Doctoral Dissertation Research: Afro-Indigeneity and Protected Area Management

Clark University, Worcester MA

Investigators

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation improvement project examines how Black and indigenous political identities intersect with respect to the creation and management of protected natural areas. While there have been many studies on political identity and conservation, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the intersection of complex identities and conservation. Some traditional groups in the Americas, for instance, claim both Black and indigenous political identities simultaneously. Such communities often predate the countries in which they now exist, many occupying areas historically assumed to be uninhabitable. Such groups also face land insecurity, while at the same time playing an important role in conservation. Understanding the political identities, territorial claims, and ecological knowledge of these distinct communities has important implications for the creation and management of protected natural areas. The research findings will be disseminated through conference presentations, academic publications, and stakeholder meetings. Results will be communicated through written policy statements and recommendations to government offices, development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and local stakeholders. As a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement award, this project will provide support to enable a promising student to establish an independent research career. The research uses a comparative case study approach, analyzing and comparing the experiences of two Maroon settlements, African-descended peoples who also claim indigenous status. Both communities are located in forested areas of Jamaica, with different levels of environmental protection and state governance. This research has three objectives: 1) identify how Maroons describe and interpret their identity to negotiate claims on territory and protected area management; 2) identify how state officials describe and interpret Maroon identity, claims on territory, and protected area management; and 3) identify ways tensions between diverse stakeholders are resolved. The doctoral student will employ a range of qualitative methods, including: semi-structured key informant interviews; participant observation; and collection and analysis of archival documents (survey reports, environmental management plans, policy papers, and maps). These methods will be complemented by collaboration and affiliation with local communities and environmental non-governmental organizations. Although this research project will focus on Maroons in Jamaica, the findings will provide insights into Afro-Indigeneity and protected area management elsewhere in the Americas, including in the United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.