By Brandon Colbert
During the week of March 13, 2024, through March 15, 2024, Haskell Indian Nations University hosted the second research meeting for the Rising Voices, Changing Coasts internship program. The program is a 4-week program located at Haskell Indian Nations University, beginning with 1 to 2 weeks on-site in Alaska, then 2 weeks at home to finish writing projects. This internship trains participants how to explore climate changes through the multiple lenses of research instructed by Native scholars. It will center Indigenous Knowledge/sciences and complement Western Science as it explores the many ways to do climate science work. Each year, the internship will travel to one of four research sites of the NSF CoPe RVCC grant #2103843: Hawaii, Alaska, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico, to meet with the scientists, community members, and the land itself to be introduced to how we can learn from and care for places.
With the help of the Haskell Foundation and Haskell Students helped put together a very inviting and informational meeting. The meeting for the Rising Voices, Changing Coasts started off with attendees meeting by the fire pit with the option to smudge and a performance by Ron Brave. The regional presentations included researchers and scientists from Hawai’i, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and Alaska, as well as here in Lawrence.
Throughout the three days, the visiting teams got to tour Haskell’s campus while getting to know each other and what each participant does. The tour began with Haskell’s science labs, then continued onto the Haskell Wetlands, where they got some background on the history of the wetlands and why they’re important to maintain the grounds, not just for wildlife but for us human beings. Attendees also got to view the Medicine Wheel and learn about that.
