Selected
2024 Indigenous Communities Fellowship

Resilient Roots: Tribal ThriveMap

Using interactive storytelling maps, the Otoe Missouria tribe integrates traditional knowledge with modern technology to address climate change.

Team Leader
Theresa Tsoodle
Using interactive storytelling maps, Oklahoma tribes integrate traditional knowledge with modern technology to address climate change.

Solution Pitch

The Problem

39 native Oklahoma communities face increased risks from heavy rainfall, and floods, exacerbated by climate change and population growth. With limited data on effective mitigation strategies, community research of traditional ecological knowledge can provide insights for climate adaptation and offer sustainable solutions for Indigenous communities in the U.S. and beyond.

The Solution

I plan to leverage an established relationship to gather Indigenous ecological knowledge from the Otoe-Missouria Tribe in Oklahoma. The collected data will be used to create a storytelling map for the tribe's jurisdiction, aiming to preserve traditional ecological knowledge related to flood management and facilitate intergenerational knowledge transfer.

This platform would allow community members to share innovative ideas and brainstorm solutions based on historical stewardship.

Training sessions will be offered to Otoe-Missouria members interested in using a graphical user interface (GUI) with intuitive icons to navigate and input data. The platform will provide insights into natural resource management strategies, focusing on traditional ecological knowledge, while fostering collaboration to address climate change impacts.

This plan aims to develop storytelling tools, safeguard cultural heritage, and enhance community resilience against environmental injustices and climate change challenges and provide ownership of their oral histories.

Stats

39 native Oklahoma communities face increased risks from heavy rainfall, and floods

What is the name of your organization?
University of Oklahoma
What is the name of your solution?
Resilient Roots: Tribal ThriveMap
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Using interactive storytelling maps, Oklahoma tribes integrate traditional knowledge with modern technology to address climate change.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Moore, OK
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
United States
What type of organization is your solution team?
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
39 native Oklahoma communities face increased risks from heavy rainfall, and floods, exacerbated by climate change and population growth. With limited data on effective mitigation strategies, community research of traditional ecological knowledge can provide insights for climate adaptation and offer sustainable solutions for Indigenous communities in the U.S. and beyond.
What is your solution?
I plan to leverage established relationships with several tribes forcibly relocated to an area of SW Oklahoma and use high tech data collection methods to create a storytelling map for the community under study for preservation of traditional ecological knowledge related to watershed water quality and to facilitate intergenerational knowledge transfer. A platform would allow community members to share innovative ideas and strategies for reconciliation ecology based on historical stewardship and practices. Training sessions will be offered to community members interested in using a graphical user interface (GUI) with intuitive icons to navigate and input data. The platform will provide insights into natural resource management strategies, focusing on traditional ecological knowledge, while fostering collaboration to address climate change impacts. This plan aims to develop storytelling tools, safeguard cultural heritage, and enhance community resilience against environmental injustices and climate change challenges and provide ownership of their oral histories.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
My solution serves underserved & historically marginalized communities in the Southern Plains — particularly tribes and rural communities facing climate risk, water insecurity, and environmental degradation. These communities lack access to advanced geospatial tools and ecological modeling capacity needed to guide land and water stewardship. Through capacity building and technology transfer, the project trains community members in spatial analysis and applied machine learning so they can analyze environmental data and digitize traditional and community-based knowledge in sovereign, culturally grounded ways. This reduces dependence on external consultants and strengthens local data governance. Practically, communities gain tools to inform watershed protection, climate adaptation, and land-use policy. Structurally, the solution builds long-term resilience and environmental self-determination. With planned enrollment pending for Fall 2026 at Baylor University, and mentorship from Gretchen Stokes, I will refine integrated methodologies that combine remote sensing, ecological modeling, and community knowledge systems to advance environmental justice and intergenerational resilience.

Organization Type:

Not registered as any organization

Headquarters:

Norman, United States

Stage:

Concept

Working In:

United States

Current Full-Time Employees:

1

Solution Team:
Theresa Tsoodle
Theresa Tsoodle