Native Pathways Graduate Research Awards Program is designed and administered by the Haury Program to strengthen the academic pathways for Native American and Indigenous Resilience students and scholars, with an emphasis on UArizona programs and people devoted to Native and Indigenous resilience education, research, and outreach.
These awards support the research of graduate students who focus on water, energy and food access and challenges, and/or climate change challenges faced by Native American and Indigenous communities, especially those within Arizona; and/or who have experience or are interested in strengthening their skills related to specific tribal or Native Nation’s Traditional Environmental Knowledge, values, data sovereignty, or other ways of approaching resilience challenges of Native American and Indigenous communities.
These awards are a part of a larger commitment to Indigenous Resilience by the Haury Program started by the Haury Donor-Advised Fund Board in 2020.
Native Pathways Graduate Research Awards Spotlight:
Christian Sage Jimmie is interested in helping improve the quality of life for the Navajo people. He will work with Navajo Nation agencies to understand their water priorities and allocate resources and efforts towards crucial water infrastructure.
In March of 2022, the Haury Program launched a call for proposals to recruit and support the work of Indigenous scholars addressing the severe water access challenges faced by Native Americans and working on projects promoting tribal customs and governance, and traditional knowledge. The call was part of the Haury Program Native Pathways initiative to encourage collaborations among people and programs that engage in education, research, outreach, and other work devoted to Native and Indigenous issues.
Mr. Christian Sage Jimmie holds a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering from the Arizona State University. He joined the University of Arizona to pursue an M.S. in Civil Engineering. His research interests involve the planning and allocation of water resources. Mr. Jimmie will work with Professor Kevin Lansey from the UArizona Department of Civil & Architectural Engineering & Mechanics. "We plan to work with Navajo Nation agencies to understand their priorities. I hope that this partnership allows me to play a larger role in helping improve the quality of life for the Navajo people. I hope to contribute to the Navajo Nation that will help allocate resources and efforts towards crucial water infrastructure."
"Thirty percent of the residents in the Navajo Nation are not connected to a water supply system. My main interest is to help identify viable water project options for the Navajo Nation based on various constraints and considerations. My research aims to extend and apply a methodology to determine how to allocate financial resources to different water supply infrastructure development options. My research will contemplate multiple considerations, including construction and operation costs and health and economic benefits.
I chose to attend the University of Arizona because it allowed me to conduct research and continue my education at a university with a well-respected civil engineering department. UArizona's outstanding civil engineering faculty and alumni were two critical deciding factors in helping me choose a graduate program. Lastly, I chose UArizona because it has given me access to an abundance of resources and financial aid opportunities." - Mr. Christian Sage Jimmie.
Mr. Majerle Dave Lister is a specialist in Indigenous lands, Diné politics, and governance. He is from the University of North Carolina. Mr. Majerle Dave Lister will be working with Dr. Andrew Curley, Assistant Professor at the UArizona School of Geography and Development, to explore the role of energy and Southwest politics in Navajo geography.
"My main research interest are Indigenous/Navajo geography, land, infrastructure, and energy. My future research will involve a look at land struggles that Indigenous peoples face and the role of infrastructure and energy in those struggles. Some peripheral interests are exploring how infrastructure creates space and temporalities within Indigenous peoples and how they are asserting self-determination in development. I am interested in food sovereignty in Indigenous communities and how self-determination is expressed via food production and distribution.
The University of Arizona has a great geography department. I am interested in developing my research towards the Southwest region and its politics of resources, energy, and Indigenous peoples. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, so I am glad to be returning to the Southwest." - Mr. Majerle Dave Lister.
