In this episode, Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles discusses his research on Indigenous cultural responses to climate change and on leading the Geographic Indigenous Futures Co-Laboratory. He talks about the importance of building relationships with Indigenous communities and ensuring that research projects are community-led and non-extractive. Dr. Smiles also addresses the challenges of tokenizing Indigenous knowledge and emphasizes the need for a deep understanding of the multiple Indigenous knowledges and local context. He discusses a project he is working on with a First Nation community to develop mapping software for ecological conservation and marine stewardship, and shares his long-term goal of increasing geographic outreach to young Indigenous students and the growing importance of Indigenous perspectives in addressing climate change and environmental challenges.
https://deondresmiles.com/
