Summer 2020 Newsletter
Notes from the Native Stewardship Corps - 2020 Summer Internship Program
By Sara French, Interim Executive Director
Each year, Amah Mutsun youth look forward to the Native Stewardship Corps Summer Internship Program. It’s an opportunity for high-school and college-aged students of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band to have the experience of being an AMLT Native Steward, despite only being available to work during the summer months due to their school schedules. AMLT summer interns gain valuable work experience, learn about their tribal history, and connect with the lands and practices of their ancestors – physically, culturally, and spiritually.
This year, 8 interns between the ages of 16 – 20 joined the Native Stewardship Corps for 5 weeks of work in July and August. The intern program was a great success, but like so many things, it looked quite different in 2020. On the first day that we came together in-person, AMLT staff, stewards, and interns joined in a circle, but chairs were spaced 6 feet apart, we sat outdoors, and everyone wore masks. We passed out hand sanitizer and enough cloth masks for the full week of work. We created “work pods” that consisted primarily of members of the same household, and asked stewards and interns to stick to their pods when eating, doing group work, or using the camp facilities. We bought thousands of dollars’ worth of cleaning supplies and set aside extra time in the work day for cleaning and sanitizing camp, tools, vehicles, etc. In addition to teaching interns about the “normal” hazards of fieldwork, such as heat-related illness, poison oak, and rattlesnakes (which we have encountered in Quiroste Valley!), we also developed and covered nearly 30 pages of COVID-19 prevention protocols. We created new rules for everything from making lunch to using tools to sharing the space at Cascade Ranch, and impressed upon everyone the great responsibility we all had to do things right.
It was clear that the Native Stewardship Corps’ work, which is already physically and emotionally demanding, would take extra effort on everyone’s part this summer. In spite of this difficulty, the interns showed up with love, dedication, and appreciation for their experience. Two interns, Gabriella (Gabbie) Garcia and Davin Luna-Garcia, agreed to be interviewed via email for our newsletter. Read on to hear about the internship in their own words!
Native Steward Intern Davin Luna-Garcia participating in an archaeological survey of Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument.
Native Steward Intern Gabbie Garcia standing next to burn piles that the stewards created in Quiroste Valley Cultural Preserve.
Sara: Why did you decide to be an AMLT Native Steward intern?
Gabbie: I chose to be a native intern with the Amah Mutsun Land Trust because I felt like it would bring me closer to my ancestors and my family history and teach me more about where I come from.
Davin: To learn about my Tribe, Ancestors, archaeology and to build work ethic.
Sara: What did you enjoy most about the internship?
Gabbie: The thing I enjoyed the most was being with my family. Due to Covid it wasn’t as easy for all of us to be together but we made it work and I had so much fun being out there!
Davin: Working and learning archaeology, ethnobotany, gathering sage and native plants and identifying them.
Sara: What part of the internship challenged you the most?
Gabbie: One thing that was the most challenging to me was the work. Especially when it got hot. And seeing that the stewards do this almost all year is just amazing because they really do a lot. I really appreciate all they do for the land trust and mother earth.
Davin: Working fuel reduction.
Sara: Can you describe a memorable moment from this summer's internship?
Gabbie: I had so many memorable moments working with AMLT but if I had to pick one, it would be just getting the opportunity to be out by the ocean with my family
Davin: Going to the beach finding shells, boogie boarding with my cousins at the beach, sweat ceremony learning and practicing tradition.
Sara: What new skills or knowledge did you gain through the internship?
Gabbie: I gained a lot more ethnobotanical knowledge and I also learned how to pile [create burn piles].
Davin: Learned new native plants and how to identify them. Safety in the field, good communication, tree felling techniques.
Sara: What would you have been doing this summer if you weren't doing the internship program?
Gabbie: If I wasn’t doing the internship, I most likely would’ve been laying around in my room all day doing nothing. So I am very happy we had an internship this year. It kept me very busy!
Davin: Skateboarding, hanging out with friends, staying indoors from the heat.
We are grateful to all of our interns, and stewards, for their hard work, dedication, and perseverance this summer. We are also grateful to all of you who have made this program possible, including The San Francisco Foundation, and our many generous individual donors. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s youth programs, please click here!