title: Lessons from the Navajo: assistance with environmental data collection ensures cultural humility and data relevance.
abstract: 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.
authors: Tufts University, School of Engineering, USA.
authors: Jamie
authors: J
authors: DeLemos
authors: Tommy
authors: T
authors: Rock
authors: Doug
authors: D
authors: Brugge
authors: Naomi
authors: N
authors: Slagowski
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Manning
authors: Johnnye
authors: J
authors: Lewis
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium