Paige Johnson
This project investigates how Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS) protocols apply to environmental data collected on Tribal lands by federal/state entities. The 2011/2014 flooding of the Missouri River and need for further soil moisture data led the United States Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District to implement a Mesonet weather station monitoring network across the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB). Historically, the Army Corps hasn’t included Indigenous perspectives into their decision-making, which has caused Tribes to be distrustful of partnerships with them. The UMRB monitoring network will span across the UMRB, and with over thirty Tribes calling the area home, there is much potential for weather station installation on Tribal lands. We must understand how state Mesonets are working with Tribes to site, implement, and manage weather stations. Interviews were conducted with state Mesonet and Army Corps officials focused on their work with the UMRB monitoring network, partnerships with Tribes, data sharing/use protocols, and the role Tribal input and environmental data has on future policy/decision-making. Analyses of interviews indicated most federal/state officials express a desire to work with Tribal partners, but there are few guidelines in place to do so, and collaboration with Tribes is not a consistent priority. A range of Tribal engagement was documented, and several state Mesonets expressed an interest in developing data infrastructure, Tribally-specific data tools, and providing further training in collaboration with Tribal colleges. Increased environmental data collection on Tribal lands requires a discussion of IDS and the long-term plan for data to honor Tribal sovereignty.