DAY 1 | 1:30-2:30pm | BALLROOM D
| TAMARA LAYDEN, Graduate Fellow at Colorado State University
In response to the growing body of literature demonstrating the central importance of Indigenous knowledge systems and ecosystem stewardship to social and ecological wellbeing, many conservationists are at a crossroads. Despite increasing advocacy for centering locally lived experiences and outcomes, such as Indigenous governance, in conservation efforts, infrastructure to facilitate and mandate these changes is lacking. Instead, the onus for implementing Indigenous-centered practices still largely lies on individual researchers, often from already minoritized backgrounds with limited authority and power within their institutions. Luckily, several Indigenous scholars are ahead of these structural changes and have generated numerous guidance documents and resources to elevate ethics in practice. Following this guidance, this research focuses on ethical collaborations with the Indigenous Mayan Mam community of La Bendición in Southwestern Guatemala to generate forest and wildlife conservation insights in alignment with community-specific governance goals. Complementary to the wildlife conservation component, this project also evaluates the effectiveness of ethical research methods and approaches (including Indigenous-focused institutional and legal agreements, community leadership, Indigenous data governance mechanisms, among more) to outline successes, gaps, and areas of growth, especially relevant to collaborations involving US-based institutions, non-profit organizations, and rights-holders. Overall, this research aims to grow literature and case studies that bridge conceptual models with actional advice to aid practitioners, students, researchers, and institutions in supporting Indigenous-centered ethics in conservation practice that can be readily applied in both US and international contexts.