Indigenous Knowledge Systems
I study Indigenous systems of knowledge, knowledge plurality, environmental stewardship, and ethical approaches to braiding Indigenous and Western scientific practices.
Research • Teaching • Community-Engaged Scholarship
I work at the intersections of Indigenous knowledge, data sovereignty, environmental justice, and water security.
Ya'at'eeh. I am Clarita Lefthand-Begay, MS, Ph.D. I am an Indigenous scholar, educator, and community-engaged researcher. Through long-term partnerships with Tribal nations, communities, students, and interdisciplinary collaborators, I work to support self-determination, strengthen Indigenous governance, and advance scholarship that is accountable to community priorities.
About
I am committed to scholarship that serves Indigenous communities and the broader public.
My work is dedicated to advancing health equity, environmental justice, and data sovereignty in partnership with Tribal nations and communities. I draw on community-based research methods and Indigenous research methodologies to create pathways for Indigenous voices, knowledge systems, and data governance in research, policy, and education.
Across my research, teaching, and mentorship, I aim to support future leaders, bridge knowledge systems, and address urgent challenges related to water security, environmental health, climate justice, and data justice.
I currently serve as Associate Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington, Adjunct Associate Professor in American Indian Studies, and Co-Lead of the Pacific Northwest Hub of the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science.
Research themes
My core areas of inquiry
These themes connect my publications, grants, teaching, mentorship, and community-engaged scholarship.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty
I examine Tribal data governance, data justice, Indigenous research ethics, informed consent, Tribal research review, and emerging data landscapes.
Water Security
I work with communities to understand water access, quality, perception, governance, rainwater harvesting, and the cultural significance of water.
Environmental Justice
I contribute to scholarship and technical assistance focused on climate justice, environmental health equity, Tribal priorities, and federal decision-making.
Indigenous Research Methodologies
I teach and apply research approaches grounded in self-determination, Tribal review, community consent, relationality, and accountability.
Indigenous Futures & Technology
I am increasingly interested in AI, information systems, digital governance, and future-oriented frameworks that support Indigenous communities and students.
Featured projects
Projects that connect research, teaching, and community priorities
Tribal Water Security Project
I work with partners to support research, convenings, webinars, and community resources focused on water access, water quality, water justice, and Indigenous wellbeing.
Akiak Native Community Partnership
In partnership with the Akiak Native Community, my collaborators and I have worked on water perceptions, household water security, rainwater harvesting, and community-centered data collection.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Tribal Research Ethics
I study Tribal research review boards, informed consent, data governance, self-generated names, and ethical research practices with Indigenous communities.
Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science
As Co-Lead of the Pacific Northwest Hub, I support ethical research practices, graduate education, Tribal partnerships, water security, and cultural heritage preservation.
Shared Stewardship and Tribal Co-Management
My work in this area examines evolving Tribal-federal relationships, Indigenous systems of knowledge, and equitable approaches to public land stewardship.
Indigenous Health Equity Research Group
I mentor students and collaborators through speaker series, directed research, writing retreats, and collaborative scholarship focused on Indigenous health equity.
Selected publications
Recent and representative scholarship
I use this section to highlight selected work. My full CV includes a complete record of publications, manuscripts, reports, presentations, grants, mentoring, and service.
- Lefthand-Begay, C., Purty, T., Carl, S., & Williams, M. (2026). Insights from Reflexivity on Strengthening Water Security in Tribal Communities through Collaborative Approaches. Public Humanities.
- Lefthand-Begay, C., Redmore, L., Armatas, C., et al. (2025). From paternalism to self-determination: Examining evolving tribal-federal relationships and co-management arrangements through three case studies. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
- Lefthand-Begay, C., Kuhn, N., Purty, T., et al. (2024). Cultivating a space for intergenerational research mentorship through knowledge families. Wicazo Sa Review.
- Kuhn, N. S., Kuhn, E. J., Vendiola, M., & Lefthand-Begay, C. (2024). Indigenous research ethics and tribal research review boards in the United States. Research Ethics.
- Lefthand-Begay, C., Agajanian, T. J., Carbajal, I. A., et al. (2024). Prioritizing Indigenous Peoples' knowledge in federal decision-making. AlterNative.
- Hayden, M. H., Schramm, P. J., Beard, C. B., et al. (2023). Human health. In Fifth National Climate Assessment.
- Pool, T. K., Williams, M., McDonald, C., et al. (2023). Advancing water justice through a tribally-driven partnership. Frontiers in Water.
- Kuhn, K., Sarkar, S., White, L., Hoy, J., McCray, C., & Lefthand-Begay, C. (2020). Decolonizing risk communication: Indigenous responses to COVID-19 using social media. Journal of Indigenous Social Development.
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Teaching
I teach students to ask better questions, work ethically, and understand research as responsibility.
My teaching connects Indigenous knowledge systems, data sovereignty, research methods, environmental justice, and community-engaged inquiry.
Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
I teach sovereign rights, protections, protocols, and governance frameworks for Indigenous knowledge and data.
Indigenous Systems of Knowledge
I introduce students to Indigenous knowledge systems, information practices, community protocols, and stewardship.
Research Methods
I teach undergraduate research methods through proposal-centered pedagogy and a comprehensive lab workbook that supports consistent, equitable instruction.
Indigenous Research Methodologies and Methods
I teach graduate students how to apply Indigenous research methodologies to health equity, data, relocation, environmental change, and federal decision-making.
Mentorship
I mentor students through knowledge families, research groups, writing retreats, and collaborative scholarship.
Mentorship is central to my academic work. I support doctoral students, master’s students, undergraduate researchers, teaching practicum students, capstone students, and community-engaged research teams.
- I supervise and serve on doctoral committees.
- I mentor students through the Indigenous Health Equity Directed Research Group.
- I use a Knowledge Families approach to support intergenerational research mentorship.
- I support student co-authorship, conference presentations, community-facing outputs, and writing retreats.
Community engagement
I understand community-engaged scholarship as long-term, relational, and accountable work.
My community-engaged scholarship includes technical documents, webinar series, Tribal Council presentations, workshops, talking circles, summits, and public resources.
Technical documents
I collaborate on protocols, guidebooks, quality assurance plans, rainwater harvesting resources, and community-centered research materials.
Webinar series
I help organize public and scholarly programming on Tribal water security, environmental justice, energy justice, philanthropy, and Indigenous community priorities.
Summits and workshops
I have helped convene Tribal Water Summit, Tribal Youth Water Summit, Living Breath gatherings, roundtables, and community dissemination events.
Media & public scholarship
Selected coverage and public engagement
I share public scholarship when it supports community priorities, student learning, and broader understanding of Indigenous knowledge, water, climate, and data justice.
Contact
Please connect with me about research, teaching, speaking, mentorship, or collaboration.
For professional inquiries, use my University of Washington email address.
[email protected]
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