Urban Biocultural Restoration and Indigenous Continuance in NYC
About this Event
Urban environments have no “natural” analogue, bringing together diverse people of all taxa in unique spatiotemporal configurations. Though a positive association has been observed between cultural diversity and biodiversity, this connection is not well explored in urban areas. Though broad generalizations would like us to believe that Native American people are either a thing of the past or relegated to the reservation, Indigenous peoples continue to exist and sustain their identities in urban environments. In fact, New York City has one of the largest Indigenous populations in the country and is full of ecologically significant, diverse ecosystems—making it perfect for studying how Native identities can be expressed, sustained, and uplifted by urban green spaces and biodiversity. In this talk, I will discuss my findings on biocultural diversity in NYC and how I practice Indigenous science in the context of urban ecology.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Lily Kunkel (they/them) is a Two-spirit ecologist of Cherokee and Choctaw descent from Portland, Oregon. They graduated from NYU with a B.A. in Biology (Ecology Track) and a minor in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Lily developed an interdisciplinary bent early, with research experience in both urban ecology and social-developmental psychology and diverse work experience across climate art, sustainability, community engagement, and youth programming. Currently, they are a second-year PhD student in the Naeem-Palmer Lab Group at Columbia University. Their research focuses on how the connection between cultural diversity and biodiversity manifests in cities, with a particular interest in birds and the urban Indigenous experience.
Date: Tuesday, November 17
Time: 1:45–3:00 p.m.
Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice || Room 09.64 NB
Learn more about the planting the estuary on campus initiative: https://sites.google.com/view/plantingtheestuary/learning
Questions? Email hchu (at) jjay (dot) cuny (dot) edu
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
