The black ash, an integral part of Vermont's environmental habitat, has deep cultural significance for the Abenaki and other indigenous people who use splints from these trees for basket making. The arrival of the emerald ash borer in the state has put all ash trees at risk, prompting the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry program and others to support efforts of local indigenous people to harvest black ash for splints for baskets and to save seeds to preserve the genetic diversity of local trees for future replanting.
Relevance
Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) has no resistance to, or tolerance for, the emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive pest that has been reported in several counties in Vermont. As a result, unless action is taken to conserve this species, this important riparian and wetland tree may soon disappear from the Vermont landscape. In addition to its ecological role in mitigating floods and providing wildlife habitat, black ash has very important cultural significance for the Abenaki and other Eastern Woodlands indigenous people. The Abenaki and other Northeast tribes have expressed interest in finding ways to harvest these trees and stockpile splints for basket making. In addition, they hope to save seeds to preserve some of the genetic diversity of local stock for future replanting.
Response
In response to this interest, the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry program has partnered with a basket maker from the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation; faculty and graduate students from University of Maine's School of Forest Resources; the Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment Black Ash Project coordinator; and staff from the Vermont Land Trust; the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation; and the U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, to offer an informational webinar in May 2021. Presentations focused on the cultural importance of black ash, current research, and efforts to inventory stands and save seeds. Future workshops are planned to educate the public about this species and the Abenakis' relationship to black ash and basket making.
Results
To date, 50 people have viewed the recorded webinar with 19 responding to a post-webinar evaluation survey. The majority of respondents said that they plan to share the information with others. One individual commented, "Yes, I definitely have some thoughts to take back to my community. Perhaps we should identify any healthy, seed-producing, black ash in our town and consider investing in systemic pesticide treatment. Also, I will make sure that we use/donate any black ash we harvest in a preemptive cut wisely," a reference to municipalities that are cutting ash pre-emptively before EAB infestations devastate local ash trees. As a result of the connections made and information shared during the webinar, a group of concerned citizens, organizations, and agencies are collaborating to support efforts of local indigenous people to harvest black ash for pounding splints for basket making. Joining the Abenaki basket maker in this endeavor are representatives from the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry program; the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation; the Vermont Land Trust; and the Montgomery Center for the Arts.
Public Value Statement
Black ash is an important component of wetland forests throughout Vermont and the northern United States. Decline and eventual extinction of this species due to a destructive insect pest, will have wide-reaching impact, including increased flooding and loss of habitat and a food source for many wildlife species that depend on forested wetlands. In communities with large ash tree plantings, loss may reduce the tree canopy, which provides shade, reduces rainfall runoff, and offers aesthetic benefits. Although not commercially important, black ash is valuable culturally to the Abenaki and other indigenous people who over the centuries have harvested this wood for basket making and other uses. Should the black ash disappear from Vermont forests, the cultural traditions associated with this species will be lost as well.