Sovereignty Across Borders

By Nick Salgado-Stanley

As an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in wildlife conservation and economics at Cal Poly Humboldt, I gravitated towards professionals who understood the importance of data and its applications to the natural world. In particular, I was excited to be part of a community of scholars who were committed to preserving Indigenous sovereignty through academic research and collaboration.

My first experience conducting research was at the Research Experience for Undergraduates on Sustainable Land and Water Resources (REU-SLAWR). The NSF-funded program exists to enlist more students from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain research experience in hopes of pursuing graduate studies. Part of the program was a presentation at the Fifth Geoscience Alliance Conference (GA 5) in which participants aimed to bring their personal backgrounds to the dilemma of Indigenous data sovereignty. More specifically, participants were encouraged to share personal experiences and new ideas in intimate group settings, fostering collective efforts to dispel ignorance within STEM spheres.

One perspective I considered throughout GA5 was how the concerns of Chicano individuals are reflected in academia regarding data sovereignty. Speaking from experience as a Latino in STEM, I believe that data sovereignty is of significant importance to many Chicano issues, and is especially relevant for those in the San Joaquin Valley in California. In this region, many Chicano farm workers suffer from human rights violations.

The San Joaquin Valley supplies a quarter of the United States’ food, yet its workers have long been viewed as second-class citizens. United Farm Workers, a labor union recently backed by California Senator Alex Padilla, is advocating for the equal treatment of farm workers, regardless of citizenship status or national origin. A large part of the fight lies in accessing figures to estimate exactly how many farm workers in the state are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA) and immigration legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 12 percent of reported farm workers in California are Hispanic; however, organizations like United Farm Workers believe the figure to be far higher due to the number of unreported immigrants who come to the United States seeking work and legal protection. The data on workers who have sought asylum or attempted to obtain visas is kept private by the Department of Homeland Security in many states, including California. Individuals not counted by the U.S. Census are unable to access social security, local tax refunds, and other benefits, which have traditionally been reserved for U.S. citizens.

Similarly, data sharing has long been controversial for Native nations in both the United States and Canada. When data is collected on population size and natural resources state or federal agencies and not shared with tribes, cooperation is nearly impossible. One example is the contention surrounding the Line 3 pipeline being developed through the reservation of the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa outside of Duluth, Minnesota. In the last decade, after years of secrecy, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Fond Du Lac officials finally began consulting in order to protect native species and cultural resources and respect the 1854 Treaty that ensures the Band’s rights to fish, hunt, and live according to traditional standards. Small steps are being taken toward a respectful relationship between Indigenous tribes and the U.S. government as new leaders take power and follow through on promises related to land back movements and Native sovereignty.

One common theme between the Chicano farm workers of California and the Fond Du Lac Band members of Minnesota is a disconnect between the people and those in power. There are certain incentives for the latter to keep their cards close. Less documentation of immigrants entering the West means less government spending on social security benefits and an ever-increasing population of fearful workers who are historically overworked and underpaid. In the Midwest, the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices and officials receive some of the smallest portions of government spending.

Yet, when the rights of every person residing in this country, regardless of nationality, are respected, momentous achievements follow. The Fond Du Lac Band recently opened Mashkiki Waakaa’igan Pharmacy, the first fully funded tribal pharmacy in downtown Minneapolis. In California, the United Farm Workers union has recently completed a 28-day march across the Golden State to demand equal treatment of undocumented workers by California legislators. Despite the many struggles that remain across the country, strength persists among the impoverished. Likewise, the Fifth Geoscience Alliance Conference created a sense of solidarity among all present. Unity existed in rooms full of diverse participants at the University of Minnesota for a very important gathering.

Nick Salgado-Stanley is an undergraduate student at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt pursuing bachelor’s in economics and wildlife conservation with a minors in GIS, environmental policy and scientific diving.