Welcome to the OLC NIFA IDC repository, part of the USDA-NIFA IDC project at Oglala Lakota College.
This repository serves as the central hub for our group, hosting our project description, member bios, codebase, datasets, and more.
Communities across the globe are navigating an era of profound environmental disruption, including the contamination of air and water, declining freshwater availability, habitat loss, and an accelerating climate crisis. For many Tribal Nations, these challenges are compounded by the legacies of colonization and systemic inequities that have limited access to environmental data and decision-making tools.
At the same time, Tribal peoples bring generations of knowledge and enduring relationships with their homelands that offer critical insights for sustaining ecosystems. Traditional ways of understanding the world that are rooted in balance, respect, and reciprocity hold lessons for all of us.
The Integrated Data Cube (IDC) initiative seeks to unite these strengths with the capabilities of modern Earth data science. Our team is creating a flexible, community-driven data and workflow platform that enables Tribal Nations to gather, interpret, and apply environmental information in ways that align with their own priorities and governance systems. It is both a research infrastructure and a learning environment designed to expand local expertise in data analysis and evidence-based decision-making while also integrating principles of traditional knowledge systems and inherent Tribal sovereignty.
Ultimately, this work supports Tribal sovereignty and resilience. By equipping communities with tools to visualize and interpret their own environmental data, the IDC helps ensure that responses to climate and ecological change are guided by Tribal leadership, knowledge, and values.
Increased Tribal Access to Data Science
Making EDS accessible supports Tribal-led environmental research and resource management.
Capacity Building and Training
The DataCube will serve as a teaching and learning tool for Oglala Lakota College, students, Elders, and community members, expanding technical and data literacy skills.
Stronger Environmental and Climate Resilience
With improved data and tools, Tribes can develop more effective, self-determined responses to environmental challenges, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Advancing environmental data science isn’t just about technology, it’s about equity, sovereignty, and inclusion.
Our project centers Tribal self-determination and the integration of Tribal Knowledges with state-of-the-art Earth data tools to create lasting, meaningful change.
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| J. Foster Sawyer, PhD | Faculty, Oglala Lakota College |
| Camille Griffith, PhD | Faculty, Oglala Lakota College |
| Elisha Yellow Thunder | Adjunct Faculty, Oglala Lakota College |
| James Sanovia | Tribal Resilience Data Scientist, CIRES ESIIL Lab, CU Boulder |
| Lilly Jones, PhD | Daear Consulting, LLC; Research Faculty, CIRES Earth Lab, CU Boulder |
| Ty Tuff | Lead Data Scientist, CIRES ESIIL Lab, CU Boulder |
For questions or collaboration inquiries, please contact:
James (Jim) Sanovia – Tribal Data Scientist, CIRES ESIIL Lab, CU Boulder
Email: [James.Sanovia@colorado.edu]
This work is guided by the principles of Tribal data sovereignty, Tribal knowledge integration, and Community-led research.
We honor the Oglala Lakota Nation, the Oceti Sakowin and the lands that sustain this work.