City Trees

January/February 2025

City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!

Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1530859

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Cities in Canada and the United States are situated on the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples who have lived on these lands since time immemorial. Increasingly, local Indigenous knowledge and steward- ship practices are being recognized in arboriculture and urban forestry. Two of the 16 objectives within the recently released the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard specify Indigenous participation and engagement in urban forestry. Unfortunately, very few resources exist for urban foresters, impeding program creation and development. To advance Indigeneity in urban forestry, this article outlines several considerations to effectively support Indigenous engagement. The SFI Standard and UNDRIP The SFI's Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard is a considerable advancement in the management of urban forests worldwide. Of the 16 objectives laid out in the standard, two relate to Indigenous Peoples: Objective 1 – Community, People, and Indigenous Participation includes the integrations of Indigenous knowledge and perspec- tives, including communication with Indigenous Peoples and meaningful opportunities for engagement in decision making processes. Objective 15 – Legal and Regulatory Compliance Including Indigenous Rights includes requirements for written policies doc- umenting compliance with Indigenous rights and recognizing established frameworks, including rele- vant laws, treaties, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Laws and treaties will vary regionally, and it is important for urban foresters to understand their social and legal obligations related to Indigenous Peoples. Many cities and counties have resources available to support decision making that involves or poten- tially impacts Indigenous Peoples, and we encourage urban foresters to make use of these resources. What is ubiquitous, however, is UNDRIP. Adopted in 2007 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, UNDRIP emphasizes Indigenous autonomy. Paramount to this is the right to self-determination, recognizing >> Hunter Goan, Navajo (Diné) is a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida. Alexander Martin authors policy briefings on Indigenous urban forestry for governmental, inter-gov- ernmental, and non-governmental organizations. Jenna Valiquette is a proud Anishinaabekwe member of Poplar River First Nation in so-called Canada and graduate of the University of Winnipeg in Indigenous Studies. Dr. Ryan Klein is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida. Indigenous Engagement in Urban Forestry 14 CityTREES

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