INDIGENOUS SPEAKER SERIES – A PLATFORM PROMOTING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND FUTURE GENERATIONS

The Indigenous Speaker Series features dialogues about Indigenous people’s cultural and traditional lived experiences. In partnership, Ciarra Greene, MS (Native Environmental Science Faculty at NWIC – Nez Perce Site) and the Michelle Montgomery, PhD (Associate Professor of American Indian & Ethnic, Gender & Labor Studies at University of Washington – Tacoma) collaborated to expand Dr. Montgomery’s existing initiative "Indigenous Knowledge and Community Conversations" (https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/american-indian-programs/indigenous-knowledge-community-conversations). These initiatives foster a long-term goal to continue building collaborative partnerships with Indigenous communities, academic institutions, and agencies that serve these entities. Tribal Participatory Research (TPR) approach and traditional knowledge are utilized as a collaboration tool with speakers having varying backgrounds and sharing their cultural, traditional, and academic lived experiences. The Series builds the ontological basis for ethics and axiology, the moral nature of traditional ecological knowledge that is itself formed in a land-based context, and the resultant concept of and requirement for Indigenous environmental ethics and justice. The Series provides a platform for Indigenous discussions about living (working, studying, educating) in modern society while honoring our longstanding relationship and responsibility to our homelands, communities, and ancestors. Research is living and developing through the conversations among the presenters, participants, and facilitators. The Series has drawn in over 1000 participants from across the world to engage in discussion about climate, traditional food sovereignty, cultural and traditional practices, human health, all with foundations in sustainability, resilience, and dedication to future generations.