Nez Perce Tribe's Natural Resource Manager Invited to Harvard Conference

LAPWAI, Idaho - Aaron Miles, Natural Resource Manager for the Nez Perce Tribe, was recently nominated and selected by the Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government to participate in a "Bridge Building Conference" in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The conference was held from February 21st through the 27th. Miles was one of seven participants selected from 50 nominees nationwide.

Miles said he was honored to be nominated by University of Idaho geography professor Gundars Ridzitis. His presentation at the Harvard conference focused on Nez Perce treaty rights, Nez Perce culture, and the future of the Nez Perce people in relation to property rights, water use, ranching, farming, mining, logging, and sports hunting and fishing of non-Indians within Nez Perce Country.

"The American West was founded on conflicting policies and resource use. Many of the natural resource laws were based on such philosophies as "use it or lose it" and "first in time, first in right" that encouraged poor land management practices and discouraged conservation of natural resources. Rather than understanding each other and the importance of sustaining our cultures and resources, fear of losing rights now dominates western attitudes and often leads to court battles. In the case of Tribes and the first non-Indian families who have been here several generations, its even worse because of racial and cultural barriers," said Miles.

Miles believes that better relationships must be built. The Nez Perce Tribal North Central Idaho Jurisdictional Alliance Memorandum of Agreement model is a monumental step in the right direction to begin these types of discussions to resolve conflicts.

"We are proud of Aaron's participation in the Harvard conference," said Anthony D. Johnson, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. "The Tribe is working hard on a number of fronts to attempt to negotiate solutions to difficult natural resource issues."

In May of 2003, Miles received one of four Alumni Achievement Awards from the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources for his work in educating students, faculty, and others about tribal resource management and cultural values. Currently, Miles lives with his family in Moscow and enjoys exercising Nez Perce treaty hunting, fishing, and gathering rights.

The Tribe's Natural Resources Department is involved with a number of activities that include the Snake River Basin Adjudication, water quality monitoring and mitigation efforts, Senator Crapo's elk collaborative effort for the Clearwater Sub basin, Forest Health for tribal lands, cultural resource protection, bio-control for noxious and invasive weeds, cleanup and restoration of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and wolf recovery in Idaho to name a few.