Native Voices in STEM
and Professional Seminar recordings
Indigenous Ingenuity: A Path Forward Based Learning and Cultural Fire Practice in California
Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson // Hopi
February 6, 2024 @ 12:00-1:00 MST
Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson is a member of the Hopi Tribe in Northern Arizona. Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Arizona, a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University, and a B.S. in Agriculture from Cornell University. Dr. Johnson is a faculty member and Assistance Specialist within the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. His primary work is with the Indigenous Resilience Center. Michael is also a co-author on the Indigenous Chapter in the National Climate Assessment Five. His newest initiative is the call for the Revitalization of the American Indian Food System based on the stewardship principles of Indigenous conservation. Most importantly, he continues to practice Hopi dry farming, a practice of his people for millennia.
Place Based Learning and Cultural Fire Practice in California
Dr. Deniss Martinez
March 12, 2024 @ 12:00-1:00 PDT
Deniss is a community engaged environmental justice scholar. Her research focuses on finding natural resource management strategies that support Tribal self-determination and governance. Using qualitative methods and community-based research Deniss’ current work centers the stories and narratives of cultural fire practitioners in California. Her vision is to work on creating a future that centers the wisdom of Indigenous people, not just as marginally relevant but as central to environmental decision making. She believes that just as people are an essential part of the environment; decolonization, reparations, and justice are essential to a just climate future. She aims to continue work that informs both settler governments and tribal governments on best strategies towards solving the climate crisis in a way that uplifts Tribal sovereignty, ensures justice for communities of color, and builds governance, culture and decision-making based on values of reciprocity, responsibility, and seven generation thinking.
Environmental Justice in Forest Management Decision-Making
Back to the future: Indigenous relationality…
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? Eleltek Waali? (I'm Reading Country)
Dr. Don Hankins
May 7, 2024 @ 12:00-1:00 PDT
Dr. Hankins combines his academic and cultural interests through applied research of indigenous stewardship practices as a keystone process to aid in conservation and management of resources. He is currently engaged in fire and water research involving indigenous communities in California and Australia. Don has been involved in various aspects of land management and conservation for a variety of organizations and agencies including federal and tribal governments.
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"Rooted in the Desert – Farming and Seed Saving in Arid Lands"
Dr. Andrea Carter // Powhatan Renape
February 1, 2023
Dr. Andrea Yasmeen Carter is the Outreach Agronomist at Native Seeds/SEARCH in Tucson, AZ. She works with farmers and community producers throughout the Southwest in support of seed saving, seed banking, and arid land crop production. Andrea is a member of the Powhatan Renape Nation. On her maternal side she is a descendant of Tunisian Amazigh (Berber) and spent time in North Africa including an internship with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) which seeks to improve the livelihood resilience of rural dryland communities. Inspired by this experience she moved to Arizona to pursue studies in arid land agriculture after completing her B.S. at Cornell University in International Agriculture and Rural Development. She received her PhD in Plant Science from the University of Arizona where she specialized in the physiology of drought tolerance in small grains, specifically barley, with an emphasis on water use, rooting depth, and root tip traits. She believes elevating traditional agriculture, land use, and crop selection practices will be one of the fundamental strategies to meeting the food production challenges of Indigenous communities now and in the future.
"Food Sovereignty for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara People"
Dr. Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills // Hidatsa, Mandan, Nakota, and Dakota
March 1, 2023
Dr. Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills is an enrolled citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. She is also descended from the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine. She earned an associate degree in Environmental Science; bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education; master’s degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology; and PhD in Forest and Conservation Sciences. She has gardened and gathered traditional foods and medicines with her family her entire life. Currently, she serves as the Food Sovereignty Director at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College and is senior research personnel for the University of Montana on a project to develop and test a model for better supporting the professional success and satisfaction of Native faculty in STEM. Other projects she also works on include digitizing her tribal college’s special collections, developing the college’s traditional seed cache, and developing a consortium of Indigenous-led research along the Missouri River Watershed.
