Presenters: Xavier Nokes & Arshone Cazares

WCPH 509

In our presentation, we will be engaging with the importance of narrative with regard to the validity of Indigenous knowledge systems. We chose to utilize storytelling for its inherent existence within Indigenous communities as a modality for knowledge exchange. In this way, we have determined that using a creative output will both suit our particular backgrounds and interests as qualitative researchers, but also allow for a more accessible means of exploring spaces, concepts and ideas that might otherwise be lacking in Western academic spaces. Our project will take the form of a printed zine, which is both a medium that is intrinsically tied to “non-traditional” means of knowledge dissemination, particularly within marginalized communities. We will be utilizing the zine as a means to reflect on our personal experiences as part of the IIITSE cohort, with particular emphasis on the value and significance of spaces such as flea markets and informal economies.

Presenter: Angelina Mann

WCPH 509

Despite the integral nature of language to our experience of the world, there remains a vast array of concepts, feelings, and internal phenomena that defy linguistic containment. Expressing these “inexpressibles” falls within the realm of the arts, which attempt to represent them visually, sonically, and/or verbally. During my work with the 2024 Weaving Relations IIITSE in Navajo Nation, I experienced a lot of indescribable internal emotional phenomena. While taking notes, my thoughts coalesced in poetic tactile analogues that expressed my experiences indirectly, but also closely and viscerally. For this presentation, I will read several of the poems our research trip inspired, as well as recount their inspirations, so as to demonstrate the relative precision of imparting experiences through tactile poetry as compared to direct and prosaic descriptions. My work aligns with the core values and goals of ESSA of diversity and different knowledge systems.

Presenter: Mattheus Porto

WCPH 409

As societies became increasingly urbanized across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, infrastructure systems (e.g. water, power, transportation) invariably became more robust to meet the demands of growing populations. Cumulative experience in engineering infrastructure led to the development of methods grounded in technological-centered principles that would build systems armored enough to control external hazards and reliably provide infrastructure services. Nonetheless, the complex condition that emerged from intense infrastructure development shows that traditional engineering methods cannot address the pace of change in the Anthropocene. Therefore, existing legacy infrastructure, once believed to protect against climate hazards, now fails to cope with uncertain urban climate risks and their consequential impacts across cities' social, ecological, and technological domains. Safe-to-fail infrastructure comes as a framework to better navigate the complexities of the Anthropocene by acknowledging the consequences of infrastructure failure in the infrastructure planning process. Accordingly, by positioning infrastructure as socio-ecological-technological systems rather than purely technological, safe-to-fail provides pathways to equitable adaptation to climate change, where the vulnerability of different populations is considered. This work aims to advance the theory around safe-to-fail, focusing on providing practical principles to leverage its implementation.

Presenter: Lizzy Colón

WCPH 509

For many Indigenous communities, tourism plays a crucial role in economic development. It not only generates income but also raises awareness about their histories and the effects of colonization, helping to correct misconceptions in American history. The research I will be presenting explores the benefits and challenges of tourism for tribal communities and I will also be including published perspectives from community members on this topic. During our visit to Acoma Sky City (Acoma Pueblo), I observed behaviors among tourists that I found to be exploitative. Utilizing personal reflection as a research methodology, I made observations of the tourist's behaviors by focusing on their language use, body language, and the tones they exhibited during the tour. This work contributes to the ESSA core values by highlighting the significance of personal reflection and experiential knowledge which is often overlooked in Western academic research. I  often integrate methodologies such as positionality, personal reflection, and oral storytelling into my thesis research and I believe these methodologies were crucial to our insights during this year’s IIITSE trip.

Presenter: Ame Min-Venditti

WCPH 409

I will be presenting my initial dissertation project ideas. These incorporate water narratives across scales, timeframes, locations, and knowledge systems. I introduce a conceptual framework that situates the narrative elements of my research within a transformative change paradigm. In particular, I'm intending to scaffold my dissertation around an academic performance piece that will employ a social constructivist perspective to describe, interpret, and provoke thought about human relationships with water across contexts in a changing world. I propose to conduct a six month focused autoethnography period examining my ancestral water connections and knowledge, and will furthermore weave empirical case study data into my performance from interviews I have conducted with people in the Magdalena and Colorado River Basins in South and North America, centering transborder logics. In my dissertation performance, I'll introduce the audience to a co-created multi-media experience where we envision the future of water together. I’m currently developing my prospectus based on this idea.

