Research

Research grounded in sovereignty, relationality, and community priorities

My research brings together Indigenous knowledge systems, data sovereignty, water security, Indigenous research methodologies, and future-oriented work on technology and governance.

Areas of Research

Interconnected areas of inquiry

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Indigenous systems of knowledge, knowledge plurality, environmental stewardship, and ethical approaches to braiding Indigenous and Western scientific practices.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty

Tribal data governance, data justice, Indigenous research ethics, informed consent, Tribal research review, and emerging data landscapes.

Water Security

Water access, quality, perception, governance, rainwater harvesting, and the cultural significance of water.

Indigenous Research Methodologies

Research grounded in self-determination, Tribal review, community consent, relationality, and accountability.

Indigenous Futures & Technology

AI, information systems, digital governance, and future-oriented frameworks that support Indigenous communities and students.

Featured research

Projects and collaborations

Water • Justice • Community

Tribal Water Security Project

Research, convenings, webinars, and community resources focused on water access, water quality, water justice, and Indigenous wellbeing.

Partnership • Data • Place

Akiak Native Community Partnership

Work on water perceptions, household water security, rainwater harvesting, and community-centered data collection.

AI • Ethics • Indigenous Futures

AIAN AI Journal Club & Collaborative Research Circle

A Summer 2026 research circle focused on AI, ethics, data justice, Indigenous knowledge systems, and Indigenous futures.

Sovereignty • Ethics • Governance

Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Tribal Research Ethics

Work on Tribal research review boards, informed consent, data governance, self-generated names, and ethical research practices.

Land • Stewardship • Self-determination

Shared Stewardship and Tribal Co-Management

Research on Tribal-federal relationships, Indigenous systems of knowledge, and equitable approaches to public land stewardship.

Leadership

Building research capacity and collaborative infrastructure

AIAN AI Journal Club & Collaborative Research Circle

I lead this Summer 2026 initiative to support collective learning, research development, and public scholarship on AI, ethics, data justice, and Indigenous futures.

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.

Indigenous Health Equity Research Group

Through speaker series, directed research, writing retreats, and collaborative scholarship, this research group supports Indigenous health equity and student mentorship.

Publications

Selected and representative scholarship

I aim to publish with Native and Indigenous community collaborators, students, and interdisciplinary research partners whenever possible.

  1. 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, 2, e79. https://doi.org/10.1017/pub.2026.10178
  2. Lefthand-Begay, C., Redmore, L., Armatas, C., Brisbois, C., Choden, K., Craig, D., Baca, A., Martin, J., Ross, M., Lopez-Whiteskunk, R., Lomahquahu, A., & Mills, M. (2025). From paternalism to self-determination: Examining evolving Tribal-federal relationships and co-management arrangements through three case studies. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04122-x
  3. Lefthand-Begay, C., Kuhn, N., Purty, T., Campbell, T. R., Sarkar, S., Brisbois, J., Ruhm, R., Choden, K., Rodriguez, A., Ghost Dog, C., Dennison, J. M., Chatto, S., & Guo, R. (2024). Cultivating a space for intergenerational research mentorship through knowledge families. Wicazo Sa Review, 37(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1353/wic.2022.a944279
  4. Kuhn, N. S., Kuhn, E. J., Vendiola, M. (daniseten), & Lefthand-Begay, C. (2024). Indigenous research ethics and Tribal research review boards in the United States: Examining online presence and themes across online documentation. Research Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470161241240030
  5. Lefthand-Begay, C., Agajanian, T. J., Carbajal, I. A., Duncan, C. M., La Torre, J. C., Littlesun, C. P., McCarty, M., Rose, J. M., Ruhm, R., Sheban, C., Yamane, C. Y. E. W., & Williams, M. (2024). Prioritizing Indigenous Peoples' knowledge in federal decision-making: Insights from faculty, graduate students, and Tribal leaders. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 20(1), 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241235279
  6. Hayden, M. H., Schramm, P. J., Beard, C. B., Bell, J. E., Bernstein, A. S., Bieniek-Tobasco, A., Cooley, N., Diuk-Wasser, M., Dorsey, M. K., Ebi, K. L., Ernst, K. C., Gorris, M. E., Howe, P. D., Khan, A. S., Lefthand-Begay, C., Maldonado, J., Saha, S., Shafiei, F., Vaidyanathan, A., & Wilhelmi, O. V. (2023). Ch. 15. Human health. In A. R. Crimmins, C. W. Avery, D. R. Easterling, K. E. Kunkel, B. C. Stewart, & T. K. Maycock (Eds.), Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH15
  7. Pool, T. K., Williams, M., McDonald, C., Loderhose, P., Velasco, J., & Lefthand-Begay, C. (2023). Advancing water justice through a tribally-driven partnership: Designing sustainable rainwater harvesting systems in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska. Frontiers in Water, 5, Article 1061010. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2023.1061010
  8. Kuhn, N., Parker, M., & Lefthand-Begay, C. (2020). Indigenous research ethics requirements: An examination of six Tribal Institutional Review Board applications and processes in the United States. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 15(4), 279–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/1556264620912103