"Extension Programs at UN Reno" & "Tribal Hoop House Project in Northern NV"
Staci Emm // Yerington Paiute, & Reggie Premo // Shoshone-Paiute
April 5, 2023
Staci Emm was raised on the Walker River reservation in a generational farming and ranching family, and is a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe. She holds a M.A. in Agriculture from Colorado State University, and a BA in Journalism (Public Relations and Business Management) from the University of Nevada, Reno. Emm began her professional career with the University of Nevada, Reno in 2000 when she was hired as the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) agent serving three different tribes in Nevada, which included the Walker River Paiute, Pyramid Lake Paiute and Duck Valley Shoshone Paiute. In 2004, she accepted the Extension agent position in Mineral County, Nevada. Staci’s office is located in county seat of Mineral County in a town called Hawthorne, which is 32 miles from her home in Schurz on the Walker River Indian reservation. She is nationally recognized for Extension programs to build relationships with American Indians and assist them with agricultural business development. She tailored and previously lead or co-lead the following projects: People of Land; Hopi People of the Land; American Indian Outreach and Assistance Project in the Southwest; Western Region American Indian USDA Outreach and Assistance Project; Native Waters of Arid Lands and American Indian Outreach and Assistance Project. She has over 19 years of Extension teaching experience in business plan development, financial management, Indian land and water rights, Indian land leasing and niche marketing. She is the project director for the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) for Nevada’s three projects, coordinates the Nevada Tribal Advisory Committee, and works within the University land grant system to support and advocate for Indian Extension programs that support Indian agriculture and youth development. Staci’s current research focus is on how Indian land tenure systems affect agricultural profitability and rural businesses on reservations in the West; American Indian agricultural sustainability; and Veggies for Kids that is a youth nutrition program that integrates traditional foods, tribal language, and hands-on gardening experiences. Staci’s also leads two statewide agricultural programs that are the Nevada’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program (Herds & Harvest), and the Nevada Risk Management Project that assists producers with mitigating risk in their agriculture operations.
Reggie Premo is a member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley reservation that encompasses northeastern NV and southern ID, he is a descendant of the Tosawihi (White Knife) band of Western Shoshone. Reggie was raised on a cattle ranch and currently grows alfalfa hay and assists local producers on the reservation with cropland development. Reggie has been employed with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Native Programs as the Community Outreach Specialist based on the Duck Valley Reservation in Owyhee, NV since yr. 2010. He is responsible for coordinating and scheduling educational activities regarding nutrition, organizational development, natural resources, and agriculture for constituents. Constructing hoop houses and providing education and outreach assistance for Nevada tribes & communities has been a major part of his work.
"Indigeponics: Indigenizing Controlled Environment Agriculture" & "Off-Grid CEA Greenhouse for Food Production: A Collaborative Pilot Project between Diné College and the University of Arizona"
Chantel Harrison // Diné, & Jaymus Lee // Diné
May 3, 2023
Chantel Harrison is a graduate student at the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture PSM program. She is a UArizona IndigeFEWSS Fellow, UArizona Sloan Scholar, and Native Pathways Fellow. Her current work focuses on sustainable food systems in Indigenous communities utilizing controlled environment agriculture (CEA) from an indigenous perspective. She is currently leading an Indigenous greenhouse research project which aims to respectfully cultivate indigenous plants in partnership with indigenous growers and organizations. Additionally, her work with Indige Planted LLC aims to empower tribal communities to reconnect with plant relatives through garden education and indigenizing STEM curriculum. Long-term, her interests include contributing solutions that address food sovereignty and food accessibility in urban and rural Indigenous communities.
Jaymus Lee is a graduate student at the University of Arizona’s Applied Biosciences PSM program in Controlled Environment Agriculture within the Department of Biosystems Engineering. He is Diné, a member of the Navajo Nation whose family comes from the Four Corners area. He completed the Indige-FEWSS NSF Fellowship and most recently worked as a Sustainable Agriculture & Water Futures Intern with the Babbitt Center. He is finalizing a pilot project between UArizona and Diné College to develop a novel and sustainable solution for off-grid food production within controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems. His current scope of work focuses on off-grid greenhouse and hydroponic system design, indigenizing STEM curriculum, and would like to further study the role of CEA systems on tribal lands to address issues in the food-energy-water nexus and food sovereignty.
"Addressing water data gaps through community-engaged projects"
Dr. Joseph Hoover
September 12, 2023
Dr. Joseph Hoover is an environmental scientist who addresses environmental exposure and health disparities using community engaged research methods and geospatial technology. His research emphasizes drinking water quality and access challenges experienced by Indigenous communities with additional interests in community engaged research methods and healthy homes. He employs a community-driven research approach to develop sustaining partnerships with communities, which includes project co-development and training. Dr. Hoover's larger research goal is to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants through use of analytical tools that communities can then build on for future efforts.
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"Merging western science and traditional knowledge of produce safety within Arizona’s Tribal lands "
Dr. Valerisa Joe-Gaddy
October 3, 2023
"From Metal Mining to Data Mining: How Indigenous Data Governance Supports Indigenous Sovereignty within an Open Science Ecosystem"
Dr. Lydia Jennings
November 7, 2023
Dr. Lydia Jennings (she/her) is an environmental soil scientist. Lydia, citizen of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Yoeme) and Huichol (Wixáritari), earned her Bachelors of Science from California State University, Monterey Bay in Environmental Science, Technology and Policy. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona in the Department of Environmental Sciences, with a minor in American Indian Policy. Her research interests are in soil health, environmental data stewardship and science communication. Lydia is a 2014 University of Arizona NIEHS Superfund Program trainee, a 2015 recipient of National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a 2019 American Geophysical Union “Voices for Science” Fellow, a 2020 Native Nations Institute Indigenous Data Sovereignty Fellow, and a 2021 Data Science Fellow. Lydia is currently a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State University’s, the School of Sustainability and the Research Fellow at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Outside of her scholarship, Lydia is passionate about connecting her scholarship to outdoor spaces, through running and increasing representation in outdoor recreation.
In lieu of a seminar recording we are pleased to share these resources from Dr. Jennings’ presentation.
resources from presentation
"Culture, Education, and Water Sovereignty in Southern California Tribal Communities"
Dr. Vincent Whipple
December 5, 2023
Dr. Vincent Whipple is an American Indian Educator from the Lakota/Sioux and Dine'/Navajo Tribes. His experience in higher education and Native American Studies includes roles with Cal State Long Beach, San Diego State University, Cal State San Bernardino, and Cal Poly Pomona. Dr. Whipple has worked extensively with Southern California tribal nations and Native organizations for over 25 years. He is a performing artist and has been the Artistic Director for the Wichozani Native American Dance & Theater Company, a Southern California based Indigenous theater company, since 1991. Dr. Whipple received his academic degrees from Fielding Graduate University (Doctor of Education), UCLA (Masters in American Indian Studies), and Harvard University (Bachelors in Anthropology). Dr. Whipple is a post doctoral Fellow mentored by Dr. Karletta Chief in the University of Arizona Indigenous Resilience Center and working with the Native FEWS Alliance.
Due to the nature of the material, Dr. Whipple's presentation was not recorded. This documentary is relevant to the work and research Dr. Whipple conducts with California tribal nations.
"Utilizing Diné Science and Innovation to Tackle Long-Standing Water Challenges in Diné Communities"
Dr. Ranalda Tsosie // Diné
January 24, 2022
Dr. Ranalda Tsosie (Diné) is a post-doctoral scholar at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. She is currently working on a point of use filter optimization project and continuing to work with Indigenous communities and water challenges. Dr. Tsosie completed Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a subject emphasis in the fields of Chemistry, Geosciences and Environmental Science/Studies from the University of Montana. Her graduate research brought together Diné and western scientific perspectives to address water contamination in her home community of Tółikan, AZ and the surrounding communities. She has experience working within Indigenous communities, implementing and practicing Indigenous Research Methodologies. In her free time, she enjoys beading, sewing, practicing traditional Diné arts and baking.
