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Award ID contains: 1742603

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  1. Abstract 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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  2. In forested watersheds, suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is an important parameter that impacts water quality and beneficial use. Water quality also has impacts beyond the stream channel, as elevated SSC can violate Indigenous sovereignty, treaty rights, and environmental law. To address elevated SSC, watershed partners must understand the dynamics of the sediment regime in the basins they steward. Collection of additional data is expensive, so this study presents modeling and analysis techniques to leverage existing data on SSC. Using data from the South Fork Clearwater River in Idaho County, Idaho, USA, we modeled SSC over water years 1986–2011 and we applied regression techniques to evaluate correlations between SSC and natural disturbances (channel-building flow events) and anthropogenic disturbances (timber harvesting, hazardous fuel management, controlled burns, and wildfire). Analysis shows that SSC did not change over the period of record. This study provides a monitoring program design to support future decision making leading to reductions in SSC. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 1, 2026
  3. Free, publicly-accessible full text available January 1, 2026
  4. Engineering faculty have heard the call to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into their classrooms, but many have asked the question: What can I do to advance DEI in my courses? This commentary provides one answer. We summarize our process to engineer DEI into an undergraduate fluid mechanics course following a process that included (1) participation in formal programs, (2) a systematic review of course materials, and (3) a weekly series of conversations that examined DEI in the context of engineering education from academic, social, and personal perspectives. The formal programs deepened our awareness; the systematic review identified improvements in the syllabus, nomenclature, and videos; but most importantly the conversations illuminated how the same technical material can be associated with vastly different cultural perspectives—a key point from the theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. We call for engineering faculty to seek opportunities to learn more of these perspectives, and then to reflect on how to improve their courses accordingly. 
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