Facilitating Research in Native Communities

  • Focus should be on benefiting the community.
  • More people should be involved because every is affected, not just indigenous people
  • More input from other people and other tribes
  • Incorporation of tribal knowledge into the school systems
  • Global things that affect local areas:  global warming/invasive species
  • Some scientists do research on tribal land and do not give the results to the tribe
  • Involve elders that have knowledge in things we encounter in our work
  • More involvement from the tribes point of view
  • Be proactive—use academic advisors to involve students
  • Help broaden understanding of the importance of including Native students
  • Build place-based opportunities
  • Students:  don’t let others reduce you
  • Native students are our next generation of environmental leaders
  • Protect your natural resources – be a shield for your place
  • Manage landbases
  • Humility is important, science can learn from everyone whether they have a degree or not
  • Issues researchers could address relevant to Native Communities:
    • South Dakota has many – water quality, agriculture, mining
    • Michigan – Dow Chemicals, Emerald Ash Borer, Air Quality
    • Oklahoma – Wind Farm (problem:  Kills eagles, hawks, and other birds); past ecological damage (i.e., spraying chemicals in 1950s)
    • Arizona – Uranium mining issues

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: