Students in any major with an interest in the Earth or sustainability are encouraged to apply to attend the upcoming Geoscience Alliance Conference.
We are pleased to announce the upcoming Geoscience Alliance 5 Conference, "Data Science in Indian Country," sponsored
by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF EAR 2039341).
Location: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Dates: July 28-30, 2022 (arrive on July 28, leave on July 31).
Conference Logistics, Agenda, and Registration:
Travel Scholarship Awards are available. See
logistics page
to apply!
The GA5 conference will focus on addressing the shift in science towards big data and how Native American perspectives can be incorporated in data collection and analysis of the Earth system. The conference will promote
knowledge-sharing on best practices for preparing students at all levels in using data in the geoscience.
The conference will allow attendees to talk through questions such as:
- How does data influence decision-making nationally related to the geosciences, the environment, government and agency policies, and the protection of natural
and cultural resources?
- How can we make sure Native American students are well-trained in all aspects of data collection, access, usage, and analysis?
- What happens when federal or state data access policy conflicts with Tribal sovereignty?
- What issues are there with data quantification of variables such as personal, cultural, or spiritual values (e.g., how do tribes quantify water needs required for cultural practices, ceremonies, fishing, etc.)? What can we learn
from social science research and decision science about how to adequately quantify these types of variables?
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- How do you retain culture and identity in data?
- How do you put a value on culture? Should you?
- How do you share data on these issues? Should you?
- What are some issues that arise when data integrity conflicts with cultural sites or traditional practices (e.g., Tribal resource managers must evaluate the use of sacred/ritual/cultural uses of resources when designing sampling
plans and choosing sampling sites)?
- What barriers are there to data use for Natives in the geosciences (collection, training, storage, usage, analyses, ethics)?
Please join us to talk about these and other issues related to Data in Indian Country!
For more information, logistics, registration, agenda, and other information:
