Lessons Learned from 22 Years of Collaboration with the Kansas Native American Community

KSUnite DEIB Conference Day 3 - November 16, 2022 - Concurrent Conference Sessions Period 4 (9:45am-10:45am)
Cottonwood Room

American Indian tribes are recognized as sovereign nations within the borders of the United States by the federal government. As such, they have the right and responsibility to set their own laws and standards within the boundaries of their reservations. This sovereignty sometimes puts them at odds with local, county, and state agencies who are similarly charged, but whose best interests or value systems may run counter to those of the tribe.

Collaborative partnerships must recognize the sovereignty of tribal government, the dignity of tribal people, and the uniqueness of tribal culture to overcome distrust, and to accept and integrate tribal authority and decision mechanisms if they are to effectively address shared environmental concerns. This case study reports on lessons learned over two decades of cooperation between Kansas State University (KSU), Haskell Indian Nations University (Haskell) and several tribes with reservations in Kansas.

Target audience are students who may work in tribal communities.

DEIB Challenge Level: Introductory

Presenter

Dr. Charles Barden

Dr. Charles J. Barden, Professor, Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, Kansas State University Dr. Charles Barden has worked as a Research and Extension Forester since 1989, and began his current position as State Extension Forester and Professor at Kansas State University in 1998. He enjoys conducting applied research using trees to solve environmental problems, (ie streambank stabilization, riparian buffers, urban stormwater, phytoremediation, windbreaks, and bioenergy). He works closely with Haskell Indian Nations University, and the Kickapoo and Prairie Band Potawatomi tribes in Kansas and frequently advises them on natural resource issues. He is a member of the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance. He earned his Ph.D. from Penn State, and his Master’s degree from Virginia Tech, both in Forestry. A native of Rhode Island, he earned his B.S. degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Rhode Island.

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