The Forest is Our Relative:

Menominee Stewardship Shows the Power of Indigenous Voices in Forestry

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Voices of the Forest

Forests are more than ecosystems—they are memory, medicine, and home. As part of our Voices of the Land campaign, we spotlight the Menominee people’s centuries-old stewardship as a powerful testament to Indigenous leadership in shaping a just and living future. This story is not only about sustainable forestry—it’s about sovereignty, intergenerational knowledge, and the unbreakable bond between Indigenous People and Mother Earth.

*Photo: MSOE University/ Bryan Pechacek*

In April 2025, during Earth Week in Milwaukee, two Indigenous leaders from Canada—Tyler Bellis (Council of the Haida Nation) and David Flood (Ojibway, Treaty No. 9, and North America/Canada representative to the FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee)—stood alongside Satnam Manhas of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and the Menominee people to celebrate a shared vision of forest stewardship. The event honored the FSC Leadership Award given to Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE) and the Milwaukee School of Engineering for The Giving Forest Game, a digital learning tool rooted in Menominee forest values.

*Photos: MSOE University/ Bryan Pechacek*

*FSC Leadership Award. Photo: MSOE University/ Bryan Pechacek*

But the deeper story is what happens daily in the Menominee forest: a practice of land management grounded in story, ceremony, and sovereignty.

A Living Forest, A Living Culture

In Wisconsin, the Menominee manage 230,000 acres of ancestral forest. Their philosophy, rooted in Chief Oshkosh’s 1850s guidance—“What’s best for the forest, then the people, and lastly, profit”—continues to guide MTE. Only a small fraction of the forest’s potential yield is harvested, with decisions made through both GIS mapping and cultural knowledge.

*Photos: The tour by Satnam Manha from FSC-IF*

The visiting delegation toured MTE’s forest and operations, hosted by Marketing Specialist Nels B. Huse, and met with key leaders including CEO Jennifer Peters, Sawmill Manager John Awonohopay, and Forest Manager Ronald Waukau, Sr. As they travelled from Chicago to Menominee territory, the contrast was stark—the Menominee forest stood out as the first stretch of intact, biodiverse, and actively managed forest the delegation encountered.

*From left to right: Tyler Bellis (Council of the Haida Nation), CEO Jennifer Peters* (Menominee Tribal Enterprise’s President), Nels Huse (Marketing Specialist at Menominee Tribal Enterprise), and David Flood (FSC PIPC representative for Canada). Photo: MSOE University/ Bryan Pechacek

Nearly all MTE workers are Menominee. As Ronald Waukau Sr. noted, “We don’t use cookie-cutter prescriptions—we do what’s best for the resource.” MTE’s marketing Specialist Nels B. Huse added, “We can almost tell you the stump your product comes from. FSC helps us track that. Our customers care—and so does our community.”

Restoring Forests and Culture with Fire

One of the most powerful expressions of Menominee stewardship is the reintroduction of controlled burns—reviving a practice once banned through colonial policies. For generations, fire was used to sustain ecosystems, food sources, and ceremony. “When we had to stop burning, it was traumatic,” one tribal forester explained, recalling how colonial policies and fire suppression erased these practices. “Smokey Bear showed up and we lost the connection. But we’re bringing it back.”

*Photo: Smokey Bear by Satnam Manha from FSC-IF*

Menominee staff are combining science with tradition—analyzing historical survey notes and fire-scarred stumps to guide prescribed burns. These burns range from small 10-acre patches to areas over 200 acres, regenerating traditional foods and medicines. “We burned one area and tribal members came out to pick berries,” Ronald shared. “That’s the kind of outcome we want.”

Forest as Teacher, Forest as Healer

For the Menominee, fire is not just ecological—it’s cultural healing. It brings back blueberries, birch bark, and healing teas. One community member said, “I used to harvest for profit. Now I just do it for myself.” Younger generations are becoming more culturally awake, reconnecting with land-based knowledge. “The forest is not something we own. It’s something we belong to,” a staff member reflected.

Forestry as Sovereignty

MTE employs over 140 full-time staff—95% of them tribal members—and supports 8–9 contract logging crews. It’s a major economic driver, but also a symbol of sovereignty. “We’re managing for food, medicine, and the connection between people and place,” said one forester.

Yet, challenges remain. Regulatory constraints make it difficult for families to engage in cultural burning. “Burning today is like a military operation,” someone noted. Still, the Menominee continue, finding ways to balance compliance and cultural rights.

As mill manager John Awonohopay put it: “The forest isn’t just an economic asset—it’s a living classroom and medicine cabinet. Visitors come in and say, ‘I can see 20 medicines just looking out the window.’”

