Indigenous Communities

Absent for More Than a Century, California Condors Soar Above the Redwoods Again

May 17, 2022 — Following 14 years of preparation, the Yurok Tribe and partners have begun releasing the endangered birds back into northern California, rebuilding the condor’s range and revitalizing tribal traditions.

Rulers of the Upper Realm, Thunderbirds Are Powerful Native Spirits

November 30, 2020 — Also known as Thunderers or Thunderbeings, the bird-like spirits’ particular attributes and stories can vary by tribe and even family line.

On the Alaska Coast, Native Women Are Reviving a Cozy Tradition

November 24, 2020 — The Yup’ik art of sewing feather-lined parkas for babies was nearly lost after the government outlawed the spring waterfowl hunt. Luckily, a centenarian Elder remembered how it’s done.

For These Cree First Nations, Canada Geese Are Central to Cultural Revival

November 19, 2020 — In Northern Canada, Indigenous traditions surrounding the annual waterfowl hunt have stayed resilient to challenges.

The Tale of One Tiny Songbird Is Amplifying an Ancient Mayan Language

November 12, 2020 — How a children's book about the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler became part of a movement to embrace Indigenous languages in Mexico.

An Indigenous Effort to Return Condors to the Pacific Northwest Nears Its Goal

November 05, 2020 — The Yurok Tribe plans to soon reintroduce North America's largest bird to northern California, where the raptor hasn't soared for a century.

Working to Restore Bird Habitat, I Carry On Traditions That Were Meant to Be Erased

October 09, 2020 — Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a chance to celebrate the diversity and resilience of our country’s original inhabitants, whose long-overlooked ecological knowledge can help guide conservation today.