)
2) What trends in
2) # of community members
community interest in the
attending & level of
project were noted?
involvement in
dissemination activities
2. How well did activities of the interns resonate with their expectations & the project’s
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key objectives?
1) What were the interns’
Project reports
1) Intern dialogues & self-
perceptions about the value
Project Director & staff
assessments
of the internship in
Activity assessments
in which they describe &
expanding their
Intern self-assessments
address issues of
knowledge & skills in
Intern presentations
confidence, science content
science research?
Dissemination activities
needs, & interests in science
2) How did the project
research fields
impact interns’ interest in
2) Records of project-
seeking employment in
related community meetings
science fields?
3) Conference presentation
3) What project-related
posters and/or papers
products were created by
4) Presentations to NWIC &
interns?
broader community
4) How many noninternship students showed
an interest in and/or
participated in the
project?
5) What student
participation trends were
noted in project reports?
3. In what ways did the project increase NWIC’s capacity to undertake culturally-based
faculty & student research related to terrestrial ecosystems?
1) How has the project
Project reports
1) Dialogues with NWIC
contributed to creating &
Project Director & staff
science faculty/staff, WSU
deepening partnerships with
WSU partner
partner, &
current & new research
Natural resource agency
tribal/mainstream natural
partners?
managers
resource managers about
2) What knowledge has
potential research identified
NWIC science faculty &
as a result of this project
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staff gained that will help in
2) Dialogues with NWIC
the creation &
science faculty/staff about
implementation of future
research skills, techniques,
research?
& perceptions gained
Student Plan
Two students will work 35 hours per week for eight weeks during each summer as
interns. They will identify their own specific research questions within the broader
context of the research title. In addition to limited archival and literature reviews, most of
their work will take place in the field or laboratory. For each hour in the field, interns will
invest two to three hours in the lab. Through their involvement, they will acquire
appropriate research skills while gaining an awareness and cultural appreciation of the
value of lowland forest ecosystems.
By the end of the project period, interns will have acquired increased skills and
knowledge related to literature and archival reviews, terrestrial research activities,
indigenous forest gardening practices, the biological requirements of lowland forest
ecosystems, botanical identification techniques, plant collection methodology, plant
survey techniques, research data management, working with a wide range of community
members, the intersection of science and indigenous culture, and formal scientific
research project presentation methods. Plus they will have an increased awareness of the
richness of Lummi and Coast Salish traditional ecological knowledge and culture,
especially as it relates to lowland forest plants and their environments.
Year one interns will be provided with opportunities to mentor year two interns
and also work with students in ENVS 201, BIOL 310, and other relevant courses. One
project intention is to have at least one intern prepare a publishable research report.
Through NWIC’s project partner, Washington State University (WSU), interns
will be presented with other research opportunities both with WSU and through the many
contacts of WSU’s James Freed. Because this is a long-term, locally-relevant research
project, future NWIC students will have increased opportunities to undertake terrestrial
research.
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