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Two-eyed seeing in Earth observations: co-creating data tools and capacity for Earth observations data analysis in support of California’s land transfer policy

Investigators:  Dr. Elaine (Lan Yin) Hsiao (School of Peace and Conflict Studies) and Dr. He Yin (Department of Geography)

This work focuses on addressing environmental justice issues faced by Indigenous communities in California through a combination of remote sensing technology and Indigenous knowledge, emphasizing the need for restorative environmental justice. They aim to utilize remote sensing data to monitor environmental indicators in reclaimed territories, identify areas for restoration, and support land transfer policy implementation. With this they aim to assess existing environmental justice tools' accessibility and usefulness for Native communities, develop new GIS-based tools, and evaluate the benefits of Indigenous conservation practices in improving forest watershed conservation and reducing wildfire risk.  The project adopts a two-eyed seeing approach, integrating Indigenous knowledge and Western science. It involves using remote sensing techniques to track land use changes, monitor vegetation health, and assess wildfire impacts. 

The findings will be integrated into a publicly accessible platform and shared with Tribal communities through workshops. The project aims to provide a better understanding of conservation benefits for Indigenous lands and promote a decolonial research approach. It anticipates generating remote sensing-based products and building essential partnerships for future grant applications. They aim for dissemination of research findings that will ensure broader accessibility and engagement with key stakeholders and communities. Overall, the grant proposal seeks to address environmental injustice through a collaborative approach that integrates Indigenous perspectives and advanced technological tools.