Lena Rose Ouse Hicks, a fourth-year environmental studies major with a minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies at UC Santa Barbara, has been awarded the prestigious 2024–25 Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program scholarship. This program, sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, supports students from underrepresented communities who demonstrate a commitment to conservation, offering mentorship and professional networking opportunities.
Hicks seeks to bring TEK, which encompasses sustainable Indigenous land practices, to her conservation work. COURTESY OF LENA HICKS
Hicks, a member of the Tamal’ko Coast Miwok, grew up deeply connected to her ancestral homelands in Marin and Sonoma Counties. This upbringing shaped her understanding of the environment, weaving her cultural heritage into her environmental work.
“I had the privilege of growing up on the ancestral homelands of my tribe, Tamal’ko Coast Miwok,” Hicks said. “Being directly connected with my tribal land and getting to engage in our cultural practices is something I’m so incredibly grateful for, especially as a lot of Native people today are not as lucky. Caring for the land is inherently built into our way of life and our knowledge systems.”
Her connection to her culture and land created the foundation to incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into modern conservation practices. TEK encompasses the sustainable land stewardship practices and knowledge systems developed by Indigenous peoples over generations.
“TEK focuses specifically on Indigenous knowledge of the land and environment, with the main tenets being respect, relationality and reciprocity,” Hicks explained. “It’s about fostering our reciprocal relationship with the Earth that can guide sustainable solutions to modern environmental challenges.”
To give a deeper understanding of TEK, Hicks shared several examples of its application in California today, providing sustainable solutions rooted in Indigenous knowledge. “Large projects of TEK in action can be seen with the various Klamath tribes in restoring the river from all the dam degradation and returning of the salmon; the Kashia Band of Pomo tribe in restoring abalone populations; the North Fork Mono tribe in restoring meadows in the Sierra National Forest. These are just a few examples of California tribes who are able to utilize their TEK by being supported by the surrounding community to regain their own sovereignty and have a say in how the land is cared for”.
Hicks also highlighted the importance of community collaboration in conservation. Her work involves partnering with Native communities in specific regions to preserve and maintain ecosystems using TEK.
“TEK is about more than preserving cultural practices—it’s about fostering our reciprocal relationship with the earth that can guide sustainable solutions to modern environmental challenges,” she added. “TEK emphasizes the relationship with the environment while respecting tribal sovereignty.”
The Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program has provided Hicks with unique opportunities to deepen her impact. She recently attended Rally 2024: The National Land Conservation Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, where she met conservation professionals and gained insights into land trusts — nonprofit organizations that acquire and manage land to preserve natural, cultural or recreational resources. Hicks plans to apply this knowledge in her future work, focusing on how land trusts can incorporate TEK and respect Indigenous land stewardship practices.
Beyond her scholarship, Hicks demonstrates leadership at UCSB. As a co-teacher for Traditional Ecological Knowledge Studies (ENV S 194TK), she mentors students in cultivating native plants while introducing them to Indigenous traditions of sustainability. She is also the Native Families Food Security Coordinator (an officer for the American Indian and Indigenous Students Association), the president of Making Adventures Possible for All Students, which promotes equitable access to outdoor spaces, and does research as a part of FUERTE. Through these programs Hicks says she has been “supported throughout my college career by my community and everything I do is to return that support. I’ve been so fortunate to have programs that are centered on getting underrepresented voices into these bigger fields of research, the environment, conservation, etc. that have helped me have that larger voice.”
Hicks emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge systems and the sovereignty of those who hold them. “Indigenous people do not owe TEK to anyone; we don’t have to share our traditions, ceremonies, practices or knowledge,” she said. “When we do, it is a gift, and it should be recognized and honored for its sacredness.”
A version of this article appeared on p.10 of the Nov. 21, 2024 edition of the Daily Nexus.
