Senior Honors Project Spring 2022

The Solution is Beneath Us:

Using Soil Restoration as a Way to Tackle Environmental Issues in Tribal Communities

Matthew F. Martinez

San Ildefonso & Nambe Pueblo(s)

Sharing One Skin

In this article, the author; Jennette Armstrong, looks at identity as an Indigenous person of the Okanagan people in Canada. She begins by showing how she identifies herself using the names of mother and father and what those names mean to her. She then goes on to explain the responsibility of these identities saying that her responsibilities tell people what her connections are and what she needs to carry with her. She talks about how the different views on community, self, and surroundings can play a role in how we identify ourselves. “The four capacities of self”, as she calls it, comprise a person’s emotional self, physical self, intellectual self, and spiritual self. The physical is the relationship that depends on the external forces of ourselves. The emotional self is what creates the bonds between ourselves and others. The intellectual self refers to the analytical response to ideas and concepts around us. And lastly, the spiritual self is hard to interpret. In short, she describes it as a force that helps us interpret our surroundings and use that interpretation for more knowledge. From there she goes on to explain more differences between the Okanagan views and the mainstream view on community and self. With these topics being how in the community an individual can affect all of the community and similarly saying that the landscape: animals, trees, and water, are all interconnected. She ties all of these topics together towards the end of the article elucidating that the world around us is a place filled with “people without hearts”. She continues to express her concerns by showing how technology, fear, and dissociation play a part in dividing communities. She finishes her thoughts with her type of solutions going on to say that if we use our emotions and the powers of the community we can do better.

Native American Identity

In this article written by Perry G. Horse, we see who identity can tie can affect our environment around us. One of the first things that the author talks about is the ethnicity of many Native Americans. They go into detail about how it is a bit of a debate on what ethical term is to be used whether that be Native Americans or American Indians. They conclude their dilemma by saying that these terms are really up to preferences and that the usage of the words stamps their meaning. The next part of the author talks about is the power of white privilege. They conclude that by the power of whistle privilege American Indians believe that they are oppressed and conquered. Therefore led many Americans to adapt to the white’s language, government, and etc. Continuing through the article the author describes the political differences that set apart American Indians. One of these differences is the power of sovereignty. The author goes on to talk about the cultural change and personal sensibility of American Indians. These topics describe how change is a natural part of this world, but using change in Native cultures runs into problems. They also talk about the perception that American Indians have in themselves and state that a person’s identity affects their consciousness as American Indians. Lastly, the author gives their recommendations expressing that although it may seem that American Indians are becoming more like white people it is the identity we hold within ourselves that shows us who we really are.

The article begins by describing Wisconsin Farm Technology Days show. This is an event where farmers across the state show off their machines and devices used for agriculture. The article presents this information in order to state “that humankind has degraded more than 7.5 million square miles of land”(Mann). As the article continues it talks about the problems of food shortages. Saying that these shortages are causing riots and protests across the world. A solution that this article offers is looking at the soil. It described that even the most degraded soils can still be saved. At this moment the article begins to talk about the erosion problems in China; most notably the Loess Plateau. The Loess Plateau is approximately the “size of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands combined”(Mann). Danzai, the region where the Loess Plateau is located, had dealt with the Loess Plateau’s erosion problem terribly according to the article. Despite farmers constantly using the Plateau for food there was still an increasing hunger problem. The effects of this poorly handled agriculture system allowed more labor workers to dig up trees and soil in order to get paid. A small, but important issue brought up about soil degradation is the political challenges. It was hard to admit Mao Zedong’s(Chinese Communist Revolutionary) mistakes as many people will change the subject. The structure in which you plant plays an important role in restoring the soil. As the article describes, many of the terraces are structured based on nature. They call it a three-three system. This had farmers plant on only one-third of the land. With one-third of the land being filled with grass and trees to prevent erosion. The next third of land would be planted with harvestable orchards while the last third of the land was heavily planted with crops. It was in 1999 where China would use this method on the Loess Plateau. An issue that presented itself in this article was the misunderstanding of people’s knowledge. Many farmers did not understand why they had to follow the government’s instructions. The article transitioned to another situation that occurred in the 1970s. A place in Sahel Africa had major land and soil problems mostly due to drought. It mentions that when Sahel had its drought problems there was a big quantity of international aid groups helping Sahel. The article referred to another example; the Keita project. This project was established by the Italian government for Niger, Africa. This project is described by its high budget but also by its efficacy. In this project, they created dams of rocks to stop erosion and planted trees to block out the wind. Additionally, the article describes the power of economics on successful soil restoration plans. In many cases restoring the soil provides food for farmers and those farmers would be able to sell their crops. This would result in economic growth not only for the farmers but the country as well. A scientist in the 1950s journeyed to the Amazon and saw how fragile the soil was. The article states that when you cut down trees you allow the rain and sun to beat down on the soil which in turn weakens it. The concludes its claims and evidence by stressing the importance of interest in soil stating: "We're simply not going to be able to keep treating it like dirt”(Mann).

