April 25, 2025

Dear USET/USET SPF Family,

Arbor Day began over 150 years ago to honor trees and their crucial role in our environment. This global movement now inspires millions to plant trees and raise awareness about the importance of forests. From homes to cities, trees provide clean air, support biodiversity, and offer beauty and peace.

Since time immemorial, Indigenous Communities have been the original stewards of the forests of their territories, going beyond planting and recognizing the value of forests, to building profound knowledges about trees and the forests they define. This knowledge comes not from textbooks or webinars, but from living relationships with the land. These relationships have taught us how trees provide materials for tools, medicines, ceremonies, and are woven into our cultures and lifeways. Passed down through generations, this knowledge continues to guide us in nurturing and protecting trees. Arbor Day is every day.

We share the following video as a call to action to protect the trees that sustain us for future generations. Happy Arbor Day from USET’s Office of Environmental Resource Management.

Established in 1969, the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization serving thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET is dedicated to enhancing the development of Tribal Nations, improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and improving the quality of life for Indian people through a variety of technical and supportive programmatic services.