Nuwuvi Knowledge-to-Action: Promoting Southern Paiute and Chemehuevi Government-to-Government Consultation and Resource Management in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area and Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada
Project Duration: 2010-2012

This project funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) and administered by The Mountain Institute is creating a government-to-government consultation method for seven nations of Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute and Chemehuevi) and the U.S. Forest and Fish and Wildlife Services. It is also generating a proposed collaborative resource management plan for two protected areas. The project utilizes a series of meetings at the protected areas and on native lands with a Working Group of tribally designated representatives and tribal governments. Ecological knowledge will also be collected using ethnographic techniques with expert knowledge holders, who will also serve on a resource management advisory committee that conducts forest surveys. Finally, at the appropriate time of year multi-generational families will be invited to both protected areas to harvest pine nuts in pinion-juniper habitats, tell stories, and transmit the native language.
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Stonewall Mountain and Flat Ethnographic Project, Nevada Test and Training Range, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada

Project Duration: 2010-2011

This project focuses on the cultural and spiritual perspectives held by multiple American Indian nations about the Stonewall Mountain landscape inside the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), Nellis Air Force Base (NAFB), Nevada. The culturally affiliated tribes include four broad Numic and Yuman cultural groups: Western Shoshone, Southern Paiute/Chemehuevi, Owen’s Valley Paiute, and Mojave. The project utilizes four three-day site visits with up to 10 American Indian elders.  The project employs collaborative ethnography, where select members of the nations assist in the development of the research design and questions and conduct the interviews. Along with the research, Native American ethnographers/film technicians and the project team will develop a participatory ethnographic film about the Stonewall Mountain landscape. Beyond the film, a collaborative final report will be produced to assist NAFB to manage the area in culturally appropriate ways. Lastly, a final meeting will be held to premier the film, share the report, and discuss next steps in the collaboration among the culturally affiliated nations and NAFB.

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Interpretive Planning Project—Middle Kyle Canyon Complex, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA), Nevada

Project Duration: 2008-2012

This project initiated in September 2008 utilizes a participatory approach with seven nations of Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute/Chemehuevi) to create interpretive and educational content for planned developments in the protected area. A Working Group of tribally designated representatives co-conducted the research and writing for the project.  The Working Group also created text for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Vegetation Plan and is part of the Architecture and Engineering Team contracted for the developments. It is our hope that this participation will ensure that the developments are culturally appropriate to the nations that consider the Spring Mountains to be their creation place and an important source of resources.