Sovereign Science

There is a substantial gap in representations of data from indigenous groups who have long been participating in scientific processes.  Sovereign science , as defined by Sovereign Science Founders, Director and Science Liaison, is “bridging the gap, finally, between Indigenous ways of life and Colonized ways of life through science communication and community eco liberation,” with five pillars of successful sovereign science being “ceremony, knowledge sharing, connection, respect, and transparency.”

Bard College is a partner on Sovereign Science’s ongoing collaborative research projects. Students in Bard College’s Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Justice course taught by Visiting Assistant Professor,  Jordan Ayala , are collaborating to curate accessible geospatial data resources and digital mapping in support of meaningful indigenous community outreach. Geographic information science is inherently interdisciplinary. Our work integrates data science with social, geographical, and environmental sciences for knowledge production and reconciliation that supports Sovereign Science’s ongoing “stewarding and cultural sovereignty as it pertains to the land, water and air spaces.”

Our ongoing goals and the research to be represented in this data story are: 

• Map the presence of Sovereign Science research at-large, including any and all data dispatches with the tribal historic and current treaties represented, and important resources.
• Map the ongoing hawk migration and mortality research
• Map the Weelaunee watershed samples and ecocide researh
• Map the Western Door air quality concerns and Black Mesa solidarity

Sovereign Science is an Indigenous STEAM Think Tank, conducting  long-term community reflective research of more than human relatives and addressing the impacts of ecocide and climate change on all life. Sovereign Science, is led by Indigenous women and Two Spirits, alongside SovSci allies, non-Indigenous identifying supporters in STEAM and land defense frontlines. The types of research and data collected ranges from aquatic baselines, soil, air quality, animal monitoring and botanical foraging with first languages.

This section reviews SovSci research presence across Turtle Island: assessing air, water, and soil health.