Haury Program Awards Seven Native Pathways Graduate Research Awards to Expand Indigenous Resilience Research at the University of Arizona

Jennifer Byram is a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and a PhD Candidate in Archeology at the University of Arizona School of Anthropology. Under the advisership of Dr. Edward A. Jolie. Jennifer’s dissertation project, “Re-Weaving Their Stories Together: A Community-Based Approach to Documenting Indigenous Women Weavers’ Work from the Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Centuries” documents variability in eighteenth and nineteenth-century weaving practices by Indigenous women of the Southeastern United States. Indigenous perishable material culture in North America, including woven textiles and basketry, remains understudied due to its rarity in the archaeological record and dearth of early colonial-era examples in museums. Funding from Native Pathways award is supporting research activities to document textiles and basketry in museum collections and to facilitate Indigenous artist access to textiles in museum collections and native fiber plants of the Southeast. This dissertation addresses the following: 1) How did Indigenous weavers’ material choices change or remain the same?  2) What lessons can Indigenous communities today learn through these weavings about strategies for cultural survival? This project seeks to overcome knowledge loss due to land dispossession, land relocation, and environmental changes in Indigenous homelands and engages with Indigenous nations to support ongoing cultural reclamation efforts.

William Carson, MPH is a member of Ohkay Owingeh and a Doctoral Candidate in Health Behavior Health Promotion at the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. His doctoral advisor is Dr. Felina M. Cordova-Marks. Mr. Carson’s project is entitled “Explore the relationship of Indigenous identity, perceived stress, and healthcare utilization among Indigenous identifying students attending the University of Arizona,” and will tackle a question why is it that even though  there are currently more Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Arizona than any other time in the school’s history, Indigenous students have the lowest rates of Campus Health healthcare utilization in comparison to all other racial and ethnic groups. Indigenous identity is complex, due to Indigneous people having self-identities, community belonging, and political status. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach (surveys and talking circles), this study will explore the relationship between Indigenous self-identity, perceived stress, and utilization rates of on-campus healthcare among University of Arizona Indigenous students. Findings will provide information that may assist the University of Arizona in developing future programs that aide Indigenous students to better access on campus healthcare options and help excel by incorporating Indigenous identity into more healthcare and support services.

Zoe Eleni Demitrack is a PhD student in Environmental Health Science at the UArizona College of Public Health, and her advisor is Dr. Frank von Hippel. Her research entitled “Pollution originating from formerly used defense (FUD) sites on Unalaska Island with the Qawalangin Tribe” sits at the nexus of contaminant chemistry, eco-toxicology, and subsistence food use, incorporating data sovereignty and one-health principles. In particular, Ms. Demitrack’s research explores subsistence food contamination on Unalaska Island, AK. Ms. Demitrack employs ecotoxicology principles to determine the role of formerly used defense (FUD) sites in local PCB contamination. The project remains grounded through a collaborative relationship between the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska and both social and environmental scientists at the University of Alaska, University of Nevada, and UArizona. Funding from the Haury Program will support summer field research collecting fish species on and off FUD Sites, and a follow-up trip to Unalaska Island to report findings and provide data directly to the Qawalangin Tribe, and a presentation of research to the scientific community. Ms. Demitrack is especially interested in FUD site contamination of subsistence foods given the cultural and economic significance of subsistence lifestyles in the Aleutian Bering Sea Island region, as well as the ecological importance of the Aleutians. Ms. Demitrack is grateful for the opportunity to work with, and learn from, local Unalaskans who care deeply for their home and for the animals they live in close partnership with.

April Horne (Diné / Latina) is a PhD student in higher education at the University of Arizona , and her advisor is Dr. Jameson D. Lopez (who was a Haury awardee in 2021). Her research, “Correlational Study of Indigeneity and College Affordability” aims to empower Indigenous / Native American students in higher education and expand Critical Quantitative Methodologies. By focusing on Indigenous Ways of Knowing, it examines the correlation between college affordability and Indigeneity, contributing to Indigenous data sovereignty and resilience. This research will guide higher education institutions in supporting Native Nation building through the experiences of Native American / Indigenous students with college affordability, and is a continuation of previous scholarship identifying financial aid as a significant barrier to Indigenous / Native American student persistence. This research will specifically center the experiences of Indigenous/Native American female-identifying students, recognizing their unique gendered roles within their tribal communities and their demographic representation across college campuses.

Tommie Lorene is a Master Student in Graduate Programs in Human Rights Practice at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and her advisor is Dr. Mette Brogden. Ms. Lorene will create a 20 - 40 minute documentary “We Are Still Here” on Duwamish Tribe. The Duwamish Tribe, dxwdəwʔabš have a history of at least 12,000 years in the land familiarly known as Seattle, WA / Greater King County. They were the first signatories on the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855, signed by Chief Si'ahl, who was chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. The Duwamish Tribe filed to be federally recognized in 1978. They received federal recognition from the Clinton administration in 2001, which was swiftly taken away by the Bush administration in 2002. “We Are Still Here” will be a short documentary showcasing Duwamish culture, strength, and resiliency despite lacking federal recognition and funding. The film will answer the questions of why being federally recognized is important, why the Duwamish Tribe has been denied the distinction, how the tribe has maintained its presence and culture, and how they support their community without federal funds.

RaeAnna Rabang is a Master of Professional Studies in Indigenous Governance at the University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the College of Law. Her advisor is Miriam Jorgensen.  Ms. Rabang’s project “Traditional Foods: Resurging through Old Knowledge” aims to breathe new life into the time-honored food traditions of the Coast Salish Peoples. In collaboration with Nourishing Nations, an Indigenous-led food bank in the Sto:lo Territory of coastal British Columbia, it explores a variety of approaches to reviving ancestral food practices, such as salmon fishing and native plant cultivation, in environments affected by colonization, industrialization, and resource extraction. The project seeks to bridge the gap between past and present by connecting with practiced harvesters, compiling educational materials, hosting hands-on workshops, and conducting outreach via social media. Resources such as photo exhibitions and storybooks also will be used to promote the significance of traditional food sourcing. By designing and then assessing these community engagement efforts, this research aspires to secure and uphold Coast Salish heritage, traditional rights, and food sovereignty for generations to come.

Judith Salcido is a PhD Candidate in Language, Reading and Culture at the Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the College of Education. Her advisor is Dr. Sheilah Nicholas. Ms. Salcido is Mexican and Tohono O’odham from Ajo, Arizona, the site of Arizona’s first open-pit copper mine. During mining operations, Ajo was racially segregated into “Ajo '' for white community members, “Mexican Town” for Mexican community members, and “Indian Village” for Tohono O’odham and Hia-Ced O’odham community members.  Mexican Town and Indian Village were located next to the open-pit copper mine. When the mining company demolished the areas to expand the pit, Mexican Town and Indian Village residents were forcibly displaced from their homes.  Although Ajo is well-known for its mining history, Mexican and Indigenous community members’ stories and experiences with the enforced displacement have not been widely shared.  Judith’s research ““You don’t want to talk about the mine?”: Testimonios on the Forced Displacement of Residents from “Mexican Town” and “Indian Village” will use Indigenous storytelling and testimonio to center Indigenous and Mexican community members’ voices regarding their reactions and responses to the copper mine.  The project seeks to emphasize the lasting impacts of copper mining on Indigenous and Mexican communities.