Native American Perspectives and Preferences Bearing on EarthScope Deployments in the Southwest: A Workshop to Build Awareness and Support
Arizona State University, Principal Investigator: Steven Semken
Researchers will deploy a grid of EarthScope geophysical stations in the southwest USA within the next four years, including a significant number sited on Native American homelands. To facilitate permitting and access to Native lands for research activities, and to initiate EarthScope education and outreach partnerships with Native American schools and communities in concert with the research, a special spring 2005 workshop, Native American Perspectives and Preferences Bearing on EarthScope Deployments in the Southwest (NAPP-ES), is being held at Arizona State University. The workshop brings together a group of experts in cultural resources and education from each of the seven Arizona Native nations affected by EarthScope. At the NAPP-ES workshop, researchers are presenting a thorough introduction to EarthScope objectives and logistics, including physical demonstrations of station deployment and removal. The visiting Native experts are providing information on timely permitting and access, potential cultural conflicts with the research, and appropriate and effective ways to conduct education and outreach activities in their communities. The results of this workshop will be disseminated by means of an online, technical report and interactive website linked to EarthScope. An Advisory Board of Native experts is also being formed to review and guide future proposed projects.
