A LOCAL CONTRIBUTION TO SMOKEY BEAR'S HISTORY
We were honored to join Taos Pueblo elder Adolf Samora the other week at an event hosted by UNM-Taos. Mr. Samora told the story of when he and his fire crewmates from the Taos Pueblo Snowballs rescued a black bear cub while working on the Los Tablos and Capitan Fires on the Lincoln National Forest in 1950.
The bear was named “Smokey” and became the living symbol of the long-running fire prevention public service campaign. Smokey lived for the next 26 years at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.
At the event, Questa District Ranger Adam LaDell brought Smokey Bear and staff to thank Mr. Samora for telling his story and his contributions to public lands.
"The Taos Pueblo continues to be critical partner in engaging with and adapting to fire in northern New Mexico and beyond,” he said after the event. “Smokey Bear as a symbol also continues to adapt to the changing story around fire, fire adapted ecosystems and communities.”
Read “How a tribal fire crew rescued the real Smokey Bear”: https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../how-tribal-fire-crew-rescued...
Original source can be found here.
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