Date of Award

1-1-2014

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Richard O. Clemmer-Smith, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Bonnie Clark

Third Advisor

Christina Kreps

Fourth Advisor

William Philpott

Keywords

Indigenous rights, Mount Rainier National Park, National Park Service, Plant resources, Resource sovereignty, Traditional

Abstract

The Nisqually, Puyallup, Muckleshoot, Cowlitz, and Yakama Indian Tribes historically utilized the plant resources of Mount Rainier until the National Park Service established Mount Rainier National Park in 1899. Since 1992 there have been formal, written requests by these Tribes to revitalize the harvest of these culturally significant plant resources in their original collection location. Through archival analysis, participant observation, and interviews with Indigenous consultants, I investigated the impetus for these requests and furthermore the role of Mount Rainier in tribally relevant plant harvesting. Data indicates a lack of plant resource monitoring in the United States Forest Service has resulted in unsustainable practices that leave available resources within the boundaries of the National Park. Firstly, this research determined Tribes with historical resource connections to Mount Rainier increasingly value sovereignty over their traditionally utilized plant resources. Finally, contemporary Tribal harvesting events of plant resources in Mount Rainier National Park are indicative of a movement of resource sovereignty facilitated through collaboration rather than a revitalization movement.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Samantha Joan Nemecek

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

150 p.

Discipline

Native American studies, Natural resource management, Environmental management

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