Tim Binzen: Seeking synergy with Tribes
In the mid-80s, when Whitney Houston was topping the charts, Tim Binzen was spinning alternative indie-rock at his college’s radio station.
“I was into bands like Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr.,” he said. “I thought I was pretty cool.”
These days, as Tribal liaison for the North Atlantic-Appalachian and South Atlantic-Gulf regions, Binzen is known for his calm, cool, and collected demeanor as he guides the Service’s relationships with more than 50 Tribal Nations. Based in Hadley, Massachusetts, he enjoys helping Service staff plan and carry out effective intergovernmental coordination through technical assistance and grants.
“It is rewarding to work with Tribes and help the Service meet its trust responsibilities,” he said. “I learn something new every day.”
Binzen became interested in Tribal issues as a child growing up in northwestern Connecticut. He noticed the heritage of his hometown’s original Native American inhabitants was not recognized in local history or consciousness.
Through college studies in anthropology and archaeology and a 20-year career in archaeological consulting, historic preservation, and cultural resource management, Binzen developed relationships with members of numerous Tribes. In 2010, he started with the Service as an archaeologist with the Refuge System’s cultural resources program in Hadley. In 2017, he became Tribal liaison with External Affairs.
Binzen believes partnerships with Tribes are a natural fit because Indigenous people are skilled at land management and share many of our region’s priorities and concerns. These include natural resource conservation, aquatic connectivity, environmental education, climate change, water quality, and invasive species. He has a particular interest in helping Tribes restore native fish, wildlife, and plants on Tribal lands.
“I hope that my efforts to facilitate Tribal conservation throughout the region create a synergy and have a cumulative effect that is beneficial to both the Tribes and the Service,” he said.
During the pandemic, Binzen has gained strength and hope from the Tribes he works with. He is moved by their resilience and adaptability in the face of overwhelming odds. Their cultural values and reverence for history inspire him.
“When you work with Tribes, history comes alive,” he said. “For today’s Tribal members, history is not something abstract or held at arm’s length; it directly affects their everyday lives.”
At a time when everyone’s everyday life has been altered, Binzen is partaking in “micro-travel” with his wife — hiking local places he’s never been, despite calling the Pioneer Valley home for more than 20 years. He has two daughters, ages 14 and 18, and enjoys cycling, skiing, snowshoeing, and reading contemporary fiction.
And he still has an extensive collection of 80s LPs…although none by Whitney Houston.
