FR Seminar Series: Mike Dockry

Native American and Alaska Native tribes manage millions of acres of land and are leaders in forestry and fire management practices despite inadequate and equitable funding. Native American tribes are rarely considered as research partners due to historically poor relationships with non-native scientists, tribal mistrust of research, differences between Indigenous values and scientific methods, and low Indigenous representation at research institutions. Understanding tribal research needs is critical to foster successful research partnerships with underserved tribal communities. This talk describes the findings of a survey to identify tribal natural resource professionals’ research needs, access to research findings, and interest in participating in research. This study can inform forestry research planning efforts and establish research priorities and collaborations that are aligned with needs identified by tribal natural resource managers.