Presenters: Sanjiv Thompson & Tait Wilson

WCPH 509

During the Weaving Relationships internship, we dedicated approximately twelve days to visiting the Navajo Nation, trading posts, and flea markets. As observers, we carefully examined the items being sold, their prices, and the ways in which they benefited the community. Specifically, we focused on the diverse range of food available and the corresponding prices at the food markets.

Presenter: Lívia Ribeiro Cruz

WCPH 409

How and whose experiences of well-being and power are altered in social-ecological transformations? And which ways of knowing and living with forests and rivers are revealed when we listen to the stories of the ones whose voices do not turn into History? These are the motivating questions of my PhD research project, in which I am proposing to focus particularly on the nexus between gender, conservation initiatives and climate change in riverside communities in the Brazilian Amazon. Through oral history interviews, which capture memories of the past, and photovoice, which centers present experiences, I will invite local women and queer people to participate in a collaborative inquiry of how conservation initiatives and climate change affect their relation with place, and their perceptions of well-being and power. As part of the process, we will also create an archive composed of oral and visual narratives of how they have been mobilizing their wisdom and relationships to create their own worlds of resistance and joy across multiple temporalities.

Presenter: Rose S. Jacket

WCPH 509

The Navajo Nation, flea markets, food stands, and vendors were my first and will always be my community. Like many, I had grandparents who sold traditional crafts and foods to support our family while sharing our culture. I witnessed the challenges as a child and lived through them, but returning as an adult, I’ve witnessed strength. The resilience and cultural significance these markets still carry speaks volumes. I ask, “How can we support the economic sustainability of Navajo vendors while preserving cultural traditions?”  Drawing from personal experiences and community-based observations, I bought from vendors, spoke to them, and listened to stories. Reflecting on the evolution years ago to my recent visit. This particular cohort gave me a deeper understanding of their challenges, such as fluctuating economies and cultural shifts, and how they maintain cultural practice. Being part of a community of Indigenous and Latine scholars has provided me with tools to approach this research collaboratively and respectfully. Unlike typical academic environments, our community values shared knowledge and lived experiences, aligning with the principles of community-based learning. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of economic justice and cultural preservation.  This work embodies ESSA’s core values by centering diverse ways of knowing, fostering equity, and promoting collaborative efforts to protect and support Indigenous knowledge and economies.

Presenter: Rebecca Snynder

WCPH 409

The salience and accessibility of knowledge to inform conservation practice remains a fundamental challenge for the field, prompting many organizations to form partnerships in order to co-produce knowledge that is more actionable. To understand the extent to which partnerships create the enabling conditions necessary for successful co-production, we applied a new tool, the Knowledge-Action Partnership (KAP) Scorecard, to evaluate different kinds of conservation KAPs based on a standard set of evidence-supported criteria. Nineteen participants spanning ten partnerships, seven countries, and various sectors completed a Likert-based survey and semi-structured interview based on their perceptions of a KAP they’re involved in. Preliminary results show that on average, respondents scored lower on the initiation phase of a partnership compared to the implementation and delivery phases. When broken down by category, variables related to goals/outcomes scored lower on average compared to scores for organizational and team-related variables. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews will provide much-needed context to aid in our interpretation of these results and produce relevant guidance for new and existing partnerships. This work touches on several ESSA core values including a focus on solutions-oriented research, given the emphasis on understanding and improving processes for generating knowledge intended to inform real world decisions. This work also embraces the idea of multiple ways of knowing by focusing on co-production, which places value on iterative, transdisciplinary collaboration between different types of stakeholders representing diverse sources of knowledge beyond strictly Western science. 

