Please join us in congratulating ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ท๐ฎ๐, Blue Lake Rancheriaโs Native Plant Specialist, on the successful defense of their Masterโs Thesis! ๐
Karley is a Masterโs candidate in the Environment and Community Graduate Program at Cal Poly Humboldt and serves as a Research Associate at the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute, as well as the EPA Specialist for Blue Lake Rancheria.
Their thesis, โPlace-Based Learning Practices: A Diptych Case Study of Human and More-Than-Human Relationality at the Tribal and Western Academic Institutional Interface,โ explores how Indigenous and Western sciences can respectfully work together through place-based learning and research.
Karleyโs work focuses on two key projects:
๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ (๐๐ถ)๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฎ โ An Indigenized approach to mapping and understanding landscape histories at Cal Poly Humboldt, calling for institutional accountability through action. This project also recommends institutional protocols around research, including training for researchers, data sovereignty agreements, and new research approval steps under the purview of Tribal representatives.
๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ โ a collaboration with the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe to support Indigenous knowledge, Tribal research protocols, and food systems.
Karleyโs thesis is a model for how institutions can respectfully work with Tribal Nations, with care, reciprocity, and Indigenous leadership at the center.
๐ช๐ฒโ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ฒ๐! ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐! ๐
Originally Published: 4/23/2025
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