Cherie De Vore speaks at 'Navajo Boy' screening
"The Return of Navajo Boy" director Jeff Spitz addresses attendees prior to a screening of the film.
Ian Stash / Tucson Spotlight
At a February screening of "The Return of Navajo Boy" at the University of Arizona, Cherie De Vore spoke about her experiences as an Indigenous researcher and the importance of positionality – the act of evaluating one's position and power based on worldview, life experience and funding mechanisms.
De Vore, assistant professor of CHEE and the first Indigenous engineering professor at the U of A, addressed an audience gathered to watch the documentary, which examines the impacts of uranium mining on a Diné family in Monument Valley.
"Positionality is becoming more and more an awareness that we should have," said De Vore, the first Indigenous engineering professor at the U of A.
Released 25 years ago, "The Return of Navajo Boy" tells the story of the Cly-Begay family in Monument Valley and the ongoing effects of uranium mining. In response to increased awareness of uranium mining's environmental effects, the Navajo Nation passed a moratorium on new uranium mining in 1983 and banned uranium mining and processing on tribal lands in 2005.
A post-screening discussion centered on the need for continued awareness of environmental health risks and the importance of elevating Indigenous voices in policy making.
"When we welcome students from all intersectional backgrounds, indigenous students specifically, they are bringing with them their very, very unique strengths, assets and worldviews that enable the science to be better," said De Vore.