A Commitment to Right Relationship
The Nebraska Institute of Great Plains operates on land that is the ancestral and current homeland of numerous Indigenous nations, including the Pawnee, Omaha, Ponca, Lakota, and others. Acknowledging this is not a symbolic gesture but the foundation of the Institute's formal Indigenous Partnerships Program. This program represents a profound institutional commitment to moving beyond extractive research models and building relationships based on respect, reciprocity, and shared authority. The goal is to decolonize plains scholarship by centering Indigenous knowledge systems, histories, and futures.
Guiding Principles and Governance
All partnerships are guided by a formal set of principles co-created with a council of Tribal advisors. These include Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for any research involving Tribal citizens or resources; data sovereignty, meaning Tribes control data about themselves; and co-ownership of intellectual property arising from collaborative projects. Several Tribes have appointed official liaison scholars who hold adjunct faculty positions at the Institute, ensuring Indigenous perspectives are embedded in governance, curriculum development, and research priority-setting from the start.
Collaborative Research Initiatives
True partnership is evidenced in joint research. A landmark project is the "Revitalizing Bison Relations" initiative, which brings together Tribal wildlife managers, Institute ecologists, and cultural practitioners to study the ecological and cultural impacts of returning bison to Tribal lands. Research questions are framed jointly, blending Western scientific methods with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) about plant communities, animal behavior, and fire management.
Another key area is language and cultural heritage preservation. Institute linguists and digital archivists provide technical support for Tribal language revitalization programs, developing digital tools and archives according to protocols set by the Tribes. Historical research is being collaboratively rewritten, using Indigenous oral histories to challenge and enrich the settler-colonial narrative found in standard textbooks.
Educational Integration and Student Support
Within the Institute's academic programs, Indigenous knowledge is not a special topic but a foundational component. Required courses include "Indigenous Histories of the Great Plains" and "Ethics of Cross-Cultural Research." The Institute offers full-tuition fellowships for Indigenous students and has established a robust mentorship network connecting them with Indigenous faculty and professionals. Furthermore, the Institute hosts regular gatherings, such as the annual "Two-Eyed Seeing" symposium, which features presentations by teams of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars working together, modeling a collaborative way of knowing.
Challenges and Transformative Potential
This work is not without challenges. It requires non-Indigenous scholars to confront unconscious biases, cede control, and work at the pace of trust-building, which is often slower than academic publishing cycles. However, the transformative potential is immense. By honoring Indigenous sovereignty and knowledge, the Institute is producing more accurate, nuanced, and ethical scholarship. It is helping to heal historical wounds and build a future for the Great Plains that reflects the wisdom of its original inhabitants. This partnership model is arguably the Institute's most significant contribution to redefining how academic institutions can and should engage with Indigenous communities, turning a legacy of exploitation into one of respectful collaboration and mutual benefit.