Indigenous Futures Lab
The Indigenous Futures Lab is a hub of Indigenous research, evaluation, and relationship-building where we center Indigenous knowledges to build futures of co-flourishing.
Our Vision
The mission of the Indigenous Futures Lab is to honor and serve local Indigenous communities in their struggles for justice, co-create Indigenous futures through Indigenous-led scholarship and activism, and build coalitions that center the land and all of our relations.
At the heart of the Indigenous Futures Lab lies a steadfast commitment to co-creating Indigenous futures through the lens of Indigenous-led scholarship and activism. By harnessing the wisdom embedded within Indigenous traditions and contemporary thought, we aim to dismantle colonial legacies and empower communities to envision and build their own paths to prosperity and sustainability.
We envision a world where Indigenous knowledges are celebrated, valued, and integrated into global solutions. The Lab stands as a catalyst for change, fostering coalitions that honor the land and all our relations. By nurturing collaborations that respect the land as a knower, we lay the groundwork for a future that is equitable, just, and harmonious for all living beings.
Through projects like Piscataway Pathways, we envision Indigenous communities reclaiming their history and cultural resources, and the virtual Decolonizing Death Cafe becoming a cornerstone of supportive Indigenous practices. The Bead, Weave, and Read workshops will weave tradition and innovation together, and the Indigenous knowledges speaker series will facilitate cross-cultural understanding and dialogue.
Our vision extends to the celebration of community and cultural vibrancy, where events and feasts become spaces of unity, mutual understanding, and shared experiences. The Indigenous Futures Lab is dedicated to illuminating pathways toward a world where Indigenous communities flourish on their own terms, guided by the wisdom of their ancestors and the resilience of their cultures.
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Director
Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner
Assistant Professor, The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies