Join us for a tour of the native plants on campus with the Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) team! This tour will be led by Judy Bluehorse Skelton (Nez Perce/Cherokee), Associate Professor (Ret.) in the Indigenous Nations Studies program, and Emma Johnson (Cowlitz), ITECK Coordinator.
Judy BlueHorse Skelton developed and taught courses in the Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) Certificate Program, including Indigenous Ecological Healing Practices, Indigenous Leadership for Sustainable Futures, and Indigenous Gardens and Food Justice. She’s worked with federal, state and local governments, Native organizations and tribes throughout the Northwest for more than 30 years, conducting cultural activities and research to reclaim the urban forest for food, medicine, ceremony, and healthy lifeways, integrating ITECK practices with Indigenous community and student-centered projects on urban/regional sites. Judy has advised on PSU’s Native American Student and Community Center, the Vernier Science Center, the Native Gathering Gardens at Cully Park, and most recently the Center for Tribal Nations in the OMSI District and the Oak Savanna ITECK Center.
Emma Johnson focuses on community engagement, partnership development, and cultivating a sense of belonging for students. She is extremely passionate about place-based education and connecting people to the landscape by introducing them to plant and animal relatives.
We will meet at the JSMA at PSU and then go on a walking tour of campus, highlighting the plants around the Vernier Science Center and the Oak Savanna.