As 2024 winds down, I want to share some of what SEE Renewal has accomplished this year, formally welcome and introduce employees, and thank all those who have supported SEE Renewal! July marked the start of SEE Renewal’s sixth year in operation. It has been a long and rewarding journey. Since forming, the company has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, a devastating wildfire, and challenges associated with establishment and growth. Despite these trials, I am incredibly proud that the company has experienced steady growth over the last five and a half years and has completed multiple significant projects that will positively impact tribal communities for years to come. Aside from completing year five earlier in the year, 2024 has been especially meaningful. Several large-scale projects, ongoing technical and advisory retainers, sponsorships, new employees, new clients, and new and ongoing partnerships define the year. Our commitment to growth and community investment remains unwavering, and we are grateful for your continued support. I cannot overstate my gratitude to our clients for inviting us into your communities and trusting in SEE Renewal to produce deliverables critical to your paths.
This year, we have worked on significant projects involving economic development, land acquisition, agriculture conservation, infrastructure, climate, and fishing and mariculture for several clients, including the Lummi Nation, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the Pawnee Nation, and the Metlakatla Indian Community. Our work has brought about tangible changes and fostered a sense of pride and connection within these communities. Other projects involved language preservation, communication planning, wildfire prevention, organizational management, grant writing, and training. Starting in 2025, we are excited to kick off a new planning and implementation project with the Pawnee Nation Housing Authority.
Clients and partners that have worked with me on past projects know the hard work that goes into planning projects and studies, and sometimes it takes time to realize the benefits that flow from these projects. I am incredibly excited that several of SEE Renewal’s past projects yielded beneficial results for the respective clients this year. A few notable projects include the water and land analysis and associated findings report SEE Renewal developed for the All Tribes Indian Mission in 2022. This project was fundamental to applying for and receiving the required permits to drill a community water well in the Navajo Nation. The final deliverables also helped secure funding and other financial support needed to construct the well.
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma also experienced success this in 2024. Thanks to strong leadership and committed staff, the Tribe was incredibly successful this year in seeking and receiving funding for many of the priority projects listed in the Nation’s Strategic Infrastructure Plan, developed by SEE Renewal in 2022 on behalf of the Tribe. During the Pawnee Business Council’s 2024 Infrastructure Retreat, facilitated by SEE Renewal in late fall, many priority projects were identified as completed or in progress. The Pawnee Nation’s foresight and ability to undertake and carry out multiple large-scale projects is impressive, and I know the Pawnee Nation will continue to be successful in their endeavors. I feel honored that SEE Renewal’s assistance has helped in setting their path and advancing Tribal goals.
The Metlakatla Indian Community of the Annette Islands Reserve is another client that realized many of its goals this year. I have been fortunate to work with the Tribe for over 10 years and continue to be amazed by their success with every passing year. Together, we have developed several large, long-term plans that are crucial to short-term and long-term decision-making. Along with other Tribal plans, the Annette Islands Reserve Integrated Resources Management Plan, developed by SEE Renewal on behalf of the Metlakatla Indian Community in 2020-2022 and adopted by the Tribal Council and Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2023, has been key in receiving funding to implement a broad range of projects.
Additionally, I am proud and humbled that the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council successfully adopted the Hoopa Valley Land Use Plan earlier this year. The planning process was facilitated by SEE Renewal in 2022, and with tremendous input by the Hoopa Land Commission, we completed the final plan in 2023. This plan is significant because it is the Tribe’s first ever adopted land use plan. The plan-making and review process involved many hours of work with the Hoopa Land Commission and planning staff to ensure that it fully reflects the Tribal membership’s vision for land use and conservation. The document will guide land development in the Hoopa Valley for years to come.
With respect to SEE Renewal’s growing team, I am excited to announce that SEE Renewal welcomed several new employees specializing in various fields significant to the company’s work this year. I want to take this opportunity to personally welcome Muhammad Arslan, Civil Engineer; Ross Coleman, Fire Protection & Emergency Management Lead; Seth Deere (Muscogee ‘Creek’ Nation), Business Development Coordinator; Kenneth Enemy Hunter (Crow Nation), Construction Management & Energy Strategy Lead; Donald Moore (Yurok/Hupa), Indigenous Agriculture & Community Development Liaison; and Chris Vaughn, Research Assistant. These individuals have already made significant contributions to our projects, and I look forward to their continued success. I’m also excited to welcome Anne Taylor, who will be joining SEE Renewal in January 2025 as the company’s GIS Analyst & Technical Advisor Lead. Please keep an eye out for new hire press releases and corresponding “Employee Spotlights” over the next several weeks, which will formally introduce team members and provide background information on their roles, skills, qualifications, and experience.
SEE Renewal proudly sponsored and attended several events this year, including the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Sustainability Energy Conference, the Land Staff National Conference, the Great Lakes Tribal Economic Summit, and the Zuni Earth Day Event. Additionally, we will be extending our reach in 2025 through advertising that supports Native media including paid advertising with the National Center magazine published by the NCAID as well as with radio ads on Native America Calling, Native National News, and Native Voice One programming broadcasted nationally by the Koahnic Broadcast Corporation.
In 2025, we look forward to completing ongoing projects and starting new ones, including a major planning initiative with the Pawnee Nation Housing Authority. Additionally, I am excited about leading a three-day workshop at the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Native Learning Center in Hollywood Florida April 2-4, 2025. This in-person workshop will focus on building effective strategic planning skills to enhance organizational success and community development initiatives. We are also excited to attend upcoming conferences, including the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Annual Sustainability Energy Conference in Hollywood, Florida, and the Annual Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada. These events will provide us with valuable opportunities to share our work and learn from others in the field. We also look forward to continuing to grow our services in Fire Protection, Emergency Management, GIS, and Graphic Design, including onsite and remote training for fire safety, GIS, grant writing, organizational management, and planning.
In closing, I express my deepest gratitude to all those who support and appreciate the significant value of our work at SEE Renewal. Your trust and partnership are invaluable to us, and we are truly grateful for your continued support. I am also grateful for my team’s enthusiasm for sharing in the vision for SEE Renewal and for having a significant role in growing the company. Working in Indian Country and leading SEE Renewal is the single most challenging and simultaneously rewarding thing I have ever done. The work we do is truly my passion. I say that because, as humans, we cannot part from those things and people we are passionate about, even when it is challenging. So, thank you, my friends, for the challenge and love you bring to my life. I look forward to continuing this path together. Here is to another remarkable year of learning, hard work, and the mutual rewards that shall follow. May we all have a safe, productive, prosperous, and blessed 2025!
Amy Wilson, Founder & Principal Consultant
Social Economic Energy & Resource Renewal
(d/b/a SEE Renewal)
