Last December, Strategic Earth staff members, Teresa Romero and Priya Shukla, facilitated a Tribal gathering focused on coastal resilience in the Santa Barbara region in coordination with Rachel Couch (State Coastal Conservancy) and Jane Gray (Dudek).
In an effort to balance demands on Tribal capacity with the large portfolio of work planned – or, in some cases, already occurring – on Chumash ancestral territory, several agencies and organizations in the Santa Barbara region gathered with Tribal members to discuss nine local projects over two hours. Strategic Earth facilitated the evening event, which consisted of a series of brief presentations by each project, and was followed by a listening session and discussion with Tribal members.
Preparing for Effective Tribal Engagement
Several weeks in advance of the December 9th convening, the State Coastal Conservancy individually invited members of the Chumash Tribal community, with multiple gentle reminders leading up to the event. To accommodate Tribal members’ availability and work schedules, the gathering occurred on a Tuesday evening.
The City of Santa Barbara provided food and drink so that all participants were well-nourished, and the City of Carpinteria, County of Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Barbara provided stipends to Tribal attendees.
Presentations were carefully structured to provide Tribal members with a broad overview of each project, with an eye towards outreach and engagement timelines, so that Tribal members could see where opportunities may (or should!) exist to provide input.
While a brief, structured Q&A was initially planned, it quickly became clear that Tribal feedback transcended individual projects, and Strategic Earth members intentionally pivoted so that the back half of the event consisted of a listening session and group discussion.
Key Takeaways from Tribal Engagement in Coastal Resilience in Santa Barbara
- A key component of facilitating this event was appreciating that relationship-building with Tribal communities is a long-term process; no single event can automatically imbue trust. Being sensitive to histories and relational dynamics, while also creating room for Tribal members to share information on their own terms, was critical for guiding the listening session and subsequent dialogue.
- Being attuned to changes in the room was very important, including being sensitive to whether the existing setup was conducive to listening and learning.
- For example, a transition to the orientation for the chairs (from lecture-style to group discussion-style) was hindered by a scheduling shift. This meant agencies and organizations were turning over their shoulders to give their attention to Tribal members seated at the back of the room during the listening session. Strategic Earth team members strategically took advantage during a brief lull after an intense share, and used it to cue the room to stand up, take a breath, and re-orient their chairs, so that the remainder of the group discussion could be more productive.
- Given that we had nine projects present, it was very helpful to use a templated slide deck to keep information at a high level and speakers on time. However, Tribal attendees did share that this volume of information was not entirely accessible. More targeted engagement in the future might be helpful.
- Tribal members expressed appreciation for the Tribal leadership that Teresa Romero provides, and requested that projects continue to fold in Tribal members and perspectives, particularly as younger generations possess both technical and cultural expertise.
This gathering offered a reminder that meaningful engagement is not defined by a single meeting, but by the care, intention, and continuity brought to the process over time. As this work continues across the Santa Barbara region, we remain encouraged by the commitment to listening, learning, and building relationships that can support long-term resilience.
For additional context on how we approach facilitation and engagement across projects, you can explore what makes Strategic Earth’s work distinct here.