*Photo: Hilary J. Waukau Sr., Forestry and Environmental Resources Center by Satnam Manha from FSC-IF*

Reflections Across Territories

For David Flood, the visit was personal. A Treaty Indian who lived disconnected from his homelands for 30 years, he said, “My hope is to live the next 30 years in service to my homelands until I too become an ancestor.”

Tyler Bellis, visiting just weeks after the Haida Nation signed a landmark agreement affirming Haida Title, saw in Menominee forestry a living model of what it means to steward land through Indigenous law and values. “It offered a vision into action—and the need to always return to the people,” he reflected.

Satnam Manhas summarized it best: “Unlike extractive economic systems that lead to scarcity, this is a regenerative model rooted in action—where abundance supports land, species, and people.”

From left to right: Satnam Manhas, David Flood, and Tyler Bellis

The Menominee story is a powerful reflection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in action—knowledge that is rooted in land, passed down through generations, and lived through practice. From controlled burns to food sovereignty, from cultural mapping to community-centered forestry, these systems offer holistic approaches that integrate ecology, economy, and spirituality. In a world facing climate collapse and biodiversity loss, Indigenous Knowledge Systems are not alternatives—they are essential.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation Will Be Present at the Global Events Meeting Point in Panama 2025

Climate Week and Nature Summit in Panama

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The future of development lies in the integration of ancestral knowledge, technology, and circular economy to build resilience and adapt to climate change. From May 19 to 23, 2025, Panama will host Climate Week 2025 and the Nature Summit, positioning itself as a global hub for climate action. Though distinct in approach, both events share a vision of inclusive, transformative solutions. The FSC Indigenous Foundation’s participation—through leaders like Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim and Minnie Degawan—underscores the vital role of Indigenous voices in global climate decision-making.

Climate Week: Turning Commitments into Action

Organized by the UNFCCC, Climate Week is a global platform that brings together governments, organizations, and civil society—highlighting Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to climate solutions. In 2025, two editions will take place: the first in Panama (May 19–23) and the second in Africa, both paving the way for COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

After a pause, Climate Week returns to turn Paris Agreement commitments into action. Key themes include NDC implementation, climate financing, technology, carbon markets, and the vital role of Indigenous communities in climate governance.

Nature Summit: Driving Investment

In parallel with Climate Week, the Nature Summit will take place at Panama’s Biomuseo, uniting government leaders, investors, and experts to drive nature-based solutions. The summit seeks to align public and private investments with UN goals on climate, biodiversity, and desertification—promoting a regenerative economy grounded in ecosystem conservation and Indigenous leadership.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation will play a key role, amplifying Indigenous-led solutions and advocating for funding that reflects community priorities. As Indigenous leader Minnie Degawan affirms, “Funds must align with Indigenous priorities.” Like Climate Week, the Nature Summit offers a high-level platform to mobilize capital, partnerships, and political will through innovation, science, and ancestral knowledge.

The Role of Indigenous Peoples

Both events recognize Indigenous Peoples as essential actors in the climate struggle. Indigenous communities manage a quarter of the world’s lands, which host 80% of global biodiversity. This reality demonstrates that Indigenous Peoples are already leading solutions based on their worldviews, and that their ancestral knowledge is vital to addressing climate and conservation challenges.

In this context—where conventional solutions have proven insufficient—the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF), led by Managing Director Minnie Degawan, together with other Indigenous representatives will highlight the contributions of Indigenous Peoples in resolving the global issues.

The Foundation’s role is to showcase Indigenous forest management, ancestral governance, and intergenerational knowledge offer viable and holistic responses to climate change and biodiversity conservation. The FSC-IF aims to support efforts by Indigenous Peoples for these messages to be heard by policy makers and other actors.

It also works to ensure that global climate policies recognize and respect the territorial and cultural rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Two Paths Toward the Same Goal

Although Climate Week and the Nature Summit share a common goal, their approaches differ. Climate Week emphasizes fulfilling and following up on multilateral commitments, strengthening national and local capacities, and fostering dialogue among diverse actors through workshops, forums, and participatory spaces. In contrast, the Nature Summit positions itself as a high-level platform focused on mobilizing resources and investments, connecting governments, funders, and public sector leaders with conservation and sustainable development initiatives. While one prioritizes action through policy and planning, the other drives implementation through strategic financing and innovative partnerships. Both contribute to the same goal: a just, effective, and inclusive ecological transition.

Following the Voices That Care for Mother Earth

The FSC Indigenous Foundation’s participation in these forums is another step in the fight for climate action that recognizes the ancestral knowledge and rights of Indigenous Peoples. From their active role in defending territories to their presence in international forums, these voices are key to imagining a sustainable, just, and diverse future.

Over the years, the Foundation has worked globally alongside Indigenous organizations to strengthen their capacities, implement dialogue processes, and ensure that their priorities are at the center of decision-making. This includes training in economic development, sustainable forest management, and the design and implementation of project approval mechanisms led by Indigenous Peoples themselves.

