Tia Butler

Tia Butler is from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in Oregon. She is also a descendant of the Yurok, Northern Cheyenne, Iñupiaq and Sioux tribes. Tia is a Pre-Law student at the University of Oregon. She has always been passionate about climate justice and has taken part in many youth climate organizations. Tia was the community liaison for the University of Oregon’s Coalition Against Environmental Racism. She was also a fellow through Our Climate, where she followed Oregon’s 2021 legislative session. During the process, she lobbied and organized events to push 16 different climate bills, of which were ultimately passed.

Most recently, Tia was selected as a 2023-2024 UNITY Earth Ambassador. Her work is focused on the preservation of traditional foods, plants and medicines. 

About Tia’s Project

The resources of coastal tribes are becoming less accessible due to climate change, habitat loss, pollution and invasive species. During her time as a 2024 Brave Heart Fellow, Tia worked to bring attention this issue and reintroduce native plants along coastal areas of the Siletz Reservation. Restoration efforts included: medicines like tobacco, sweetgrass, sage, cedar; traditional foods like camas and berries; and saplings for basket weaving and other traditional arts like hazel, willow, cedar, dogwood and ferns.

Tia helped to organize and participated in three community projects:

• Traditional Plant Nursery: She established a nursery containing various traditional plants and medicines in collaboration with the Siletz Natural Resources & Healthy Traditions Programs.
• Siletz Tribal Health Clinic: The clinic purchased a 38-acre lot to build a garden, which holds open harvesting days and provides food sovereignty boxes to community members who aren’t able to access fresh produce.
• Seed to Ceremony Demonstrations: Another way community members have been involved is by demonstrating the process of harvesting medicines- such as tobacco, sweetgrass, sage and cedar – from seed to ceremony.

Her ultimate goal is to have a place where all of these resources can be managed in a well-maintained, pesticide-free environment that is safe for and accessible to tribal members. Tia hopes to expand the garden and continue introducing traditional foods and medicines. She hopes to build out programs similar to “Seed to Ceremony,” but with traditional arts and craft materials to help with Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society classes planned for 2025.