Infographic titled "ASU Doing Research in Indigenous Communities" about collaboration and policy in tribal areas, featuring colorful text and illustrations.

Doing Research in Indigenous Communities Conference

2023 Doing Research in Indigenous Communities Conference

Thank you for joining us for the seventh annual Doing Research in Indigenous Communities Conference on Oct. 23 and 24, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. Hosted by the Office of American Indian Initiatives and the College of Health Solutions and funded by the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre, this annual conference offers an opportunity to understand and address the research needs of tribal nations and communities.

The no-cost conference includes plenary panels and breakout sessions structured to encourage learning and discussion. Day one focused on timely policy issues impacting Indian Country with a theme of Sober Living Home Crisis: Collaboration for Community Action. Day two focused on supporting and developing the next generation of researchers by cultivating Indigenous students' research knowledge, skills and scholarly journey.

Students, researchers or community members interested in research issues and opportunities within Indigenous communities are encouraged to attend the conference each year.

Conference highlights

Conference storyboard

Visual notes were produced live during the 2023 conference by Hannah Murphy of Studio Stillwater.

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2023 agenda

Monday, Oct. 23, 2023

8–8:30 a.m.	Continental breakfast and check in Arizona Ballroom
8:30–9 a.m.	Opening blessing and welcome Arizona Ballroom Lakota Kinlicheenie, Mr. Indigenous ASU, 1st Attendant Land acknowledgement Welcome Arizona Ballroom Jacob Moore, Vice President and Special Advisor to the President for American Indian Affairs, Office of University Affairs Michael Yudell, Vice Dean and Professor, College of Health Solutions Sally Morton, Executive Vice President and Professor, ASU Knowledge Enterprise
9–10:15 a.m.	Tribal leaders Arizona Ballroom Maria Dadgar, Executive Director, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona Jerome Kasey III, Vice Chairman, White Mountain Apache Tribe Stephen Lewis, Governor, Gila River Indian Community Shaadiin Parrish, Council Delegate, Navajo Nation Council Moderator: Jacob Moore
10:15–10:30 a.m.	Networking break
10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Plenary panel — Sober Living House Crisis Arizona Ballroom Plenary session, part one: Jolyana Begay-Kroupa, Chief Executive Officer, Phoenix Indian Center Valaura Imus-Nahsonhoya, MMIP Coordinator, Governor’s Office Matthew Meier, Clinical Associate Professor, Director of MS Addiction Psychology Program Moderator: Agnes Attakai Plenary session, part two: Mary Descheeny-Reyna, MSW, Office of the Executive Director, Operation Rainbow Bridge, Navajo Nation, Division of Social Services Christine Holden, AHCCCS Tribal Liaison Kathy Dill, Compliance Officer, Privacy Official, and Incident Commander, Phoenix Indian Medical Center Moderator: Agnes Attakai
12:30–1:30 p.m.	Lunch Arizona Ballroom
1:30–1:45 p.m.	Travel to breakout session one
1:45–2:45 p.m.	Breakout session one University Tribal Consultation for Research, Arizona Ballroom Community Listening Session, PIMA 230 Practitioner Listening Session, Ventana 241C
2:45–3 p.m.	Travel to breakout session two
3–4 p.m.	Breakout session two University Tribal Consultation for Research, Arizona Ballroom Community Listening Session, PIMA 230 Practitioner Listening Session, Ventana 241C
4–4:05 p.m.	Travel to Arizona Ballroom
4:05–4:30 p.m.	Call to action and closing remarks Arizona Ballroom
4:30 p.m.	Reception Arizona Ballroom

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

8–9 a.m.	Continental breakfast and check in Room 236 Labriola National American Indian Data Center Hayden Library
9–9:30 a.m.	Opening blessing and land acknowledgement Room 236 Hannah Nockideneh, Miss Indigenous ASU 2023-24 Eli Shepherd, Labriola Student Worker Welcome Room 236 Alexander Soto, Director, Labriola National American Indian Data Center; Assistant Librarian, ASU Library Jessica Solyom, Associate Research Professor, School of Social Transformation; Associate Director, Center for Indian Education
9:30–10 a.m.	Keynote speaker Room 236 Darryl Reano, Assistant Professor, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration
10:10–10:50 a.m.	Opening presentation: “Indigenizing Research 101” Room 236 Cecilia Merek, Gender Studies Doctoral Student, School of Social Transformation
11–11:45 a.m.	Indigenous Librarianship = Cultural Resilience Room 236 Alexander Soto, Director, Labriola Center - Assistant Librarian Vina Begay (Zoom), Assistant Librarian, Labriola Center
11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Lunch Room 236
12–12:40 p.m.	Student panel Room 236 Undergraduate students Hannah Nockideneh Eli Shepherd Doctoral students Hosava Kretzmann Heaven Supulveda
12:45–1:30 p.m.	Indigenizing the Literature Review Room 236 Marisa Duarte, Associate Professor, School of Social Transformation
1:45–2:30 p.m.	Breakout session one Navigating Tribal Research Approval Room 236 What to Expect Being an Indigenous Researcher: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Room 204 Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Room 232
2:45–3:30 p.m.	Breakout session two Queer Indigenous Urban Studies: (Re)Imagining Indigenous Urbanization (Re)Built By/For Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Mob Room 232 Dissemination as Dialogue: Building Trust, Sharing Research Findings and Communities of Practice Room 204 Researching Native Americans: Reflections on Vocabulary, Search Strategies, and Technology Room 236
3:30–4 p.m.	Closing remarks Christopher Sharp, Director and Clinical Assistant Professor, Office of American Indian Projects
4–5 p.m.	Networking and student poster session reception

