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A Poem of Los Angeles, First Part
Urban Space & Ecological Memory Los Angeles is often seen as a spectacle: film studios, freeways, and the ceaseless growth of a city driven by movement. But beneath this image lies a landscape that has long been inhabited, named, and listened to by Indigenous communities whose ties to land and water come before the city…
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New Mexico: Mountains, Stories, and Knowledge
I’m in New Mexico for the UNM AISA 2026 conference, and the first thing that caught my eye was the Sandia Mountains rising to the east. There’s something about these landscapes that makes you pause and reflect on the delicate balance between humans and nature—a balance I’ve been contemplating a lot in my research. My…
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Whispers from First Earth
Beneath this sun’s ancestral flame,Where baobabs bear me witness, still—Africa stirs with sacred name,In every plain and every hill. The Nile, in silken stories told,Winds through Nubian dreams of old,Where Kush once ruled with a crown of gold,And river gods their secrets hold. Mount Kilimanjaro stands,A sky-pierced crown of ancient lands—The Chagga guards its snowy…
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Indigeneity 101c: Indigenous Knowledge and Ecology
I invite you to read an article in Romanian (which can be translated into other languages) about the importance of incorporating indigenous practices into our ecological efforts. The article provides examples of environmental initiatives from communities in France, Vanuatu, Nigeria, Kenya, and Chad. How can we sustainably resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife in rural…
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Indigeneity 101a: Multiple Ways of Knowing
In my research, I challenge the misconceptions that indigenous cultures have not contributed to modern knowledge. Different cultures have historically documented their knowledge in diverse ways, including through cultural practices such as music, spoken poetry, and dance performances. Recognizing multiple ways of creating and documenting knowledge can facilitate mutual understanding and acknowledgment, paving the way…