"Mining and wildfire driven changes alter metals mobilization: Restorative and mechanistic insights"
Dr. Cherie DeVore // Diné
February 14, 2022
Dr. Cherie DeVore, Diné, is from Tsinyaanalk’id near Crownpoint, NM in eastern Navajo Nation. Her clans are Red Bottom People, Atop the Mountain Towering House, Salt People and Tangle People. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in Earth System Science at Stanford University. She received her Ph.D. in civil & environmental engineering at the University of New Mexico under the mentorship of Professor Jose Cerrato. Cherie was awarded an NSF Earth Science Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research under the guidance of Professor Scott Fendorf. Her current research is related to better understanding biogeochemical mechanisms affecting the mobilization and bioavailability of metals in soils and plants near Indigenous communities.
"Wastewater based epidemiology in Tribal Communities"
Dr. Otakuye Conroy-Ben // Oglala Lakota
March 14, 2022
Dr. Otakuye Conroy-Ben is an Assistant Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University. Conroy-Ben received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, an MA in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Arizona, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on the biological effects of polluted water. Her research interests include environmental endocrine disruption, metal and antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and wastewater epidemiology.
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"International water rights and environmental justice"
Janene Yazzie // Diné
March 21, 2022
Janene is a Diné entrepreneur, community organizer and human rights advocate from the Navajo Nation. She works on climate change, water security, food security, energy development, and nation building with indigenous communities. She is program manager of Sustainable Community Development with the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC). She also represents IITC as the co-convener of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group (IPMG) to the United Nations High Level Political Forum on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Co- founder of Sixth World Solutions LLP., and co-founder of the Navajo Nation Little Colorado River Watershed Chapters Association (LCRWCA), she has built expertise in infrastructure policy, integrated land and water management, and restoration and protection of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Janene Yazzie is a community organizer and human rights advocate that has worked on development and energy issues with Indigenous communities across the United States for over 12 years.
"Environmental Justice"
Tommy Rock // Diné
April 11, 2022
Tommy Rock is a member of the Navajo Nation from Monument Valley, Utah, and currently is the first person in his family to ern a a doctoral degree. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in Environmental Geography and Recreational Management in 2002 and received his Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University in 2008. Tommy was funded under the National Institute of Environmental Health Supplement Grant. He worked at Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency- Public Water Systems Supervision Program before returning to Northern Arizona University to receive his Ph.D. in Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability in December of 2017. Tommy is a post-doctoral research associate in the department of Geosciences studying in the Higgins Laboratory at Princeton University.
"Environmental Justice and Indigenous Rights in Eastern North Carolina"
Ryan Emanuel // Lumbee
August 31, 2022
Dr. Ryan E. Emanuel is an associate professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and was formerly a professor in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. He is a hydrologist who also studies environmental justice issues facing tribal communities in North Carolina. One side of his research focuses on the status and movement of water in the environment using models, geospatial analyses, and field studies. Another side focuses on the historical and cultural importance of water, and on the burdens and barriers faced by tribes and other vulnerable communities who seek to have a voice in decisions about water and watery places. Dr. Emanuel teaches courses on hydrology, environmental science, Indigenous knowledges, and environmental justice. He is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe.
"Collaborative Hydrology Research with the Navajo Nation"
Lani Tsinnajinnie // Diné
September 28, 2022
Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie is an Assistant Professor in Community and Regional Planning. Lani is Diné and Filipino and was born and raised in New Mexico. Her home community of Na’Neelzhiin lies in the eastern-most area (also known as “Checkerboard area”) of the Navajo Nation. Lani received a B.S. in Environmental Science, a B.A. in Native American Studies, and a Master of Water Resources degree from the University of New Mexico. Following her studies at UNM, she received her PhD in Earth and Environmental Science with a dissertation in Hydrology from New Mexico Tech. Lani’s expertise is on mountain and watershed hydrology. Her research focuses on groundwater and surface water interactions in semiarid mountainous watersheds and impacts of climate change on mountainous watersheds. She has had previous experience collaborating with the Navajo Nation and other tribes and communities in New Mexico in the various environmental work she has done and hopes to further collaborate with more Indigenous communities and New Mexican communities.
