3rd Annual Indigenous Knowledge Symposium
The 3rd Annual Indigenous Knowledge Symposium took place on March 31, 2023. Our theme was Land, Water, and Life: The Critical Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Science. Our presenters this year were Dr. Andrea Reid, Dr. Karletta Chief, and Dr. Melinda Adams and you can find more information about them in the flyer below.
We had over 550 individuals registered to attend the symposium and nearly 350 signed on to watch at some point! Our presenters had fantastic information to share and we have received wonderful feedback. The symposium was recorded and can be watched below.
Dr. Andrea Reid, Ph.D
Dr. Andrea Reid is a citizen of the Nisga'a Nation, a descmdant of the Gisk'aast (Killerwhale) clan, with her paternal family coming from Gingolx. She was raised. however. on Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island) by her mother and brothers, and now lives in the Nass River Valley. home of her Nation. in Gitlaxt'aamiks. As an Indigenous fisheries scientist, Dr. Reid joined the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia in 2021. She has launched and now leads the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries. committed to research and teaching approaches that are intergenerational, land-based, and profoundly relational.
Dr. Karletta Chief, Ph.D.
Dr. Karletta Chief (Diné) is a professor and extension specialist in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. She is the director of the Indigenous Resilience Center and lead for the NSF Indigenous Food. Energy. and Water Security and Sovereignty Training Program. Indige-FEWSS's vision is to develop a diverse workforce with intercultural awareness and expertise in sustainable food, energy. and water systems. specifically through off-grid technologies to address the lack of safe water, energy, and food security in Indigenous communities, Dr. Karletta Chief grew up on the Navajo Nation Without electricity and running water. Her lived personal experiences of environmental injustice and as a first-generation graduate motivate her to devote all her environmental research to supporting the resilience of Indigenous communities and training of students in sustainable technologies.
Dr. Melinda Adams, Ph.D
Melinda Adams, PhD is a of the San Carlos Tribe. She is the Langston Hughes Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science and the Indigenous Studies program at the University Of Kansas. Her current research focuses on the revitalization of cultural burns (small area prescribed fires conducted using Traditional Ecological Knowledge), in tnllaboration with Tribal Nations in Northern California. She examines plant and soil physical-chemical responses to cultural fire including culturally significant plant yield, soil carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and water holding capacity. This work is rooted in the land stewardship lessons of Indigenous cultural fire practitioner-partners. Broader implications of this research include deploying cultural fire as a climate adaptation strategy while mitigating the frequency and intensity Of catastrophic wildfire in the West.