Reflections from the 2023 Native Steward Intern Program
By Alexii Sigona, 2023 AMLT Native Steward Intern Supervisor and Tribal Member
AMLT's Native Steward Intern program returned for Summer 2023, consisting of a variety of place-based cultural and environmental stewardship programming. Five tribal members aged 15-19 participated in this five-week program, with two interns traveling from Ohio to be involved.
AMLT Native Steward Interns visit Pie Ranch Amah Mutsun Native Plant Garden.
Interns were exposed to a wide range of careers and natural areas within the AMLT stewardship area. Working alongside California State Parks maintenance crews, interns restored public benches at Seacliff State Beach and maintained access roads at Butano State Park.
AMLT Native Steward Interns pose behind a newly installed park bench at Seacliff State Beach.
Ethnobotany and plant identification activities occurred at the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum with Rick Flores and with AMLT director of Plant Propagation Rob Cuthrell at Cascade Ranch and Quiroste Valley Cultural preserve in southwestern San Mateo County. California State parks archaeologist Michael Grone provided interns an opportunity to explore district archaeological collections and learn about site stewardship by visiting local archaeological sites. For one day dedicated to cultural activities, Amah Mutsun Chairman Valentin Lopez oversaw the interns harvesting traditional fire-starting materials: buckeye planks, elderberry shoots, and bearded lichen at the Nyland Property in San Juan Bautista.
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Director of the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program, Rick Flores, leads AMLT Native Steward Interns on an ethnobotany walk.
Tribal member and AMLT plant propagation Steward Josh Higuera-Hood oversees an AMLT Native Steward Intern in examining native seeds through a microscope.
The interns resided at the AMLT Tribal Home in Bonny Doon for the duration of the program and enjoyed hiking, making sage bundles, and getting to know fellow tribal members during their free time. For most interns, the program was their first employment experience, and they quickly acclimated to early mornings and physically challenging work. In their reflections, interns noted how they learned that they could do more things than they thought they could and that they felt proud to complete challenging tasks. Interns found the program to be important to "keep our tribe alive" and to "learn our old ways like our ancestors did."
As a former AMLT Native Steward Intern from Summer 2018, the opportunity to support other tribal members in connecting to culture through place-based stewardship was a blessing, since my own experiences helped me understand the connectedness of people and environment. I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the interns and their inquisitive questions about Amah Mutsun culture as well as their ability to persevere through challenging activities. For the final day, interns went on a rigorous sunrise hike at a culturally significant landscape in San Benito County, followed by a two-hour silent personal reflection to connect with ancestral lands and reflect on their time in the program.
AMLT Native Steward Interns and AMLT Native Steward Esak Ordonez visit Rocks Ranch in San Benito County, CA.
AMLT is grateful to all of our supporters for making the 2023 Native Steward Intern program possible, and especially to Parks California who supported this work through a grant. To make a contribution to support our Native Steward Interns in 2024, please click here!