American Scientist

Lumbee people and their Indigenous neighbors still occupy parts of their ancestral homelands among forested swamps, sandy plains, and blackwater streams of present-day North Carolina, and have adapted to a radically transformed world while preserving cultures and connections to place.  In recent decades, however, pollution, unsustainable development, and climate change have quickened the transformation of the landscape. In this installment of the American Scientist lunchtime seminar series, Science by the Slice, Ryan Emanuel discusses his book, On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice (2024, UNC Press). He also shares broader lessons about environmental justice and Indigenous rights in the 21st century. See a video of the talk below, followed by social media highlights. Emanuel studies hydrology, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights at Duke University, where he is an associate professor of hydrology and program chair for Community Engagement and Environmental Justice in the Nicholas School of the Environment. Emanuel’s research group conducts field experiments and computational analyses while often partnering with Native American communities and tribal governments.  Emanuel is an enrolled citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.