We have been using Pesticides for a long time as humans. Whether that is natural pesticide or synthetic is an important factor to mention when talking about the health of our plants. This article was written by John Unsworth, talks about the general history of pesticides from the Mesopotamian era to the present time of 2010. The article talks about the beginning practices of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Explaining that the Mesopotamia area was the place where they would have hunters gather seeds to plant. According to the article, many of these early crops died and mentions that even in today’s age that on average 35%-40% die due to disease and pests. It expands this topic by stating that the earliest record of insecticides were “Sumerians who used sulphur compounds to control insects and mites”(Unsworth). The article goes on to give more examples of repellents that ancient civilizations used. Explaining that these civilizations used both chemical and non-chemical methods. For example, they used the power of Pyrethrum daisies as an insecticide for nearly 2000 years. In the 1940s there was an increase in synthetic pesticides. In accordance with the article, these pesticides were by-products of gas production. This article mentions a major product popularized in the 1940s. This product would be DDT. In compliance with the article, the reason for DDT’s increased use was its broad coverage. It was labeled to not only prevent pests but help against malaria, yellow fever, and reduce insect-borne diseases. In the article’s timeline, many people did not have many safety concerns about these products. It was a major part of pesticide history in the publication of Racheal Carson’s book Silent Spring. The article brings up the continued research in pesticides in the 1970s and 1980s. Clarifying that this resulted in the biggest selling herbicide; glyphosate. In conclusion, the article finishes by describing the changes in that pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides have changed as the decades go by. Constantly changing not only in chemicals but in controversy as well. The lack of use and usage of these agrochemicals are what make the changes.

“Kiss the Ground” is a documentary on Netflix, designed to spread awareness about a solution that many of us overlook. Narrated by Woody Harison, he begins to talk about the future of the earth. Listing issues like climate change, global warming, natural disasters, and mass extinction. He mentions that the horrors of our future get overwhelming and at some point in all of our lives we have given up. He then begins to talk about the solution that is beneath us; soil. He says that this simple solution balances our climate, replenishes our water supply, and feeds the world. The film then cuts to a man who is a conservationist. He focuses on teaching how to farm and replenish the soil through correct farming practices. He has been to many states and the same issue he sees is soil erosion. Even in the past with America’s historical dust bowl soil was the main issue. The conservationist states that there is an educational error. Many people don’t know the processes in the soil and therefore they continue to still. The film mentions that trees and forests take in carbon dioxide and use that to feed on microbes. The film explains that in a handful of soil there are trillions of microbes. They described that the microbes break down the nutrients and minerals. Continuing, the film talks about how eating food that is taken from the ground benefits our health in a big way. Adding to that the film shows the effect of chemicals used on agriculture. Stating that using chemicals to feed or kill plants can have detrimental effects on our food and soil. The amount of chemicals used in agriculture has only gotten higher and higher. There is tons of research on pesticides and their effects on our bodies. The film shares the processes of modern agriculture and the powers of desertification. Desertification is changing soil into the desert. The microclimate is the process in which you change the soil and it affects a small piece of land. Around the world, more and more places are becoming deserts. Poor land equals poor people. Poor land leads to climate disasters. Unless we find ways to save our soil we have an estimated 60 harvest. Biosequestration is using trees, plants, crops, and techniques of farming to retain carbon from the atmosphere. Politics is a big part of global change. Creating policies, plans, agreements, actions, are all seen through politics. The way we change agriculture is a good way to change the climate. Looking at the amount of Carbon dioxide we have already put into the atmosphere simply talking about reducing emissions is not enough. We need a reduction of carbon dioxide a year to year in order to achieve drawdown. Using the process of regeneration through agriculture to better our climate. This includes growing more diversity in our farms. Regeneration is a cycle in which each factor relies on the other. According to the film, grazing with animals can either be good or bad. It’s part of the natural process to let animals roam and graze in the fields. Using livestock in order to help sequester the carbon works as a good solution. The film mentions another solution that people can do every day to help. That solution is composting. This is described as a way to gather minerals and nutrients in the soil. The film mentions the fundamentals of soil restoration. These fundamentals are a collective of what the film has mentioned before. These concepts are universal and can be used on any piece of land. One of the film’s ending thoughts is that humans started in this paradise, if we restore all the degraded land we can return to that paradise.

