The project is addressing the critical need for more Native American geoscientists by creating a innovative Baccalaureate degree program in Hydrology at Salish Kootenai College, a tribal college which serves the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreille people, as well as American Indians from throughout the U.S. The curriculum, which includes undergraduate research on tribal lands, is informed by a unique combination of culturally relevant instruction, industry-recognized standards, input from an external advisory board comprising scientists, educators, administrators, industry professionals, tribal leaders and resource managers, and competencies required for geoscientists working in Native American watersheds, such as water-law and sovereignty issues. Curriculum development is supplemented by co-curricular retention strategies, and project assessment addresses the impact of both the culturally relevant curriculum and co-curricular efforts to increase the rate of Native American geoscience graduates.
The intellectual merit of the project lies in its creative and comprehensive approach to curriculum design and retention in the first geoscience-centered baccalaureate program at a Tribal College or University. The broader impacts include a sustainable program that graduates additional Native American hydrologists, who contribute valuable perspectives to the science and support resource management in watersheds undergoing change from natural and human causes.