"Groundwater to Snow Science: My Research and Teaching Path to Becoming a 'Jack(lyn)- Of-All-Trades'"
Melissa Clutter // Cherokee
October 26, 2022
Dr. Melissa Clutter is an Assistant Professor in the Geosciences Department at Fort Lewis College. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as member of Cherokee Nation, she traveled west for college. She received her B.A. in Geosciences from Fort Lewis College, and during this time fell in love with Durango and the Four Corners region. After college, she worked at Chesapeake Energy Corporation for three years as an Engineering Technician. Determined to change career paths and seek higher education, she went to the University of Arizona for graduate school as a NSF Graduate Research Fellow and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in Hydrology and her M.Sc. in Soil, Water, and Environmental Science. Her research interests stem from her passion for undergraduate teaching and communicating science to the public. She strives not just to further the field of hydrologic modelling, but also to help non-profits, government agencies, and private landowners make science-informed management decisions.
Dr. Clutter is also the co-author of the textbook The Basics of Groundwater along with Dr. Chloé Fandel and Dr. Ty Ferré.
Book description: Hydrogeology is a branch of geology that studies water, both underground and on the surface of the Earth. The goal of this book is to help understand hydrogeologic systems on a practical level. If you end up working in a field related to hydrogeology, there is a good chance that you will be asked to predict the outcome of a water-related scenario. Through this book, we want to introduce you to the field of study (hydrogeology) that can give you the specialized knowledge to address these scenarios. Click below for more information on the book and where to buy it!
The Basics of Groundwater Flyer
"An Indigenous Hydrogeochemist's Career Trajectory through Academia and Industry"
Kato Dee // Diné
November 30, 2022
Dr. Kato Tsosie Dee is a member of the Navajo Nation and is an Assistant Professor in the School of Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma with expertise in the areas of hydrology and environmental geochemistry. Dr. Dee obtained his B.S. and M.S. in Geology from the University of Kansas and Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Dee started off his professional career in environmental consulting as a hydrogeochemist then became the Program Director of the Colorado Mountain College Natural Resource Management program in Leadville, Colorado. Outside of his love of geoscience and hydrology, Dr. Dee enjoys trail running, skiing, and catching a good live show with his wife and boys.
"Dig Deep Navajo Water Project: Long Term + Relief Projects"
Emma Robbins // Diné
January 20, 2021
Emma Robbins is a Diné artist, activist, and environmentalist with a passion for empowering Indigenous women. As Director of the Navajo Water Project, part of the DigDeep Right to Water Project, she is working to create infrastructure that brings clean running water to the one in three Navajo families without it. Through her artwork, she strives to raise awareness about the lack of clean water in Native American nations. Robbins is also a 2020 Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow.
"Tohono O'odham Climate Adaptation and Water Resources"
Selso Villegas // Tohono O'odham
February 17, 2021
Dr. Selso Villegas (Tohono O'odham) serves as the Executive Director of the Tohono O'odham Department of Water Resources. His leadership and passion have been instrumental in developing a climate change adaptation plan for the Nation. Dr. Villegas, along with researchers from the IE and several graduate students, crafted a plan to address how climate change is likely to affect the Nation and which strategies could be used most effectively to reduce the negative impacts. The plan was approved by the Tohono O’odham Legislative Council in 2018, allowing for implementation by departments and agencies. Read Dr. Villegas' dissertation: Dynamics of Selenium in Cibola Lake, Arizona
"Indigenous and Interdisciplinary STEM Education"
Daniel Wildcat // Yuchi Member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma
March 17, 2021
Daniel R. Wildcat, PhD, is a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, where he has been teaching for over 30 years. Dr. Wildcat is an accomplished scholar who write on indigenous knowledge, technology, environment, and education. He is also co-director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center, which he founded with colleagues from the Center for Hazardous Substance Research at Kansas State University. Dr. Wildcat is the co-author with Vine Deloria, Jr. of “Powers and Places: Indian Education in America (published by Fulcrum, 2001), and co-editor with Steve Pavilik of “Destroying Dogmas: Vine Deloria, Jr., and his influence on American Society” (published by Fulcrum, 2006). Known for his commitment to environmental defense and cultural diversity, Dr. Wildcat has been honored with the Heart Peace Award by the Kansas City-based organization The Future Is Now.
