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1. Our Relationship to Water and Experience of Water Insecurity among Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) People, Montana

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020582  

   Martin, Christine; Simonds, Vanessa W.; Young, Sara L.; Doyle, John; Lefthand, Myra; Eggers, Margaret J. (January 2021, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)

   null (Ed.)

   Affordable access to safe drinking water is essential to community health, yet there is limited understanding of water insecurity among Native Americans. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to describe Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) tribal members’ experiences with water insecurity. For Apsáalooke people, local rivers and springs are still vitally important for traditional cultural activities. We interviewed 30 Native American adults living on the Crow Reservation in Southeastern Montana. Participants answered six open-ended interview questions about their water access, costs of obtaining water and changes in their domestic and traditional water uses. Participants emphasized how the use of water has changed over time and described the complex challenges associated with addressing water insecurity in their community, including the importance of considering the spiritual and cultural impacts of water insecurity on health. Water insecurity is a growing global problem and more attention and efforts are needed to find appropriate and affordable solutions. 

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2. Our Relationship to Water and Experience of Water Insecurity among Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) People, Montana

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph18020582  

   Martin, C.; Simonds, V.W.; Young, S.L.; Doyle, J.; Lefthand, M.; Eggers, M.J. (January 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health)

   Affordable access to safe drinking water is essential to community health, yet there is limited understanding of water insecurity among Native Americans. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to describe Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) tribal members’ experiences with water insecurity. For Apsáalooke people, local rivers and springs are still vitally important for traditional cultural activities. We interviewed 30 Native American adults living on the Crow Reservation in Southeastern Montana. Participants answered six open-ended interview questions about their water access, costs of obtaining water and changes in their domestic and traditional water uses. Participants emphasized how the use of water has changed over time and described the complex challenges associated with addressing water insecurity in their community, including the importance of considering the spiritual and cultural impacts of water insecurity on health. Water insecurity is a growing global problem and more attention and efforts are needed to find appropriate and affordable solutions. 

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3. Importance of centering traditional knowledge and Indigenous culture in geoscience education

   https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2023.2172976  

   Todd, Wendy F; Towne, Chessaly E; Clarke, Judi Brown (July 2023, Journal of Geoscience Education)

   Traditional Knowledge (TK) is a qualitative and quantitative living body of knowledge developed locally and regionally across generations over thousands of years. This study aims to show through authentic voice the importance of centering TK systems and cultural needs to provide equitable geoscience education programs. TK can be communicated through a variety of methods, such as story and song, dance, paintings, carvings, structures, and textiles. TK is interdisciplinary within anthropological and ecological subsistence and provide enhanced cultural and spiritual context. Research findings are enhanced by the exploratory and inquiry-based design of TK and provide insight into the anthropogenic impacts on the environment allowing researchers to gain a rich understanding of human behaviors and patterns when collecting and analyzing data. This study examines factors influencing Indigenous students’ participation and retention in the geosciences, specifically gauging opinions on the incorporation of TK systems into geoscience education. Data was collected using an electronic survey to identify factors that inform students’ decision to enter geoscience disciplines and better understand the importance of role models and mentors for retention. Our findings indicate that Indigenous students were interested in using both TK and Western science in geoscience learning spaces, Indigenous role models played an important role in sense of belonging and identity in the geosciences, and the incorporation of culture into learning experiences played an important role in retention. Findings from this study, if operationalized, would allow geoscience departments to increase retention of Indigenous students and faculty, provide equitable educational opportunities, and to better understand how to effect cultural change in the geosciences by providing a welcoming and affirming space for Indigenous scholars. 

