Welcome to Indian Country 101
AN ONLINE TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT TRAINING SERIES BUILT WITH NATURAL RESOURCE PRACTITIONERS IN MIND
Not a practitioner? No problem. This course is will also be an informative tool for anyone that would like to know more about tribes and native citizens!
The development of the Indian Country (IC) tribal engagement series was grounded in the understanding that you can’t work with tribes in the United States without first outlining the long and complicated history of tribes and tribal governments. The mantra became “effective tribal engagement starts with knowledge and context.” IC was developed as two courses; 101 lays out the history and context for tribal engagement across the country, while course 102 builds upon the fundamentals, focusing specifically on tribes located in Washington State.
Altogether the six lessons take ~20hrs, but a large portion of that is 101(a).
For Lessons and Learner Objectives about what is included in each course and a downloadable PDF Tribal Engagement Quick Reference Guide featuring definitions, engagement tips, things not to say, and commentary, visit Indian Country 101 Resources (external link).
Meet your narrator and learn why we created this Indian Country 101 Training series.
START THE TRAINING SERIES (CLICK THE BUTTONS BELOW)
For a National Overview:
For a Washington State Overview:
PRO-TIP: 101(A) CRASH COURSE
Grab your scuba gear for 101(a) because it’s a deep dive. This foundational course will provide a robust understanding of the history of tribes by covering important historic eras. You are not going to be able to take everything in 101(a) in at once! Our suggestion is to go through 101(a) like you are speed reading for a school final, then head over to the other courses, referring to 101(a) when you have questions or need a refresher. It is a vital history you should have learned in high school. And since you likely DIDN'T, it’s important to spend a good amount of time marinating in the 101(a) lessons--even if it’s much more time-consuming than all the other lessons. Remember to KEEP COMING BACK!
Canoe families representing tribes from around the Pacific Northwest travel from La Push to the Hoh River on Washington's Olympic Peninsula for an annual Canoe Journey. © Erika Nortemann/TNC
WHAT IS IN THE COURSES?
These materials have been curated over several years and were designed to give learners access to quality information, plus allow deeper understanding and perspective of native experiences from native people. There is a lot of bad information out there on tribes. We did our best to run this content through several filters and a team of advisors to confirm the sources are solid. We will work to keep it updated and current as information changes over time and with your user feedback. Since one voice will never be sufficient in telling such complicated tales, we have integrated many other voices of tribal members and Washington state tribal governments.
For Lessons and Learner Objectives about what is included in each course and a downloadable PDF Tribal Engagement Quick Reference Guide featuring definitions, engagement tips, things not to say, and commentary, visit Indian Country 101 Resources (external link).
We have done our best to ensure the information is accessible to all learners. Transcription services for video and audio files are still in progress.
This training contains source material which includes very occasional use of profanity.
Salmon on cedar pikes for slow smoking on the beach in Neah Bay. This method is handed down to each generation and honors the salmon for its pivotal role in tribal life and culture. Photo © Cameron Karsten.
TWG & TNC JOINT OWNERSHIP MODEL
The tribal member-owned consulting firm The Whitener Group (TWG) partnered with The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Washington State chapter to produce this labor of love training series. Through this mutually beneficial partnership, TWG maintains ownership of the content and TNC maintains ownership of the content delivery.
The Nature Conservancy deeply appreciates the energy, heart, snark-swathed-insight, and dedication that Jennifer Whitener Ulrich (ahh, shucks, thanks guys) and The Whitener Group have offered to help conservation organizations like ours to do better.
For more information about this project, contact Jessie Israel, Puget Sound Conservation Director at jessie.israel@tnc.org