"Hopi Farming, Food Sovereignty and Indigenous STEM Education"
Michael Kotutwa Johnson // Hopi
April 21, 2021
Michael Kotutwa Johnson, PhD, a member of the Hopi Tribe in Northern Arizona, serves as NAAF’s Research Associate. As a traditional Hopi farmer and practitioner, Dr. Johnson has given extensive lectures throughout his professional career on the topic of Hopi dryland farming, a practice of his people for over two millennia. Some of Dr. Johnson’s previous work experience involved agriculture and land related issues at First Nations Development Institute (FNDI) and the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ITLF). He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Pepperdine University and Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Arizona where he was an Alford P. Sloan Foundation scholar and American Indian Graduate Center STEM awardee. Dr. Johnson was a Natural Resource District Conservationist assigned to the Hopi Reservation for the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"Native STEM Education: Native Science and Natural Laws of Interdependence"
Gregory Cajete // Tewa
September 13, 2021
Dr. Gregory Cajete's work is dedicated to honoring the foundations of Indigenous knowledge in education. He is a Tewa Indian from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. Dr. Cajete is also a scholar of herbalism and holistic health. He also designs culturally-responsive curricula geared to the special needs and learning styles of Native American students. He worked at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico for 21 years. While at the Institute, he served as Dean of the Center for Research and Cultural Exchange, Chair of Native American Studies and Professor of Ethno-Science. He is the former Director of Native American Studies (18 years) and is Professor Emeritus in the Division of Language, Literacy, and Socio-Cultural Studies in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico.
"Soil Science in First Nations Land Management"
Melissa Arcand // Muskeg Lake Cree
October 18, 2021
Melissa Arcand is a soil biogeochemist with research interests focused on optimizing plant-soil synergies for the design of nutrient and energy-efficient cropping systems. She received her Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Saskatchewan and conducted her post-doctoral research with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Melissa grew up on a farm on the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in central Saskatchewan. She teaches and is the academic advisor for students in the Kanawayihetaytan Askiy program, designed to train students to work in resource management and land governance in Indigenous communities across Canada.
"Amplifying Indigenous Voices in Invasive Species and Forest Adaptation Management"
Danielle Ignace // Coeur d'Alene
November 15, 2021
Dr. Danielle Ignace is an enrolled member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, an ecophysiologist, and science communication, enthusiast. She recently started a new faculty position in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Prior to this position, she was an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and the Environmental Science & Policy Program at Smith College for several years and then became a Research Associate at Harvard Forest while serving as Associate Editor for the journal, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. From desert systems to temperate forests, she studies how climate change, landscape disturbance, and invasions impact ecosystem function and communities of color. Dr. Ignace was recently selected as a Science for Social Equity Fellow (funded by fair Count) to create community-driven solutions to climate change and pollution in Houston. Always seeking new ways to be an advocate for underrepresented groups in STEM, she joined the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the American Society of Plant Biology. Fostering distinctive collaborations with faculty and students to understand and communicate pressing global change problems is the hallmark of her research, teaching, YouTube channel, podcast, and ArtSci projects. As an indigenous woman in STEM, Dr. Ignace is deeply committed to developing an Indigenous curriculum.
"Dr. Tommy Jones: Native Voices in STEM Seminar"
Dr. Tommy Jones // Cherokee Nation & Naknek Native Village
February 5, 2020
Dr. Tommy Jones is an environmental engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. His focus is on developing renewable energy projects on tribal lands.
"Engineering with Leadership in the Indian Health Service-SFC Program"
Part of the Alumni Lunch Series
Dr. Peter Littlehat // Diné
February 21, 2020
Dr. Peter Littlehat is the District Engineer for the Indian Health Services Sanitation Facilities Construction program. His primary responsibility is to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to Navajo homes.
"Trees, Water, & People"
Mr. James Calabaza // Kewa Pueblo
March 4, 2020
Mr. James Calabaza is the National Program Coordinator for Trees Water & People. He spoke about the mission of empowering Native communities to move toward a renewable and cleaner world.
