Ethnic Studies

I am a comparative and critical ethnic studies scholar interested in the intersections between ethnic studies, cultural geography, and Indigenous studies. My research focuses on issues of race, space, and Indigenous geographies. My book, Native Space: Geographic Strategies to Unsettle Settler Colonialism (OSU Press, and the First Peoples series) illustrates the ways that Native people in North America sustain and create Indigenous geographies in settler colonial nations (and was awarded the Association for Ethnic Studies' 2021 Outstanding Book Award). My second book, A People's Guide to Portland and Beyond (pre-contract with UC Press), highlights lesser known sites of social justice and oppression across the city of Portland. I also write on pedagogy, cartography, contemporary media, college cultural centers, and popular culture. My writing appears in the following: 

(Journals) -- Journal of Geography, Cartographica, Mobilities (forthcoming 2022), e-flux Architecture/Guggenheim, American Indian Culture and Research Journal, People and Nature (forthcoming 2022), Social Text/Natural History Museum (forthcoming 2022), Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies, AAG Review of Books, Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, Oregon Humanities, and...

(Books) -- Transformative Approaches to Social Justice Education (Routledge), Diversity in Disney Films (MacFarland), Teaching Race in the 21st Century (Palgrave/Springer), Nexus: Complicating Community and Centering the Self (Cognella).

In addition to my second book, I am currently working on:

1. an article about teaching Ethnic Studies during study abroad -- under review
2. a short think piece on settler urbanism and installation art -- under review
3. an analytic survey of Ethnic Studies programs in the United States -- in progress

My most notable pedagogical project is the ongoing Social Justice Tours of Corvallis (see publications), a student-led research and experiential community learning series.

I greatly enjoy my work with colleagues at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (Note: this should not be read as an endorsement by either community). I have worked extensively with on-campus cultural centers [see this video on the OSU cultural centers, the UCSD Cross-Cultural Center page, and Sacramento State University's Multicultural Center], with a special emphasis on combining scholarship, mentoring, and community building.  Before joining Oregon State University I taught at a number of schools, including California College of the Arts (Critical Studies), San Francisco State University (American Indian Studies), and UC San Diego (Ethnic Studies).

Student Research and Highlights

• Ethnic Studies Student Research Symposium: 2017 / 2018
• Oregon Archival Research Field Trip (April 25, 2017)
• Check out Ethnic Studies graduate Zandro Lerma's feature video and story for Spring 2014 commencement
• Interviews with OSU's Native American Longhouse staff, as part of a collaborative oral history project between the Longhouse, Ethnic Studies, and Oregon Multicultural Archives

Courses taught

• Making Alliances & Solidarities 
• Environmental Racism (including Honors)
• Indigenous Ocean and Coast (spring 2023)
• Introduction to Native American Studies (including Honors)
• Research Methods: Ethnic Studies
• Ethnohistory Methodology
• Native American Assimilation and Activism (including Honors)
• Public Discourse and Writing on Race (Writing Intensive Course)
• Introduction to Ethnic Studies
• Race, Space, and Difference
• Mapping Activism and Power in Portland and Beyond (Honors)
• London, Sugar, and Slavery (Honors - England, summer 2017)
• Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity in Japan (Honors - Japan, summer 2019)

Media and Interviews

• Why Ethnic Studies Matters, Association for Ethnic Studies blog
• The Ideological Function of Place Names (video), The Natural History Museum
• Oregon State Professor Explores That Really Are Not Neutral, Jefferson Public Radio
• Study of National Park System Shows Place Names Tied to Racism, White Supremacy, or Genocide, KLCC
• New Tool Developed to ID, Change Harmful Place Names in National Parks, The Hill
• OSU Professor Helps Identify Harmful Names at National Parks, KEZI News
• OSU Develops Tools to Reconsider, Remove Racially Harmful Place Names, KOIN News
• History is Always the Present (Transforming the College Classroom podcast)
• Native Space interview, NewBooks Network
• Indigenous Peoples, in Oregon and Beyond, are Decolonizing Maps, Oregon Public Broadcasting
• Underground History: Seeing the Landscape with Indigenous Eyes, Jefferson Public Radio
• Indigenous Cartographers Work to Decolonize Maps, Indian Country Today
• Mapping with Purpose, Eugene Weekly
• Native Peoples Redrawing the Map, Corvallis Advocate
• OSU Professor Helps to Recenter the Map, Albany Democrat-Herald
• An Oregon State University Professor Wants to Decolonize Mapping by Recentering Indigenous Cartography, Willamette Week
• Indigenous Cartographers Work to Decolonize Mapping of Traditional Lands, OSU News 
• Reclaiming Native Space, Terra Magazine
• Naming Project Aims to Remind Visitors that Marys Peak is Still Sacred to Tribes, The Oregonian (note: I am not an Ojibwe tribal member as stated in text)
• Tribe Helping Name Marys Peak Creeks, Smoke Signals (Grand Ronde tribal newspaper)
• Decrepit Fish Camps Built on Broken Promises, The Oregonian (find me in the video)
• Giving Due to the Marginalized (on Social Justice Tour of Corvallis #1), Corvallis Gazette-Times
• On Indian headdresses & fashion, Radio New Zealand (9.20 mark)