Wea Indian Tribe

10/09/2026

09/26/2026

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09/24/2026

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A migration thousands of miles long is now crossing North America, and for many Indigenous communities, the monarch butterfly carries deep cultural memory.

Each fall, eastern monarchs travel from Canada and the northern United States toward the oyamel forests of central Mexico. Some make journeys of up to 3,000 miles, guided by seasonal changes as they move through landscapes that span three countries.

In central Mexico, monarchs have long held cultural meaning for Indigenous peoples of the region. Purépecha traditions connect their arrival with departed ancestors. Mazahua and Otomí traditions associate monarchs with agricultural cycles and call the butterfly “the harvester.”

Their migration is also tied to stewardship across the route. Farther north, Native-led pollinator initiatives involving multiple Tribal Nations have worked to restore habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. These efforts support milkw**d, nectar plants, and healthy landscapes that monarchs rely on during migration and reproduction.

The monarch’s journey is often described as one of the most remarkable migrations in the natural world. It also reminds us that conservation is connected across borders, communities, and generations of knowledge.

Have monarchs started appearing in your community this fall?



Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas; Journey North; Xerces Society.

09/14/2026

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A major land return in the Adirondacks is placing 600 acres of forest back under Haudenosaunee care.

The Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center has acquired the wooded property in Onchiota, New York, from Paul Smith’s College for $1.1 million, with funding and assistance from The Nature Conservancy. The land lies in traditional Kanien’kehá:ka, or Mohawk, territory, within the homelands of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

The Nature Conservancy has described the acquisition as one of the largest private land returns in New York’s history. It also builds on a 2022 transfer of 330 nearby acres secured through a partnership with the Adirondack Land Trust, bringing the Cultural Center’s stewardship in Onchiota to about 900 acres.

The land will support an expanded cultural center, Haudenosaunee gatherings, land-based education, and youth programming. It will also provide a permanent home for the Native Earth Program, which brings Indigenous high school students together to build community, reconnect with the Earth, and develop environmental leadership skills.

For director David Fadden, the acquisition continues work begun by Ray and Christine Fadden, who founded the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center in 1954 to educate Native and non-Native communities about Haudenosaunee history, culture, and contemporary realities.

Plans include ecological surveys to identify sensitive areas, food and medicinal plants, wildlife habitat, and future trail routes. Conservation easements are also expected, with partners working to include Haudenosaunee perspectives and Mohawk language in the agreements.

The project draws on long-standing Haudenosaunee principles of responsibility to future generations, including care for clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems.

What role do land-based learning spaces play in keeping Indigenous knowledge strong for future generations?



Sources: North Country Public Radio, The Nature Conservancy, WWNY, Native News Online, Ictnews