I come from Pan-trk clan.

We're basically one big# family living out in the Everglades.

Living out## here is very relaxing and cleansing.

Firstly,# to be part of my people and part of my family.## I drive airboats with my family.

So driving# out there in the water, hunting and fishing,## it gives me a view of life and it makes me# mature and grow up then living out in the## city.

There's nothing like the Everglades.

I mean,# historically, it's pretty sad to see how a lot## has died out.

But for it to keep going in that# resistance is something to hang on to.

I mean,## we have these Prehistoric alligators, these# birds, all kinds of wading birds and deer and## bears.

My ancestors must have lived a really long# and hard life.

So there's a reason why they stayed## for thousands of years.

And it's something to# hang on to.

The Everglades is in many ways like## the heart of this ecosystem.

It is the source of# the freshwater supplies for about half or more## of South Florida.

It is the source of drinking# water.

It is an incredible carbon sink, which to## a great deal offsets many of the emissions# that are being produced in South Florida.# The tribal government puts a great deal of# emphasis on protecting the natural ecosystem## within the Constitution of the Miccosukee Tribe# and the very preamble of the Constitution.

There## is a duty for the tribal government to conserve# the Everglades within the Central Everglades.## There are quite a few threats to the tribal way# of life and to the ecosystem which the Tribe## manages.

There's a lot of polluted water that is# coming south from Lake Okeechobee and from the## agricultural areas which surround it.

The tribe# was successful in its litigation in the mid## 20 teens and enforcing its own water quality# standards.

Additionally there are really high## water levels covering the central Everglades.

This# is not natural.

It is the product of artificial## management which is raising these water levels# and swamping traditional tribal lands.

There## is a great deal of invasive species which are# beginning to colonize in the Everglades.

These## are disrupting the native species foodways# and settlement patterns, and there are## threats to make sukys continued access to the# natural ecosystem in here, particularly within## Big Cypress National Preserve, where the# federal government has proposed a potential## wilderness designation which could restrict# tribal access to 147,000 to 192,000 acres.# All tribes are sovereign nations.

This means# sometimes when there is another sovereign## like the state of Florida that has not# taken measures to protect the ecosystem,## the tribe can take its own measures within the# limits of its sovereignty to effect those changes.## And oftentimes, this does mean going above and# beyond what the federal or state government## would do in order to protect the Everglades.

I# work for U.S.

Fish and Wildlife, our own fish## and wildlife for the tribe.

And on a typical# day, I would always be tasked with field work and## putting that filter into data.

So it comes back to# my tribe and tells us all about our environment.## We live close to these animals, and especially# the alligators.

So that's a real big indicator## for us.

These are our big, major focus of our# department, especially our deeres giving birth on## the island still or food resources for the Deeres# because I directly comes back to my people.

A lot## of our Florida trees, native footed trees for our# medicine, are on the radar of being threatened.# So we try to match everything together and see how# can we fix this problem and what to tell the tribe## and how are we going to put this in good, valuable# data for the government?

The Everglades is a## vast space.

It is a space which was historically# effectively stewarded by indigenous peoples alone.## But for a variety of reasons, there are not quite# as many native folks left in the state of Florida.## And so we do need to depend on partners, whether# those be non-profit organizations or federal and## state agencies, because these are the entities# that often hold the purse strings, have the levers## of power, have donors and organizing capacity that# can help motivate issues and get issues in front## of Congress, in front of other decision makers.# There is not a single thing that has happened## in the Everglades over the past, I don't know, 20# or 30 years, which has not substantively been the## product of coalition building.

The problem is when# those coalitions do not include the tribe.

And so## we work really hard to make sure that the tribe# has its voice centered in Everglades restoration.# Someone has to get their hands dirty, and it has# to be someone that is native or has that blood to## be connected to the environment.

I love animals,# I have always loved animals and the outdoors.## And when I came down to the rez and I started# learning my cultural way, it really tied in to## what I want to be and who I am.

However I turn,# if I look away from my tribe or look away from the## outdoors.

It comes back to me because my blood.# I'm always going to be connected to the outdoors## and to this land.

The young folks out here# are really invested in Everglades restoration,## because it's the ecosystem that they're going# to inherit, that they're going to raise their## children and grandchildren in.

And I think many# folks who are growing up here have heard stories## from their elders about, you know, vast flocks of# migratory birds coming through of just plentiful## deer and game.

And today you don't see that.# And there is sort of an inflection point that## have reached where if major actions aren't taken,# there won't be much left for the next generation.# And I think they're realizing that and they're# getting invested in this.

The tribe really## appreciates the funding support provided by# the federal government through the EPA Climate## Pollution Reduction Grant, which was recently# awarded to the tribe this past month.

It is## $14.999 million, which is a really large sum# of money.

A great deal of this will go towards## a fleet conversion to electric vehicles.

Another# large chunk of that money is going to expand the## EV fast charging infrastructure.

Additionally,# there were funds set aside in that grant for## green building materials to help support tribal# home construction efforts.

I think a lot of## people have to come together to ensure that the# Everglades is resilient to climate change.

And so## we have to listen to the indigenous people that# are charting a very, very clear course forwards,## of course, towards restoration.

Of course# towards restoring traditional water levels,## species diversity, water quality.

Miccosukee has# been on the front lines of all of these fights## for decades, if not centuries, if not millennia.

But there is truly no substitute for Indigenous## stewardship of Indigenous lands.

There is no# Everglades without Indigenous people at the## heart of the Everglades.

And so we really have# to rally behind the tribe and its partners as## we move into a decade of increasing threats# to the Everglades ecosystem and to the health## of our state and its waters.

My message to# non-natives, please come learn our history.## We'll show you how to save our environment and# save our homeland.

The traditional and respectful## way.

We're always open to teach our history and# our culture, because we'll always stay here.

And we will never die out.