Featured panelists, guest speakers and moderators

Agnes Attakai, director of health disparities outreach and prevention education, Arizona Center for Rural Health, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Christina C. Bell Andrews, executive director, Wassaja Carlos Montezuma Center for Native American Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Jolyana Begay-Kroupa, director of development, Phoenix Indian Center; and instructor, American Indian Studies, Arizona State University
Maria Dadgar, executive director, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
Mary Descheeny-Reyna, Office of the Executive Director Thomas Cody, Navajo Nation Division of Social Services
Kathy Dill, compliance officer, Phoenix Indian Medical Center
Valaura Imus-Nahsonhoya, missing and murdered Indigenous persons coordinator, Tribal Affairs, Office of Governor Hobbs
Jerome Kasey III, vice chairman, White Mountain Apache Tribal Council
Souksavanh Tom Keovorabouth, doctoral student, Oregon State University
Hosava Kretzmann, evaluation associate, Office of Vice President for Research, Northern Arizona University
Stephen Roe Lewis, governor, Gila River Indian Community
Matt Meier, clinical associate professor, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
Jacob Moore, vice president and special advisor to the president for American Indian affairs, Office of University Affairs, Arizona State University
Sally C. Morton, executive vice president, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University
Shaandiin Parrish, chairwoman, 25th Navajo Nation Council Budget and Finance Committee
Michael Yudell, vice dean and professor, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
Vina Begay, librarian, Fletcher Labriola at ASU West Valley, Arizona State University
Turquoise Devereaux, ’19 MSW, Arizona State University
Marisa Duarte, senior global futures scientist, Arizona State University
Priscilla “Aumaqpaq” Frankson, master’s student, American Indian Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Hannah Nockideneh, bachelor’s student in physics and mathematics, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Cecilia Marek, PhD candidate in gender studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Alycia de Mesa, PhD candidate in human and social dimensions of science and technology, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, College of Global Futures, Arizona State University
Darryl Reano, assistant professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Heaven Sepulveda, doctoral student in leadership and innovation, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
Christopher Sharp, clinical assistant professor and director, Office of American Indian Projects, School of Social Work, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University
Elishua Shepherd, bachelor’s student in earth and space exploration (geological sciences), School of Earth and Space Exploration, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Jessica Solyom, assistant research professor, School of Social Transformation, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Alex Soto, director, Labriola National American Indian Data Center, ASU Libraries, Arizona State University
Dalavai Surveyor, bachelor’s student in biochemistry, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University

View speaker bios

Conference planning committee

The Office of American Indian Initiatives, in collaboration with the College of Health Solutions, would like to acknowledge the planning committee that has organized this dynamic event. We appreciate the dedication and commitment toward hosting this conference and are very grateful for the contributions made by each member of the committee.

Theresa Jean Ambo, assistant professor, co-founder and co-director, Indigenous Futures Institute, University of California San Diego
Agnes Attakai, director of health disparities outreach and prevention education, Arizona Center for Rural Health, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Annabell Bowen, director, Office of American Indian Initiatives, Arizona State University
Angela Gonzales, associate professor, School of Social Transformation, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
LeShé Hunter, events manager, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
Sahmie Joshevama, coordinator, Office of American Indian Initiatives, Arizona State University
Rachel La Vine, senior project manager, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
Jacob Moore, vice president and special advisor to the president for American Indian affairs, Office of University Affairs, Arizona State University
Taylor Notah, journalist and senior editor, Turning Points Magazine, Arizona State University
Myra Parker, associate professor, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington School of Medicine; and director, Seven Directions
Jamie Ritchey, director of epidemiology, Tribal Epidemiology Center, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
Christopher Sharp, clinical assistant professor and director, Office of American Indian Projects, School of Social Work, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University
Jessica Solyom, assistant research professor, School of Social Transformation, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Alex Soto, director, Labriola National American Indian Data Center, ASU Libraries, Arizona State University
Nate Wade, assistant research professor and executive director for strategic initiatives and innovation, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University

View committee bios