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4. Stimulating reciprocity: How human–plant relations support Indigenous cultural revitalization and stewardship in the Ecuadorian Amazon

   https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70019  

   Correia, Joel E; Piaguage_Lucitante, Justino; Weiss, Luke; Narváez, Nelly; Lucitante, Luciano; Biaguaje, Aníbal; Piaguaje, Yolanda; Suale, Alicia; Payaguaje, Adriano; Piaguage, Esperanza; et al (May 2025, People and Nature)

   1. Human–plant relations shed light on forms of reciprocity in Indigenous territorial stewardship. This article shows how Cofán, Siona and Siekopai (also Secoya or Airo Pai in Peru) Indigenous Peoples in the western Amazon collect, cultivate and use yoco (Paullinia yoco) to promote communal conviviality, reclaim once-threatened cultural practices and advance new forms of collective stewardship to promote social-ecological well-being. Yoco is a caffeine-rich liana closely intertwined with the daily life and spiritual practices of many Indigenous Amazonian Peoples, particularly within the tri-border region of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 2. We centre Indigenous storytelling as pedagogy and methodology, something common in the Amazon and relevant to yoco, as it is consumed socially and often while stories are shared. 3. Through collaborative transdisciplinary research, we assess the forms of relationality and reciprocity yoco fosters in three ways. First, we discuss histories, uses and cultivation of yoco. Second, we consider the divergent pathways that communities have had with yoco, from loss to recuperation of human–plant relations across time. Third, we show examples of how differentiated use of yoco in Cofán, Siekopai and Siona communities supports cultural revitalization, territorial defense and stewardship initiatives evidenced by renewed efforts to enhance intergenerational transmission of local knowledge. 4. Cofán, Siona and Siekopai stewardship of yoco is not merely ecological management of a plant but represents a dynamic interaction between cultural identity, spiritual practice and political resistance. As Siona, Siekopai and Cofán communities confront external pressures such as deforestation, extractive industries and socio-political marginalization, relationships with yoco facilitate pathways to sustain cultural and ecological relations in the face of profound change. 5. Reclaiming and maintaining human–plant relations is a form of self-determination that can inform effective and ethical biocultural conservation. Through yoco, the Cofán, Siekopai and Siona peoples demonstrate that biocultural conservation helps maintain social-ecological well-being while underscoring the importance of territory. The future of conservation must embrace Indigenous stewardship, where reciprocity and care for both human and non-human worlds are central. 

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5. Wayfinding, knowledge, perspective, and engagement: Preparing tribal liaisons for stewardship of Indigenous lands

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70181  

   Mays, David C; Roane, Timberley M; Moreno‐Sanchez, Rafael; Rice, Cynthia; Romero, Jessica L; Velez, Christine (March 2025, Ecosphere)

   Indigenous stewardship practices, deeply rooted in traditional values and knowledge, often differ from non‐Indigenous management approaches. Bridging these differing practices and approaches requires professionals trained in both Indigenous and non‐Indigenous cultures, knowledge, and practices. The Environmental Stewardship of Indigenous Lands (ESIL) certificate at the University of Colorado Denver aims to prepare students for such roles, particularly as tribal liaisons, who facilitate government‐to‐government relationships and consultations. In particular, the ESIL certificate combines academic coursework with workshops and internships that provide knowledge and skills critical for effective liaison work, such as understanding tribal governance, communication, conflict resolution, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). The motivation for this work is that the preparation of tribal liaisons in higher education institutions faces several challenges such as rigid disciplinary curricula and insufficient access to culturally relevant immersive experiences in Indigenous communities and organizations. ESIL addresses these challenges through its workshops and internships, which complement traditional coursework by providing culturally relevant learning opportunities. Workshops cover topics like tribal law, TEK, and Indigeneity, while internships offer hands‐on experiences that bridge academic learning with real‐world contexts and applications. This paper presents the experiences in creating and operating workshops and internships as part of the ESIL certificate program. Workshops and internships were created following the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, and student feedback was collected following the Indigenous evaluation framework. Student feedback indicates that these activities complement students' education and training to become effective tribal liaisons by enhancing their wayfinding, knowledge acquisition, perspective taking, and engagement with Indigenous cultures, knowledge, and practice. The ESIL program's approach underscores the importance of culturally tailored education and strong partnerships with Indigenous professionals and communities to prepare the next generation of tribal liaisons. 

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