Native American Fish & Wildlife Society

TO ASSIST NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKA NATIVE TRIBES WITH THE CONSERVATION, PROTECTION, AND ENHANCEMENT OF THEIR FISH, WILDLIFE, HABITAT AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.

FOR MORE THAN 38 YEARS, THE NATIVE AMERICAN FISH & WILDLIFE SOCIETY (NAFWS), AN INTERTRIBAL NON-PROFIT 501(C)3, HAS STRIVED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS MEMBERS AND MEMBER TRIBES; DIRECTLY, THROUGH CONFERENCES, TRAINING, YOUTH EDUCATION, AND INDIRECTLY; THROUGH ONGOING SUPPORT OF, AND PROVIDING VENUES FOR GOVERNMENT CONSULTATIONS, DISCUSSIONS, AND BY PARTICIPATING WITH INNOVATIVE PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES IN INDIAN COUNTRY. THESE INCLUDED THE 38TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE PACIFIC REGION AND HOSTED BY THE KALISPEL TRIBE OF INDIANS AT THE NORTHERN QUEST CASINO & RESORT IN SPOKANE, WA ON OCTOBER 4-7, 2021. DESPITE COVID AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS,120 PEOPLE FROM 104 TRIBES REPRESENTING ALL SEVEN NAFWS REGIONS ATTENDED THE CONFERENCE. IN OCTOBER, FINAL DRAFTS WERE SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST OFFICIAL VOLUME ON TRIBAL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT. THE TEXTBOOK IS SLATED FOR PUBLICATION BY JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS IN OCTOBER 2022. NAFWS WILL RECEIVE ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE BOOK SALES FOR THREE YEARS.

TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEENVIRONMENTAL TRUST DISEASE/INVASIVE SPECIES RESILIENCE PROJECT NAFWS' FISH AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS, SEAN CROSS AND COREY LUCERO PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKA NATIVE TRIBES TO IDENTIFY INVASIVE SPECIES, MONITOR WILDLIFE DISEASE CHANGES, DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS, AND DEVELOP A RESOURCE BANK TO ASSIST TRIBES IN THE PROTECTION OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND POPULATIONS. BOTH FISH AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS JOINED AND ATTENDED TRIBAL CLIMATE CHANGE WEBINARS AND ATTENDED COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE. THEY CREATED ASSEMBLAGES OF RESOURCES TO ASSIST TRIBAL NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS IN UNDERSTANDING ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE, PLANNING FOR RESILIENCE AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT CAN ASSIST IN FUNDING OR PROJECTS. THE BIOLOGISTS MAINTAIN A DATABASE THAT INCLUDES RESOURCES TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS, SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND EXAMPLES FROM OTHER TRIBES WITH A FOCUS ON INVASIVE SPECIES, WILDLIFE DISEASE AND ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES.TRIBAL CONSERVATION LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TRAINING ROBERT ROMERO, FORMER U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SPECIAL AGENT AND CITIZEN OF THE PUEBLO OF LAGUNA CONTINUED AS NAFWS' CONSERVATION LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (CLEO) CONSULTANT TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CLEO PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVITIES. MR. ROMERO SERVED AS THE LEAD OF THE NAFWS CLEO AD HOC GROUP AND COORDINATOR FOR NAFWS CLEO TRAINING. WE OFFERED SEVERAL VIRTUAL TRAININGS THROUGHOUT 2021 AND SUCCESSFULLY HELD IN-PERSON TRAININGS AT THE GREAT LAKES REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES. THIRTEEN CLEOS PARTICIPATED IN THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE PRACTICAL PISTOL COMPETITIONCHEMICAL WILDLIFE IMMOBILIZATION THE COURSE WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH DR. MARK JOHNSON, DVM AT GLOBAL WILDLIFE RESOURCES AND OFFERED TO NAFWS MEMBERS. THE INTEREST FROM FIELD STAFF WAS GREATER THAN THE COURSE HAD ROOM FOR, BUT A TOTAL OF 22 PARTICIPANTS WERE ACCEPTED AND WERE GIVEN 12 WEEKS TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING.CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TWO CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD)WORKSHOPS WERE PROVIDED TO NAFWS MEMBERS BY THE NAFWS FISH AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS AT THE GREAT LAKES REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES. THE WORKSHOPS WERE ATTENDED BY 52 MEMBERS AND COVERED SAMPLING, MANAGEMENT, HUNTER INFORMATION AND EFFORTS TO CONTROL CWD.ENVIRONMENTAL DNA/RNAA WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL DNA/RNA (EDNA/RNA) WAS HELD AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE USGS. THIS COURSE COVERED ONGOING RESEARCH, SAMPLING TECHNIQUES, MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS AND THE GROWING SCIENCE OF UTILIZING DNA/RNA TO MANAGE BOTH RARE AND INVASIVE SPECIES. FERAL HORSESA VIRTUAL TRIBAL FERAL HORSE SYMPOSIUM WAS HOSTED BY NAFWS IN CONCERT WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE (USFS) AND PRESENTATIONS BY DIFFERENT AGENCIES WITH 50 ATTENDEES. THE MATERIAL COVERED THE BASIC LAWS OF HORSE MANAGEMENT ON FEDERAL LANDS, IMPACTS TO HABITAT, IMPACTS TO WILDLIFE, ONGOING MANAGEMENT AND FUTURE HORSE AND BURRO CONTROL.

EDUCATIONNATIONAL SUMMER YOUTH PRACTICUM (SYP)NAFWS HELD THE 2021 NATIONAL SYP IN ESTES PARK AT YMCA OF THE ROCKIES. NINE STUDENTS FROM THE GREAT LAKES AND SOUTHWEST REGIONS ATTENDED. INTERNSHIPSFOUR COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN THE SUMMER OF 2021. INTERNS ASSISTED WITH NAFWS PROJECTS, THE NATIONAL SYP, AND PRESENTED THEIR WORK AT THE 2021ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE STUDENT POSTER SESSION.SCHOLARSHIPSIN 2021 WE AWARDED A TOTAL OF $6,000.00 IN NAFWS SCHOLARSHIPS TO SIX NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKA NATIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM THE SOUTHWEST (4), PACIFIC (1), GREAT LAKES (1), AND NORTHEAST (1) REGIONS PURSUING NATURAL RESOURCE DEGREES NATIONAL CONFERENCE STUDENT POSTER SESSIONWE HELD THE FIRST NATIONAL TRIBAL POSTER SESSION AND PROFESSIONAL MIXER AT OUR 2021 ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. FIVE STUDENTS PRESENTED AND 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD PLACE WINNERS WERE AWARDED.