Austin Stevenot

A member of the Northern Sierra Mewuk community and a registered member of the California Valley Miwok Tribe, Austin Stevenot serves as the Director of Tribal Engagement for River Partners. In this role, he works to build meaningful, reciprocal, and long term relationships between Tribal Nations and one of California’s leading ecological restoration organizations. His work centers on ensuring that restoration is not simply ecological but cultural, relational, and grounded in Indigenous sovereignty.

 

Drawing on a deep understanding of Indigenous land ethics, foodways, and community priorities, Stevenot helps guide large scale river and floodplain restoration efforts that braid together Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with contemporary conservation science. His approach emphasizes the return of culturally important plant species, the restoration of riparian habitat as a foundation for ceremony and language revitalization, and the creation of opportunities for Tribal youth and community members to reconnect with ancestral landscapes.

 

Stevenot also works to elevate Tribal leadership across state and national networks focused on climate resilience, blended capital, and Indigenous led restoration models. He regularly collaborates with partners to advance projects that uplift Tribal knowledge systems and expand Tribal access to land, resources, and stewardship opportunities.

 

Rooted in his identity as a cultural practitioner, father, hunter, and gatherer, he views ecological restoration as inseparable from the health and wellbeing of Tribal communities. His contributions aim to ensure that the future of California’s rivers and plant food systems is shaped in partnership with, and guided by, the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded these landscapes since time immemorial.