Natural Scientists: Shaleene Chavarria’s Mission to Elevate Indigenous Voices at the USGS
Shaleene Chavarria, a member of the Pueblo of Santa Clara, advocates for the empowerment of Indigenous scientists within the USGS to attract future generations of Native American scientists to work with the federal government.
Since Shaleene Chavarria was a baby, she has joined her mother, aunts, and grandmother on long hikes to gather volcanic ash, clay, and other materials used in the pottery her family specializes in making. She knows how to cultivate crops like corn, squash, beans, and chili, and how to dry and hang them for preservation.
“Before we go out and take anything from the land, there are different steps — giving thanks for the resources and making sure that you're not taking more than what you need,” Chavarria said. “Making sure that you're leaving the land in the best shape as you can and doing everything with care and gratitude.”
These aspects of her Indigenous heritage continue to be part of Chavarria’s daily life, even after moving from the reservation to Albuquerque 15 years ago. They are integral to her identity and something she has worked to teach her 22-year-old daughter, Brianen.
“I don't think about the knowledge that I have and use every day as Indigenous Knowledge, because it’s a part of my daily life. I don’t know anything different.” she said. “That’s been one of my biggest strengths because it's hard to understand Indigenous Knowledge, especially with a lot of spirituality behind it.”
Chavarria explained that the Indigenous Knowledge she’s learned since her childhood does not recognize science as an isolated aspect of her worldview. But since she left her home in the Pueblo of Santa Clara, located in north-central New Mexico, she began a journey that has allowed her to reflect more on how Indigenous Knowledges, such as hers, can strengthen scientific research.
Initially intending to be a preschool teacher, she moved to the big city to pursue a STEM degree at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI). This led her to begin a career with the U.S. Geological Survey as a student hydrologist intern through the USGS Pathways Program.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in environmental science and her master’s in planetary sciences. After graduating, she worked as a full-time hydrologist at the New Mexico Water Science Center until 2021, when she joined the USGS Office of Science Quality and Integrity- Office of Tribal Relations as a staff scientist.
Chavarria was instrumental in standing up the USGS Tribal Relations Community of Practice and for several years has managed a program that assists USGS scientists in providing technical training to Tribes to enhance their internal capacity. Recently, she co-led a working group chartered by USGS’s Executive Leadership Team to determine how the Bureau can better include Indigenous Knowledge in the Bureau’s science products and to draft guidance to help Bureau employees in achieving that purpose.
“The way we write journal articles or USGS publications is totally a different language from the way you write policy,” she said. “It's been like learning a new language.”
From climate change to fire management, the USGS has sought to work with Tribes and include relevant information from Indigenous Knowledges into its science. Chavarria’s Tribal engagement work ensures that interactions are carried out with respect and understanding. One potential project she believes could be pursued is examining Native American songs and stories to learn about how resources have changed. One song in Santa Clara, passed down orally from generation to generation, maps out where the Tribe could find water sources — many of which are no longer there.
“Our songs are the maps to what we know,” she said. “Translating that into science is a bit harder, but we could use those songs to figure out what happened with some different resources, even the medicinal plants.”
“People need to understand that it's very powerful knowledge. We’re always told to be careful with who we share the knowledge with and what knowledge we share. If we start telling people and it's something that's like a scientific breakthrough, then there's a tendency for people to just overharvested or take advantage of the resource,” Chavarria added.
Chavarria has three pieces of advice for USGS scientists looking to work with Tribes. First, respect the people and their culture. Second, be honest about federal limitations protecting tribal data. Third, involve Tribes early in project planning—not just in execution. It’s also essential to recognize that scientists and Tribes operate on different timelines. Typically, scientists follow the federal calendar or the calendar year, while Tribes often operate by the seasons.
“Sometimes scientists might get frustrated when they reach out to a Tribe and the Tribe says, ‘oh, you can't come on to the land at this time or we can't meet you at this time because we have ceremonies,’ but they don't give them a date for their ceremonies,” she said. “A lot of the times we don't have dates. We do ceremonies when the elders or the people that lead our native Tribes feel that it’s time to do the ceremony.”
Chavarria believes the sharing of knowledge is a two-way street. She is currently trying to get her family to use USGS geologic maps to locate materials for their pottery.
“So rather than just walking the land, they can use a geologic map to guide them,” said Chavarria. “They don’t listen to me; they just think, ‘oh, she's crazy. She’s into science and all these different things, and we know where our resources are. But, Chavarria persists in trying to weave traditional knowledge with other knowledges and share with her family.
She describes Native Americans as “natural scientists,” saying that science comes easily to them since they work closely with the land. The challenge isn’t getting Native Americans to pursue STEM but rather to work for the federal government. Chavarria has faced questions from others in her Tribe regarding her decision to join the USGS.
“When I was first starting to work for the federal government, I got a lot of questions from people in my community like, ‘why are you going to work for the government that has done nothing but take from your people?” she said. “Whenever I go back now, people ask me that question, I say, ‘you know what? I have a bigger calling; I think I can use my education to not only help my Tribe, but to help more of my people.’ Including Indigenous Knowledge is one way I can help. I can't say what the rest of the government is doing, but at least I can have a little bit of a say in what we're doing at the USGS and how we're conducting ourselves with Tribes.”
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