We invite all governmental, financial, and social actors to closely follow the Foundation’s work and commit to a future where investments align with Indigenous voices and priorities. It is time for global financing to take root in these realities.

Voices of the Land: Amplifying Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Action

In honor of Mother Earth Day, we invite you to listen to the voices that have long spoken for her.

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Forests are more than trees—they are living ecosystems of culture, sustenance, and ancestral wisdom. For Indigenous Peoples, forests provide not only food and medicine, but also identity and a profound spiritual connection to Mother Earth.

And yet, with accelerating deforestation, what is at stake is not only biodiversity—but generations of Indigenous knowledge and responsible forest management practices that have quietly sustained the planet.

🌱 This Mother Earth Day, we are proud to mark the soft launch of Voices of the Land, a global campaign by the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF)—in collaboration with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)—that uplifts Indigenous Knowledge Systems as vital, time-tested solutions for climate resilience and responsible forest stewardship.

🎥 Voices of the Land | Soft Launch Video

Filmed in Aotearoa (New Zealand) during the Oceania Regional Meeting of the Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC), this video captures voices from the land—Indigenous leaders and youth expressing what forest stewardship and honoring Mother Earth means to them.

More than a vision statement, the video is a call to action. It provokes emotion, invites global collaboration, and urges decision-makers, organizations, and allies to recognize Indigenous leadership in climate solutions.

🌍 Why Voices of the Land?

This Mother Earth Day, we remember:

Indigenous Peoples protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity—yet their knowledge, languages, and cultural practices remain under threat.
25% of the world’s land is managed by Indigenous communities who have maintained these landscapes through generations of stewardship.

This campaign is a response to an ecological emergency—and a cultural one.

Voices of the Land seeks to bridge Indigenous knowledge with global sustainability efforts, advocate for Indigenous rights, and spark real action through policy, funding, and partnerships.

🌐 This Mother Earth Day, how will you stand with her?
Whether you’re a policymaker, business leader, environmental advocate, or ally, there are many ways to be part of this movement:

🤝 Advocate: Use your platform to elevate Indigenous voices in climate conversations.
🌾 Contribute: Support Indigenous-led initiatives through funding, technology, or resources.
📢 Share: Amplify the campaign in your networks and help build a global chorus for change.

📩 Interested in collaborating? Reach out to us at fsc.if@fsc.org
Together, let’s create space for Indigenous guardians of the forest to lead the way.

🌎 This Mother Earth Day, let’s not just celebrate the Earth—we must protect those who have protected her for generations.

Voices That Echo Through the Forest

Minnie Degawan at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

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From the mountain ridges of the Philippines to the halls of the United Nations, the voices of Indigenous Peoples continue to rise—not in protest alone, but in wisdom, resilience, and deep-rooted knowledge of how to live in balance with nature.

This April, as world leaders and Indigenous representatives gather in New York for the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), our Managing Director Minnie Degawan—a proud Kankanaey Igorot woman—will be there, carrying the stories and hopes of Indigenous communities from around the globe. With the theme of this year’s session focused on “Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” the moment is not just symbolic—it’s strategic. It’s a time to spotlight good practices, confront persistent challenges, and most of all, listen to those who have safeguarded the planet for generations.

As part of our Voices of the Land campaign, Minnie’s presence at the Forum is more than participation—it’s a powerful act of advocacy. In a heartfelt video message to mark the occasion, she shares, “we believe that the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples is essential to the health of our planet.” Through Voices of the Land, we are sharing real stories of Indigenous leadership in forest stewardship, language preservation, and climate resilience—stories that often go unheard, but are vital to reimagining a sustainable future.

The campaign and the Forum intersect in their urgency. While Indigenous Peoples manage over 25% of the Earth’s land surface and protect 80% of its biodiversity, their rights remain fragile, their languages endangered, and their contributions under-recognized. At the FSC Indigenous Foundation, we’re committed to changing that narrative—by investing in Indigenous-led solutions, creating platforms for Indigenous voices, and calling for meaningful partnerships across all sectors.

We are also proud to share that Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of the FSC Indigenous Foundation Council, is leading this year’s Forum as the Chair of the UNPFII. Her leadership marks a moment of great promise—one in which Indigenous voices are not only represented, but guiding the way forward.

And with Mother Earth Day approaching on April 22, this is a time to reconnect with our roots, renew our commitments, and honor the Earth—as Indigenous Peoples have done since time immemorial.

📢 Get Involved:

Watch Minnie’s video message and share it with your network.
Follow us on social media for live updates from UNPFII 2025.
Support Indigenous-led solutions and fund transformation: contact us at fsc.if@fsc.org

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