NATIVE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES AND PREFERENCES BEARING ON EARTHSCOPE DEPLOYMENTS IN THE SOUTHWEST

EarthScope is taking up residence in Arizona and adjoining Southwestern states. In Arizona alone, planned deployments place USArray and Plate Boundary Observatory stations on or near the lands of seven different Native American nations. Some shorter-term projects will also seek access to Native American lands. In addition, the EarthScope education and outreach plan calls for direct affiliations with Native stakeholders and school systems in concert with the research. To facilitate these activities in a culturally-appropriate way, we convened a workshop (NAPP-ES) for decision-makers and experts in cultural resources and education from the Arizona Native nations that would be affected by EarthScope. The national education and outreach managers of EarthScope and its affiliates were also in attendance.

During NAPP-ES, EarthScope researchers provided Tribal representatives with a thorough introduction to the scientific and educational aspects of the project (including physical demonstrations) while the Native American participants shared critical information on relevant cultural and jurisdictional issues, including sacredness of lands, the significance of ancestral homelands, and best approaches to community-based outreach. NAPP-ES outcomes are now being used to guide siting and outreach activities underway in Arizona and environs, and are being disseminated to the greater EarthScope community. The NAPP-ES project is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number EAR-0454502.