The Region 10 Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) presents the 2023 Hybrid Tribal Environmental Leaders Summit (TELS). Below is a share of their events information please visit their website to learn more about the summit and to register.
The Environmental Waste Management program will be attending the event held June 7-9th, 2023 in Fort Hall. Also, any Shoshone-Bannock Tribal member can register for the summit for free. Tribal ID will need to presented at check in. To register they can go to the website and enter in the code shoban4life, and it will zero out their registration fee. We look forward to seeing all of you!
Event Highlights from the RTOC Site
Be sure to visit the RTOC event website for the latest information and resources, but we wanted to share a few of the highlights from the upcoming event.
The summit is designed to assist Tribal governments in their environmental program capacity development. It is open to all, with a focus on providing opportunities for growth and development between elected Tribal Leaders, environmental staff, EPA, and other key players in tribal environmental management.
Join us on the beautiful homelands of our host, the Shoshone Bannock Tribes in Southern Idaho. If you can’t make it to Fort Hall, we hope you will consider joining us virtually! Options for registration include a highly interactive online platform (Whova) where attendees can engage in contests, vendor booths, speakers, other attendees and even arrange your own virtual meet ups! We have up to 12 booth spaces for traditional native artists or crafts, or for exhibitors with information appropriate for this venue. Register for a mere $25 for your space using the link below.
Tribal Environmental Leaders Summit (TELS)
All who register for the Summit will be granted access to the pre-summit meetings via virtual attendance as an optional activity. June 5th is our quarterly RTOC meeting, and you are welcome to listen in! The agenda will be available mid May. Then on June 6, we are hosting an inaugural Inter-RTOC “pow wow” of sorts, inviting members from the other 9 Regional Tribal Operations Committees to gather together in person for the first time in history.
In such a vast region which is home to 271 federallly recognized tribes, this Summit offers face to face opportunities to learn and connect as human beings through networking, celebration of Indigenous environmental stewardship and how that intersects with western models such as our partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency. Attendees will attend informative sessions, interact with vendors and exhibitors, participate in field trips, network with other leaders and hopefully come out of this experience with a renewed connection to our shared responsibility of environmental protection.
The main purpose of the TELS is to provide a forum for increased communication between Tribes in Region 10 and the EPA. Sometimes we invite other federal agencies who often have jurisdiction in environmental actions on tribally significant lands. In Region 10, there is great diversity in Tribal understanding of EPA programs and initiatives. Some Tribes have well-established ties with EPA and need minimal help developing their capacity to administer their own environmental programs. However, some Tribes have just entered into a relationship with EPA or plan to do so in the near future. The TELS enhances opportunities for increased communication and understanding.
TELS 23 Summit Logo
The picture includes: a seal, caribou, tipis, waterfall, salmon, buffalo, rocks, mountains of mother earth. The artist used straight pen and ink. The buffalo and eagle in the picture depict some of our sacred animals that carry our prayers to our Creator. The mountains, waterfall, and seal represent the areas where we come from in this region, all the way up to Alaska. Because we all come from different areas, it was important to include the vegetation and animals of each area and connect them, as we humans are all connected.
About the artist
My name is Burdett Osborne, but everyone has always called me Bird. I grew up on the Fort Hall Reservation and have lived here for most of my life. I graduated from Sherman Indian High School (Riverside, CA) in 1984 at the age of 17 years. I later attended the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, NM and began my degree in Culinary Arts. I was there for two years. I returned home and decided to work. I worked for the Shoshone Bannock Tribes in several capacities mainly as: Strike Team member fighting fires, Five Feathers mentoring tribal youth and working to create healthy families, Four Directions as a Drug and Alcohol counselor and working with Native Youth Visions in helping the youth, and Tribal Courts as a court process server. I also worked to get my CDL and drove as a local truck driver. For the past 4 years I have been working for the Fort Hall Casino as an Ambassador.
I started drawing when I was in the 2nd grade. In school it was typical to see me at my desk drawing and sketching. In 1995 I began selling my artwork at local venues. In 1999, I created my own business, Huuzeevah Arts (meaning: bird). In 2000 with the encouragement of my boss, I decided to travel and sell my artwork. I first went to a pow wow in Bishop CA and it was very profitable. Since that time, I have expanded my business to include mediums of pencil, ink, wood burn and acrylic painting. I have enjoyed selling locally and within several western States. I have had the opportunity to create art and logos for businesses and local vendors. Attending and selling at pow wows had been a great opportunity for me to share my passion of creating Native American Art. I have entered my artwork into several Fairs and Art Shows and have won several 1st Place and Honorable Mention awards. My name was in mentioned in a National Magazine for an Art contest that included the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. In 2004, a worker of Mr. Robert Redford asked me to create a drawing for him as a gift.
Although I was never officially trained or went to school for art, I feel that what I do comes naturally. I will often have dreams or see things in my mind, and I let that create my next projects. I can always be found with a pen in my hand and doodles on any kind of paper I can find. I enjoy creating works of art and art will always be a piece of who I am. When I’m not creating art, I enjoy spending time with my extended family, attending community events, singing at the drum at powwows, singing karaoke, and practicing my customs and traditions within my Tribe. I’m an avid hunter and enjoy spearing salmon. Following my cultural beliefs is important to me and the connection between my art and culture is entwined. I enjoy conversing with my customers, and I have had many experiences in meeting all kinds of people. I enjoy creating my art and enjoy selling to customers as they appreciate it and have stories to share.
I can be contacted at: Huuzeevah Arts, P.O. Box 110, Fort Hall ID 83203. Or via text (208) 397-8740 by email at Huuzeevah_1999@yahoo.com or on FB: Huuzeevah Arts
RTOC CONTACT INFO
Website: https://r10tels.com
Phone: 509-900-6742
Email: tels@region10rtoc.net
Mail:
Region 10 RTOC
P.O. Box 689
Spokane, WA 99210