"Working with Tribal Nations in Natural Resources & Climate Change"
Dr. Casey Thornbrugh // Mashpee Wampanoag
April 28, 2020
Dr. Casey Thornbrugh (Mashpee Wampanoag) is the Tribal Climate Science Liaison for United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc., and Northeast/Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Centers.
"My American Journey"
Dr. Martín Ahumada
May 6, 2020
Dr. Martín Ahumada is the President of San Carlos Apache College.
"Indigenous Ecosystem Stewardship"
Dr. Joseph Brewer // Cherokee Nation & Oglala Lakota
September 16, 2020
Dr. Joseph Brewer is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and the Director of the Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Kansas. He received his PhD in Arid Lands Resources Sciences from the University of Arizona, where he was a Sloan Scholar.
"Rethinking Tribal Resource Governance in an Era of Climate Change"
Dr. Andrew Curley // Diné
October 21, 2020
Dr. Andrew Curley is Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, Development & Environment at the University of Arizona. Contact Dr. Curley at acurley@arizona.edu
"Studying Those Who Study Us: Anthropologists, Geneticists, and Indigenous Peoples"
Kim TallBear // Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate
November 18, 2020
"Navajo Ethno-Agriculture and Community Empowerment"
Nonabah Lane // Navajo
December 2, 2020
Nonabah Lane is the co-founder of Navajo Ethno-Agriculture, a community non-profit she operates with her family to sustain Navajo culture by teaching traditional farming. Ms. Lane also co-founded Navajo Power, a public benefit corporation that develops utility scale clean energy projects on tribal lands.
"A Navajo Engineer’s Perspective on Walking in Beauty on an Ever-changing Path"
Sandra Begay // Diné
January 16, 2019
"Food-Energy-Water Challenges in a Solar and Wind Powered, Off-Grid School"
Mark Sorensen
February 13, 2019
"Conducting Business In Indian Country"
Joan Timeche // Hopi
March 13, 2019
"Prioritization of potable water infrastructure investments on the Navajo Nation"
Ronson Chee, PhD, PE // Diné
April 17, 2019
Ronson Chee, PhD, PE; Principle Water Resources Engineer, Riley Engineering
"Outdoor Industry and the Food, Energy, Water Nexus"
Len Necefer, PhD // Diné
September 3, 2019
Len Necefer, PhD, American Indian Studies and the Udall Center for Public Policy.
"Endocrine Disrupting Pollutants in Wastewater"
Dr. Otakuye Conroy-Ben // Oglala Lakota
October 22, 2019
Dr. Otakuye Conroy-Ben is Assistant Professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University (ASU).
"Cultural Humility and Supporting Native Students"
Dr. Iris PrettyPaint // Blackfeet & Crow Nations
February 17, 2021
Dr. Iris PrettyPaint (Blackfeet/Crow Nations) is a leading authority on Native student achievement and recognition; cultural resilience and health realization; Indigenous evaluation; community prevention; and community and family engagement with rural and urban American Indian/Alaska Native communities. She guided the development of the Family Education Model, which integrates family-centered strategies for evaluation, networking, cultural activities, counseling, life skills, and mentoring. Dr. PrettyPaint spoke to over 125 University of Arizona and Dine' College students, staff and faculty about engaging with Native American students from a place of cultural humility. View the presentation slides, connect to resources and read the glossary and bibliography of suggested readings. Dr. PrettyPaint supplied a Resiliency personal assessment tool.
This workshop was not recorded. If you have any questions, please contact Cara Duncan Shopa at caraduncan@arizona.edu
"Nexus Thinking, Nexus Tools, Nexus Solutions: Origins and Prospects for Food-Energy-Water Systems"
Christopher Scott, PhD
September 12, 2018
Christopher Scott, PhD, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy; Professor – School of Geography & Development; University Distinguished Scholar
"Indigenous Rights to Water and State Responsibility Under International Law"
James Hopkins, PhD // Algonquin & Métis
October 10, 2018
Jim Hopkins, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, Indigenous People's Law and Policy Program, Affiliated Professor of American Indian Studies & Latin American Studies
"Arizona Tribal Extension: Supporting Tribal Communities and Extension in Indian Country"
Trent Teegerstrom
November 7, 2018