Lessons from the Navajo: assistance with environmental data collection ensures cultural humility and data relevance.
BACKGROUND
The Navajo Nation suffers from a legacy of environmental pollution from historical uranium mining activities, resulting in adverse public health outcomes and continuous exposure.


OBJECTIVE
Partner with a Navajo graduate student and community members in a field campaign to characterize the spatial distribution and geochemistry of uranium for a multipathway uranium exposure assessment under development by the Dine Network for Environmental Health (DiNEH) project.


METHODS
Attend community meetings, acquire Navajo language skills, and integrate local knowledge into sampling approach of sediment, water, and vegetation.


RESULTS
Navajo participation (1) helped to foster trust in research efforts during community interactions, (2) taught aspects of Navajo culture and language to maintain positive and respectful relations, and (3) conveyed information on Navajo culture that would impact sampling strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
Community engagement helps to sustain equitable partnerships and aids in culturally appropriate, relevant data collection.
DeLemos
Jamie
J
Tufts University, School of Engineering, USA.
Rock
Tommy
T
Brugge
Doug
D
Slagowski
Naomi
N
Manning
Thomas
T
Lewis
Johnnye
J
D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D054521:Cultural Competency; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008906:Mining; D019303:Multilingualism; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D015206:Southwestern United States; D035502:Trust; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis
D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium