Ashley’s Story

Ashley Russel is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTLUSI). She serves as the Interim Director of the Culture and Natural Resources Department for her tribe. In her role, Ashley works to connect tribal members with their ancestral lands, believing that natural resources, like plants and animals, are deeply tied to the tribe’s culture.

Ashley’s work is about more than just protecting the environment—it’s about healing the cultural wounds left by history. She manages a team that monitors the health of the land, ensuring that both the environment and the tribe’s traditions are preserved for future generations. Despite the challenges her people have faced, Ashley is dedicated to bringing back traditional practices that help maintain the health of the forests and rivers.

One of Ashley’s biggest passions is teaching the next generation. She involves young people, including her own daughter, in programs that reconnect them with their cultural roots and the land. By sharing her knowledge of plants, animals, and traditional practices, Ashley hopes to help them heal from the impacts of the past and carry forward the wisdom of their ancestors.

For Ashley, giving back to her community is the most rewarding part of her job. She is inspired by the resilience of her ancestors and is determined to ensure that their struggles were not in vain. Through her work, she makes a real difference in the lives of her community members and in protecting the land they cherish.

Ashley describes herself as “an Indigenous woman in science,” working to combine traditional knowledge with modern science. Her goal is to create a future where both the land and the culture of her people are strong and thriving.