Plenary: Indigenous-led Conservation & Restoration in the Great Lakes

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 9:00 am – 10:30 am CST (1.5 hours)

Watch the July 15, 2026 plenary recording here!

Description:

This plenary brings together indigenous leaders and land managers from multiple Tribal Nations in Minnesota and Wisconsin to share knowledge, experiences, and strategies in ecological restoration and conservation on tribal lands. Speakers will explore how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and cultural values are incorporated into land management priorities and how and where these intersect with western science, offering a historical perspective on these topics. Presenters will share restoration and conservation case studies and initiatives that span multiple ecosystems and incorporate climate resilience, sustainability, and food sovereignty. In addition, these projects often involve a wide variety of partnerships, from inter-tribal to local, state, and federal governments, to academic institutions, and beyond. Together, these voices will highlight the critical importance of indigenous leadership in restoration and conservation.

Panelists:

William “Nąąwącekǧize” Quackenbush

Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Tribal Member | Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) and Cultural Resources Division Manager, Department of Heritage Preservation, Ho-Chunk Nation

In 1999, William “Nąąwącekǧize” Quackenbush began his career in the Ho-Chunk Nation Heritage Preservation Department as a Land Specialist focusing on Realty, Land into Trust Applications, and Cultural & Natural Resource Management. In 2004, a request for William to be transferred to the Cultural Resources Division was approved to begin to develop a NPS approved HCN THPO Preservation Program, as well as become the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) for the Ho-Chunk Nation. William has since served as the HCN Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. In 2006, William also became the Heritage Preservation Dept. – Cultural Resources Division Manager.

Ferin Davis Anderson

Manager of Natural Resources, Shakopee Mdewakaton Sioux Community

Ferin Davis Anderson is the Natural Resources Manager for the Shakopee Mdewakaton Sioux Community’s Natural Resources Department and co-author of Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire. A book exploring the science of wildfires, the history of fire in the United States, and the relationship Indigenous people have with fire. Ferin is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota. Ferin is responsible for stewarding and restoring natural areas for the SMSC. She works to weave Indigenous knowledge and western science to practice holistic land stewardship. This includes using fire as an ecological and cultural tool to achieve beneficial and healing outcomes. Witnessing Indigenous people revitalize and reconnect with this practice has been one of the greatest gifts of her career. Ferin was also part of a team that helped bring bison back to the SMSC – a relative that will help the Community connect with the land and their culture.

Stacy Zeigler, MES

Forested Wetlands and Peatlands Manager, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Stacy Zeigler manages forested wetland and peatland projects and researches environmental finance opportunities for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s Division of Resource Management. Her primary goal is to protect and restore as many forested wetlands and peatlands as possible in ways that honor the community’s needs and values with a focus on successful long-term management. Stacy has a Masters of Environmental Science in Hydrology and Water Security from the University of Oklahoma. She has been employed at Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe for the last three years and leads the Tribal Peatland Working Group through the MNTEC (Minnesota Tribal Environmental Committee), helping to advance and uplift forested wetland and peatland restorations on Tribal lands throughout the state of Minnesota. Stacy works alongside Auralia “Rae” Bellecourt to help launch Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s first carbon market project.

James Cramton

Monitoring/Inventory Technician, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Jim Cramton performs threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant surveys for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s Plants Department before timber management practices or infrastructure/building development. Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree from Bemidji State University in General Biology. Jim has been employed for one year at Leech Lake doing plant surveys and making recommendations for protecting known TES populations. His work helps to increase prescribed fire capacity and vegetative management through NEPA compliance before those activities are undertaken. Jim works alongside the Chippewa National Forest MIST team (Monitoring, Inventory, and Survey) through an agreement furthering co-management of the forest by Leech Lake and the Forest Service. Jim has enjoyed learning about and exploring peatlands since he moved to Minnesota twenty years ago, so partnering with Stacy on her work is the opportunity of a lifetime for him.


Moderator:

Curt Meine

Senior Fellow, Aldo Leopold Foundation

Curt Meine is a conservation biologist, environmental historian, and writer based in Sauk County, Wisconsin.  He serves as Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Center for Humans and Nature; as Research Associate with the International Crane Foundation; and as Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Across his career he has worked with a wide array of organizations at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, agriculture, ecological restoration, water, climate change, environmental justice, and community resilience.  Meine has authored and edited several books, including the award-winning biography Aldo Leopold:  His Life and Work, The Driftless Reader, and most recently We Can Do Better:  Collected Writing on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy by Paul W. Johnson.

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