Currently, farming as a job is in a funny place right now. This article, “USDA Wants to Make Farms Climate-Friendly. Will It Work,” which was written by the American Prospect Blogs addresses some of the current issues when it comes to the approach to advocating for carbon-reducing farms in the U.S. The article begins by explaining how the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has recently focused on creating a zero-emissions agriculture system while under the Biden administration. The article mentions that the CDR spends 2 billion dollars on payments to farmers who switch their cropland to grass and tree planting. In the article’s claim, it states that the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) only contracts a piece of land for 15-10 years. This then results in the cropland being used for tillage and therefore releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. “The farming sector contributes about 10 percent of all of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions”, which is something that the Biden administration wants to reduce according to the article. The article mentions how in the past when farmers would participate in the programs run by the CRP would economically be mixed in opinions. On one side many did not have to do much in order to get payments from the CRP. On the other hand, the prices for cropping were higher than what the CRP would give so many farmers would take that route instead. The article says that their efforts to help solve the problem, but their participation in the CRP programs is decreasing. The article then describes a point system that the USDA uses in order to qualify farms for programs. Each environmentally friendly practice adds up to a certain amount of points. The article states that because of this system they have stopped miles of erosion. Despite all of this the article addresses the issue that farmers will simply go back to their old ways of farming after the 15-10 year contracts are done. The article describes the idea that the programs do not have everlasting benefits. Any positive step forward gets negated by one negative action. Another looming problem the article makes is how the USDA measures sequestration. The article concludes that USDA needs to find a way to create long-term changes and effects on the climate crisis.

Another important issue that was mentioned was “Figuring out how USDA measures carbon sequestration is extremely difficult”(American Prospect). In the general realm of science, this is a problem that is a work in progress. The reason for this is that there is a conclusive method that will tell you if a piece of land is restored or not. In some cases, scientists have been able to measure the amount of carbon inside a certain plant. You cannot really track how much carbon a plant needs to take in to determine a good standard of restoration. Although these problems are still ongoing there is a grand reward for solutions. When these problems find new discoveries the climate crisis will become manageable even for the stubborn.

Long ago the Great Plains was a monument for long prairies and diverse ecosystems. This article, “Managing Tallgrass Prairies for Productivity and Ecological Function,” was written by Jean L. Steiner, along with other contributors, who conducted a research project. This research project is to show research the management framework of the ecological interactions between native pastures. The article talks about a rotational system of livestock and determining how effective it may be on the land. In their research, they are comparing two types of systems; rotational stocking and continuous stocking. The article begins to unravel the enormous amount of information found throughout the research. For example the biomass of the land, monthly means of forage, temperature, and precipitation, animal performance, and soil density. In their conclusion, they found that with a rotational grazing system and continuous grazing system there were hardly any differences in plant biomass and animal productivity. They say in this article that there are minimal changes between the different systems. They conclude their article by explaining that there is still more research to be done. Stating that; “Detailed assessment of vegetative and soil biodiversity may identify responses that plant biomass monitoring and soil nutrient analysis did not detect to date”(Stenlier). They establish that with more research there is bound to be more revealing information.

