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Session 1: Rising Native Voices: Environmental Journalism/Justice
This session’s panelists will discuss recording, documenting and sharing information about environmental issues in Native communities. This session will cover a critical theme for Indigenous media: climate change and environmental sustainability of Tribal lands. Discussion will focus on climate resilience issues and ways of getting the word out about current challenges and possible solutions to help Tribal communities adapt to a changing climate.
Moderator: Tasia Pedro
About the Speakers
Dan Wildcat, Haskell Indian Nations University
Daniel Wildcat, Ph.D., is a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, and an accomplished scholar who writes on Indigenous knowledge, technology, environment, and education. He is also director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center, which he founded with colleagues from the Center for Hazardous Substance Research at Kansas State University. Wildcat helped design a four-part video series entitled All Things Are Connected: The Circle of Life (1997), which dealt with the land, air, water, biological, and policy issues facing Native nations. A Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, Wildcat recently formed the American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group, a tribal-college-centered network of individuals and organizations working on climate change issues. In 2008, he helped organize the Planning for Seven Generations climate change conference sponsored by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He is the author, most recently, of Red Alert! Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge (2009).
Rhonda LeValdo, Haskell Indian Nations University
Rhonda LeValdo, Acoma Pueblo, is Faculty in Media Communications at Haskell Indian Nations University and currently serving as Interim Dean for the School of Humanities. LeValdo received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas in Journalism and Mass Communication. Ms. LeValdo has written for various outlets as well as audio/video work for: Indian Country Today, First Nations Experience (TV), Native News Online, Indianz.com, Tribal College Journal, National Native News (radio) as well as host for her own show Native Spirit radio on KKFI in Kansas City every Sunday. LeValdo has done work in mainstream media: Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Online NewsHour (PBS), Kansas Magazine, Kansas City Star and VOX media.
LeValdo is currently a member of the board of directors for Indian Country Today and Lawrence Kansas Times. She also sat on the Board of Directors for Native Public Media, Unity Journalists for Diversity and is a past president of the Native American Journalists Association.
Nathan Fregien, College of Menominee Nation
Nathan Fregien has been teaching professional audio and video editing as an Apple Certified Trainer for over a decade. He has developed custom training curriculums’ for Apple and Adobe products to train students in digital arts, storytelling, and web-based technology solutions. He also teaches business classes and is the Program Chair for the Digital Media Associates of Arts and Science degree at College of Menominee Nation. He has experience in developing solutions from concept to finished product that effectively communicate and achieve company objectives; designing technology-assisted productions that continuously improve processes and customer experience while creating value and improving environmentally responsible decision-making in 21st century business. His passion is for continuous improvement through lifelong learning, technology, research, and education.
Al Kuslikis, AIHEC
Al Kuslikis is Senior Associate for Strategic Initiatives at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the association of the nation’s 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). An important focus of Mr. Kuslikis’ work involves identifying strategies for supporting research, education, technology transfer, and community development programming at the nation’s TCUs particularly through partnerships among the Tribal Colleges and the larger stakeholder community – including federal, Tribal and state agencies, higher education institutions, organizations, and businesses. Mr. Kuslikis has accumulated over thirty years of experience in American Indian higher education, beginning with his work at Diné College when it was called Navajo Community College.