Presenter: Marcil Roanhorse

WCPH 509

Reading and experiencing are two entirely separate entities. You can read as much as you can in regards to research, how to conduct it and how to navigate the process. But what it doesn’t prepare you for is what to expect when doing research in your own community. How do you reconcile the feeling of being home while simultaneously experiencing feelings of isolation from the place you call home? Join me as I discuss the experience of conducting research in my own community as I attempt to reconnect with my Indigenous identity.

Presenter: Carly Steckling

WCPH 509

Wildfires are novel human-caused disturbances in the aridland Sycamore Creek Watershed. Ash is transported during rainstorms, and influences streams by decreasing dissolved oxygen and increasing dissolved organic carbon, organic nitrogen, and inorganic nitrogen. In stream ecosystems, benthic algae is responsible for primary production and plays an important role in nitrogen and carbon cycling. The nitrogen input is expected to enrich algal production. However, the organic carbon addition could benefit heterotrophs, increasing competition against algae. Accumulated ash from the 2024 Sand Stone Fire was collected in the stream mid-reaches, then analyzed for nitrogen and carbon composition. In a field experiment, the stream will be divided with a barrier. Oxygen and temperature data will be measured with a sonde in both experimental and reference streams over 36 hours to determine primary production and respiration. Ceramic tile substrate will be placed 1-10m from the ash introduction point. After one week, biomass accumulation on tiles will be measured as chlorophyll α and ash-free dry mass. As an ecologist, it’s my responsibility to investigate inequities within social-ecological systems. This research examines a novel disturbance that will unequally affect the historically oppressed Akimel O’odham and Piipaash Peoples, and the unhoused community, who rely on streams in central Arizona.

Presenter: Risa Aria Schnebly

WCPH 409

Over the last decade, a field of literature has emerged characterizing ecological grief, or “grief felt for or in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses” (Cunsolo and Ellis, 2018). Much of that literature characterizes ecological grief through interviews with climate activists, climate scientists, and indigenous communities, and emphasizes the mental health toll that ecological grief can take. Few studies have focused on how and whether ecological grief arises in response to endangered species and extinction. In this talk, I will share how my research seeks to start exploring eco-grief in that context. Currently, I am interviewing frontline conservationists about their ecological grief, aspiring to help show the importance of making space for eco-grief within the sciences. I also aim to write much of my research in creative nonfiction, emphasizing the importance of storytelling as a way of knowing over typical scientific ones. I recognize that eco-grief is most felt by people who live in close relationships with the land, whom conservationists do not necessarily represent. With this presentation, I hope to start a conversation around eco-grief, who experiences it, who should study it and how it should be studied.

Presenter: Daniel Moses

WCPH 509

Before I was born, my family visited the Zuni Pueblo and was fortunate to experience their rain dances. The impact of culture and art impacted my mother to the degree that it stayed with her for years, even after meeting my father and living on the Colville Indian Reservation, I would grow up hearing stories of these unique dances far different then our own. Yet similar in importance and tradition. I was fortunate to be given a similar opportunity that reflected my mother's own artistic experience as well as my background in science I was able to compare my experience to her's. The experience left me in awe of its beauty and art that was shared between generations from two different experiences. 

Presenter: Rob Wolfinbarger

WCPH 409

Particulate matter (PM) emissions are among the primary causes of negative health impacts associated with vehicle use. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been presented as a sustainable alternative to conventional vehicles since they produce zero tailpipe emissions. But it is a misconception that EVs are zero-emission vehicles, as they emit PM through tire and brake pad degradation. And because EVs are generally heavier than comparable conventional vehicles, they may produce more PM emissions. Therefore, anticipated widespread EV adoption may result in higher PM emissions. However, uncertainties regarding EV adoption trajectories, vehicle size, incorporation of technologies which reduce PM emissions, and many other factors introduce significant uncertainty in future projections. This study analyzes the impact of PM exposure for a series of realistic fleet electrification scenarios in the Phoenix region. Using an agent-based travel and environmental exposure model, statistical methods to account for uncertainties, and past studies predicting local electrification trajectories, person-based exposure is assessed for each scenario. Then, demographic and geographic analysis is conducted to identify potential inequities in PM exposure. This has important implications for local governments seeking to proactively reduce environmental hazards for its most vulnerable groups, and relates to ESSA values of solutions-oriented research and equity.