This video, “Water and Climate Concerns on Washington State Dairy Farms”. was made by a Washington state program focused on the environment. The video begins by explaining that in the West, “you have more water when you don't want it and you have less water when you do want it”(Whitefield). Immediately addressed in the video was the effect of climate change in correlation with weather patterns. They discuss the water drought that occurs within the summer. This brings a hindrance to agriculture. The way the video sees tilling is that they saw that no-tilling would help the water stay within the soil. They mention how important it is for the snowpack to hold water in the soil. With climate change, snow peaks are getting less snow and therefore can not hold as much waterfront as the Earth’s natural water cycle. The video then talks about how farms in Washington around reusing water from cow manure and using it to wash cows and irrigate crops. One of the specialists states, “farming is by definition, adaptable”(Whitefield). Explaining that there is room for improvement and redevelopment.

Global Connections

Many times when it comes to Globalization there is new knowledge acquired or there is some time of the product in use. In an article named, “The invasive New Guinea flatworm Platydemus Manokwari in France, the first record for Europe: time for action is now”. This article is a report on a certain type of organism found in the soil. What makes this certain type of organism special is that it is an invasive species that can harm the soil. The article mentions that the flatworm is an invasive alien to the landscape and that its biggest threat to the soil was that these worms would feed off microorganisms that were beneficial to the soil. These flatworms destroy biodiversity and therefore create unhealthy living habitats for the soils. As a whole, the flatworm has been seen as an invasive species throughout several European countries. Part of the article talks about past invasive organisms that have affected the soil. They allude to different eras of time and new countries including North America. What they have now found is that in parts of France these flatworms are being found. The rest of the article mainly focuses on the identification of the flatworms and finding statistical readings of how many there are in France. Finally, they conclude by addressing that these invasive species have been identified however there are still questions about how it is being dealt with. At the time of writing this article, the authors address people that there is possible legislation that could help but not a clear guarantee.

In this next article, unlike a singular organism affecting the soil, it is a soil disease that is not only endangering the soil health but also endangering the health of others. In a collaborative effort, a group of people has written an article, “Soil-transmitted helminth egg contamination from the soil of indigenous communities in selected barangays in Tigaon, Camarines Sur, Philippines”. This article talks about a dangerous disease found in the soil that is affecting different Indigenous communities in the Philippines. A big factor in this article is that they mention that most of these communities are in poverty and have no material no resources necessary to keep themselves safe. They stated that their Indigenous communities take up about 9% of their total population. In the article, they conducted a study to find and detect how many people were infected with the disease. They mentioned that because the soil-based eggs that produce the disease can only occur in the defection of the soil, then the ability to detect this disease becomes easier. What they found was there was an alarming amount of infections in the three communities they tested. Along with that, they found that the high density of these parasitic eggs found in the soil will only increase the number of infections. In conclusion to the article, they stated that local communities are starting to acknowledge the problem, and have started taking action.

From the program of Global 3000, they provide a video looking at farms in Mexico. The video begins by introducing a strawberry farmer who had struggled to produce products as a result of erosion and lack of soil nutrients. The farmer who had made their business in Michoacán, Mexico describes that he had to make changes in the way he farmed if he were to keep his farm successful, He changed his irrigation technique to conserve water, and he also brought in bees in not only bring biodiversity but create new pollination. On another farm, they had help from an international service to help some of the farms in Michoacán. On this farm, they cycled through plants in order to allow the soil to heal after harvest and were given pest traps in order to refrain from using pesticides. In a big way, these methods have created new jobs for locals and built a new side of the economy. In the last part of the video, they mention that switching from a monoculture is possible and by doing so we can therefore create more biodiversity.

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