Jessica Conrad, B.A.

Board Member

Somes Bar, CA

Jessica Conrad grew up in northern California along the Klamath and Salmon rivers within what is now known as the Klamath National Forest that is the homelands of her people, the Karuk Tribe. The Karuk have a fire-dependent culture with cultural burning practices that since time immemorial have maintained rich habitats for plants and animals that her people consider to be kin. Jessica and her people hold an identity as "fix the world people," an identity that is manifested in the annual world renewal ceremony (Pikyavish) and their daily interactions with the environment. Jessica and her family depend heavily on the land for food and other resources, and continue to carry out traditional practices of hunting, fishing, and gathering. Jessica is a graduate of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Oregon, and currently works for the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources doing research and restoration projects that are helping restore elk habitat.