Story Published: Mar 11, 2010 at 8:27 AM PST
Story Updated: Mar 11, 2010 at 8:27 AM PST
A workshop Wednesday focused on the importance of resources.
"Culture resource and natural resource management is very vital to us as Indian people," said Nez Perce Tribe Cultural Resource Program's Nakia Willamson. "That is how we receive our identity, is from that interaction with land and resources, so that's why those things are so vital and why we continue to work on behalf of those resources."
Williamson said it is important for tribal members to understand the cultural importance of different places, especially when it comes to working with the federal government.
"Unfortunately, because of historic interaction, a lot of our children, our younger people and even older people, no longer carry that knowledge," said Williamson. "So we have to identify certain elders that are knowledgeable about those places and important activities that happened at those places."
Williamson said having the Awareness Week is a great opportunity for several different tribes and students to learn about each other.
"A lot of the students that are going to come out of universities and other higher education institutions, they are going to be the ones that are filling these jobs, they are going to be the ones working at the Corps of Engineers, they are going to be the ones working at Bonneville Power Administration and various other agencies that we work with on a continual basis," said Williamson.
Discussions and other events will continue all week.
