Mapping Internal Colonization: Ecology, Identity, and Resilience Across Afro‑Indigenous Americas
Location
Poster #12
Start Date
1-5-2026 10:00 AM
Department
Latino and Latin American Studies
Abstract
This interdisciplinary project examines how colonial history, ecological disruption, and intergenerational trauma shape identity, psychological well‑being, and socio‑ecological resilience among Afro‑Indigenous and Latin American diasporic communities. Integrating GIS/remote sensing, environmental psychology, Indigenous studies, and autoethnography, the research seeks to visualize how internal colonization is embedded not only in people but also in landscapes, while supporting existing organizations/concepts such as Roots & Routes Virtual/Hybrid Internship. The study focuses on several comparative regions: the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, the Navajo Nation in the U.S. Southwest, regions of Mexico, the Chocó region of Ecuador/Colombia, and more. One such application of these sites represents distinct ecological systems—grasslands, deserts, industrial valleys, and rainforests—yet shares common histories of displacement, resource extraction, and cultural survival. Using Landsat, Sentinel‑1/2/5P, and GEDI LiDAR, the project maps land‑use change, flooding, air quality, vegetation health, and canopy structure. These spatial datasets are paired with soil and water sampling, interviews, diaspora narratives, and pictographic ecological stimuli to explore how communities interpret environmental imagery and how identity is shaped by ecological conditions. Story Map, remote scensing, holistic overview, scenario of a Circular Economy against Net Zero, and its pros vs cons balance of scales, while applying a complex array of avenues of approach in drawing attention for a true social equity concept that goes beyond Utilitarian and meets a true Altruistic approach. The project also incorporates a personal positionality component, reflecting on Afro‑Indigenous, Latinx, and veteran identities and the psychological impacts of racialization, blood quantum, and diaspora. This autoethnographic lens strengthens the analysis by grounding it in lived experience. The final outcome is a “Geography of Hope” model—a multi‑layered visualization integrating ecological data, psychological constructs, and community narratives. This model aims to support decolonial healing, environmental justice advocacy, and community‑centered policy recommendations. By bridging ecology, psychology, and GIS, the project offers a holistic framework for understanding how land, identity, and history remain deeply interconnected across the Americas.
Faculty Sponsor
Liu Ting
Faculty Sponsor
Juli Hazlewood
Mapping Internal Colonization: Ecology, Identity, and Resilience Across Afro‑Indigenous Americas
Poster #12
This interdisciplinary project examines how colonial history, ecological disruption, and intergenerational trauma shape identity, psychological well‑being, and socio‑ecological resilience among Afro‑Indigenous and Latin American diasporic communities. Integrating GIS/remote sensing, environmental psychology, Indigenous studies, and autoethnography, the research seeks to visualize how internal colonization is embedded not only in people but also in landscapes, while supporting existing organizations/concepts such as Roots & Routes Virtual/Hybrid Internship. The study focuses on several comparative regions: the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, the Navajo Nation in the U.S. Southwest, regions of Mexico, the Chocó region of Ecuador/Colombia, and more. One such application of these sites represents distinct ecological systems—grasslands, deserts, industrial valleys, and rainforests—yet shares common histories of displacement, resource extraction, and cultural survival. Using Landsat, Sentinel‑1/2/5P, and GEDI LiDAR, the project maps land‑use change, flooding, air quality, vegetation health, and canopy structure. These spatial datasets are paired with soil and water sampling, interviews, diaspora narratives, and pictographic ecological stimuli to explore how communities interpret environmental imagery and how identity is shaped by ecological conditions. Story Map, remote scensing, holistic overview, scenario of a Circular Economy against Net Zero, and its pros vs cons balance of scales, while applying a complex array of avenues of approach in drawing attention for a true social equity concept that goes beyond Utilitarian and meets a true Altruistic approach. The project also incorporates a personal positionality component, reflecting on Afro‑Indigenous, Latinx, and veteran identities and the psychological impacts of racialization, blood quantum, and diaspora. This autoethnographic lens strengthens the analysis by grounding it in lived experience. The final outcome is a “Geography of Hope” model—a multi‑layered visualization integrating ecological data, psychological constructs, and community narratives. This model aims to support decolonial healing, environmental justice advocacy, and community‑centered policy recommendations. By bridging ecology, psychology, and GIS, the project offers a holistic framework for understanding how land, identity, and history remain deeply interconnected across the Americas.