Putting Tribal Sovereignty
How can Indigenous academics support Indigenous students? In this final episode of Rooted Wisdom, we interview Greg Jones (Shawnee Nation), Director of Native American Student Services; and Marty Matlock (Cherokee Nation), Professor of Ecological Engineering, about the successes and resilience involved in building Indigenous communal webs within the University of Arkansas.
Dr. Marty Matlock is a Professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department. He was elected to the Board of Agriculture and Natural Sciences of the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine in 2022 and served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at USDA from 2021-2022. Prior to that Dr. Matlock was Executive Director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center. He received his Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University, is a registered professional engineer, a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer, and a Certified Ecosystem Designer.
Dr. Matlock is the recipient of the 2018 CAST-Borlaug Agriculture Communications Award, the American Ecological Engineering Society 2022 Odom Award for Ecosystem Design, and more than 30 national and international design awards. Dr. Matlock has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Ecological Engineering Society, and the American Society of Civil Engineering. He served as Chairman of the Cherokee Nation Environmental Protection Commission for 16 years and as sustainability science advisor for three environmental conservation organizations and more than a dozen food and agricultural product companies.
Gregory Jones is a Shawnee Tribal citizen and higher education professional specializing in Indigenous student services, tribal relations, and Native American leadership development. He serves as the Director of Native American Student Services at the University of Arkansas, where he leads initiatives that strengthen university–tribal partnerships and enhance support for Native students. Gregory holds a master’s degree in Native American Leadership, and his research interests include Indigenous knowledge systems, tribal governance and leadership, decolonizing education, and land-based ethics.
Episode edited by IFAI Student Intern, Arvcuken Noquisi.
🎧 Listen to the full episode HERE.