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The Bridge: A Black Hole for Accountability

Missing data about deaths in BIA custody raises serious alarm — and emphasizes the many ways our federal government is still failing to protect tribal nations.

“When it comes to the way the federal government interacts with Indigenous communities, accountability is like a black hole,” Maren said. “This instance is not an anomaly.”

CCV now has a 5-member Board of Directors (including founder, Jose Luis Velez,  and a large staff. See details. Includes many community health workers, and a few air monitoring technicians.

CCV originated from the grassroots  in 1987 and is now a 501 (c)(3) organization. It was founded and continues to support disadvantaged communities in Imperial County, with a strong emphasis on civic participation.  A key principle, which guides all CCV projects is that “ “Informed People Build Healthy Communities.” 

CCV’s most well known program is the IVAN community air network.  

CCV originated from the grassroots  in 1987 and is now a 501 (c)(3) organization. It was founded and continues to support disadvantaged communities in Imperial County, with a strong emphasis on civic participation.  A key principle, which guides all CCV projects is that “ “Informed People Build Healthy Communities.” 

CCV now has a 5-member Board of Directors (including founder, Jose Luis Velez,  and a large staff. See details. Includes many community health workers, and a few air monitoring technicians.

CCV’s most well known program is the IVAN community air network.  

Recently, CCV participated in the Workers’ Rights Outreach Program (“a statewide initiative that brings community-based organizations together with state agencies to promote COVID-19 workplace protections and vaccinations). 

Community interviews have found that many household have members that are gardeners. Research has shown that garndening labor is especially socially vulnerable and hard to protect through organizing.  See: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M5_McMmsbcb_s2Qn17XtnFQ3HBeC2hcfYSBYrqmDB-0/edit?usp=sharing . Also see Sal Zarate's work: https://www.zotero.org/groups/130725/disastersts/collections/ICRQQ8PM

MPNA-GREEN's Community Research Board is conducting community interviews and learned that there are professional gardeners in many households, which likely comes with significant exposre to pesticides, likely brining them home to their families. See, for example, this recent study: https://www.ehn.org/glyphosate-childrens-health-2659484037.html, and there is always worries about endocrine disrupting chemicals in ag work. 

Some of the most important things I think EcoGovLab needs to be skilled in is being able to identify solution pathways for problems we find and problems that are brought to us. We need to be able to clearly envision the actions we need to take in order to respond to problems that will answer research questions. In order to achieve this the lab should be able to connect lab members to these real world problems. This way the lab is able to connect people to research questions while achieving the lab's overall goals. We also have to continue to practice flexibility so that we are always positioned to take on new things while still following through with ongoing research. Communication is another skill everyone should be good at in order to maintain the collaboration and connectivity amongst the lab. When it comes to more technical skills I won't list all of those since I think any skill can fit into the lab and help us move forward. Which again reiterates the point that we should value different perspectives when it comes to approaching our research questions.

The people in the lab right now come from a lot of different backgrounds and are educated in different topics. A lot of people are knowledgeable on education which I think is important in translating the things we do in the lab and better equip us for sharing research to broader audiences. Since a lot of people in the lab are doing anthropological work this also helps us with outreach and communication. Anthropology teaches people how to get into certain spheres of society which supports our ability to obtain information from people and gives us a more robust understanding of problems. The anthropological aspect of the lab also makes us more sensitive to culture which gives us an edge in solving problems. Meaning that since anthropology teaches people to be as objective as possible and puts you in other people's shoes we are able to take  a more holistic approach to identifying and solving problems. I think everyone in the lab has a solid understanding of this and is our most valuable tool. People are also good at utilizing technology to our advantage.

I think I am skilled in finding the information I need and am also good at getting information from people. Over the course of the past few months I have created a network of people within the government (EPA, CalEPA, CUPA’s, LEPC’s) and know how to get information on chemical facilities in the state. This expertise I have created has made it so that I know how to talk with the government and what questions to ask in order to get information (this obviously isn’t perfect but the research I'm doing now is furthering my capabilities). I have connected this research to my bigger goals and view it as integral to furthering my understanding of the country and is defining my thinking. Due to this thought process I am dedicated to the research and do not treat it as a minor thing. Since I want to learn as much as possible about everything I am also open to taking on any project and am very open-minded to new ideas/perspectives. Finally I think my overall mind set makes me a good asset to the lab. If I really believe in what I am doing then I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish the goals of my work.