Beaver Institute Summer Internship: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Beaver Research Assistant (Hybrid/Part-time/Paid)

Project title: Historic Indigenous Partnerships with the North American Beaver: Assessing the impact and contributions of the North American Beaver on Indigenous Sovereignty, Health, and Traditional Cultural Practices

About the Project:
This summer, we are launching a research initiative to collect, document, and map the rich, traditional stories of Indigenous communities across North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States). The project examines how beavers play a pivotal role in connecting Indigenous peoples to their food systems, traditional medicines, cultural mythologies, modern ecologies, and enabling tribes sovereignty and health through the connections between beaver and traditional food ways, medicines, and religions. We are seeking a passionate and self-motivated student to help gather these narratives and create a spatial map that connects stories to their respective locations.

Onsite at one of the following campuses is preferred (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, University of North Carolina – Charlotte, Washington State University – Vancouver, Outer Coast College, or Harvard University) but virtual researchers will be considered.

Partnerships: This work is to be conducted to support the efforts of the North American Beaver Knowledge Network and was borne out of discussions with the North American Inter-tribal Beaver Council. 

Key Responsibilities

• Story Collection:
  • Research to gather oral histories, archival materials, and documented narratives on Indigenous relationships with beavers.
  • Engage with community resources and digital archives, ensuring a respectful and culturally sensitive approach.
• Data Compilation & Analysis:
  • Organize the collected stories into a comprehensive database, categorizing them by region, tribe, and thematic elements (such as food, medicine, and mythologies).
  • Conduct a contextual analysis to identify common themes and significant historical connections.
    • Word mapping
• Spatial Mapping:
  • Create a digital map linking narratives to their geographical locations using GIS or mapping software.
  • Integrate historical data with current geographical insights to illustrate traditional food pathways and cultural connections.
• Collaboration & Reporting:
  • Collaborate closely with project supervisors and academic mentors to ensure research integrity and adherence to ethical standards.
  • Prepare periodic reports and a final summary of findings, including visual map outputs and documented insights.
  • Appropriate scholarly citations of cultural knowledge holders.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, Geography, History, Archeology, Ecology, Writing, Literature, Digital History, Digital Humanities, or a related field at one of the following institutions: 
  • University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
  • University of North Carolina – Charlotte 
  • Washington State University – Vancouver
  • Harvard University
• Demonstrated interest in Indigenous cultures/histories/stories/mythologies/legends and traditional ecological knowledge.
• Working knowledge of how to navigate digital archives, literature review searches
• Familiarity with research methods, archival research, and/or qualitative data collection is a plus.
• Experience or willingness to learn spatial mapping techniques (e.g., GIS, GoogleEarth) is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with an ability to work independently in a remote setting.

Examples of Indigenous partnerships with beaver:

• In Blackfeet territory, beavers and bison are inherently connected. Beavers create open water sources in otherwise arid grasslands, enabling bison to survive and thrive. Without beavers, there would be no water; without water, no bison; and without bison, our ancestors would not have flourished as they did.
• In coastal intertidal zones, beaver damming complexes can offer refuge for juvenile salmon during low tide, boosting salmon survival rates. Salmon are a primary food source for numerous Tribal Nations.
• Among Pueblo peoples, who cultivated corn in extremely dry environments, the water stored in beaver dams could be released during drought years to irrigate crops—a powerful example of water stewardship through partnership with beaver.

Internship Details

• Duration: Summer internship (exact dates to be determined)
• Commitment: Part-time, with flexible hours
• Location: Hybrid (with potential opportunities for virtual team meetings and community engagement sessions)

Compensation: $3,650 

• How to Apply
  Please send the following to jordan@beaverinstitute.org

• A cover letter detailing your interest in Indigenous knowledge and storytelling.
• A current resume/CV.
• One letter of recommendation (due May 14th)
• (Optional) Samples of previous research, writing, or mapping projects.

Applications will be due on April 30th, 2025.  

About Beaver Institute: The Beaver Institute (BI) envisions a future of ecological balance with beavers. BI works at the intersection of beaver coexistence and ecological restoration, training beaver coexistence professionals, providing technical and financial assistance to public and private landowners to mitigate and navigate human-beaver conflicts, supporting scientific research, and increasing public awareness and appreciation of the beaver’s critical role in creating climate resilient ecosystems. As the only national beaver non-profit, we work locally across North America through our programs, empowering individuals and organizations to succeed in nonlethal beaver management, communication, education, and scientific research.

Beaver Institute is an equal opportunity employer.  The presence of beaver benefits an entire ecosystem, providing living creatures with safety and the opportunity to flourish. Beaver Institute emulates this interdependence in our relations, creating space where everyone is treated with compassion and respect. As beavers have been vilified, maligned, and nearly extirpated, we acknowledge the historical imbalance – with nature and with one another – and embrace a plural coalition who we collaborate with to protect beaver for the benefit of all. Looking to beaver, we intend that our activities and actions create dams of knowledge, serving as a bridge for those who need it, as well as creating intentional channelized networks of community, empowering and supporting each other toward the collective goal: the protection of beaver for the benefit of all living things. Accordingly, we arrive with an open heart and embrace all without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin,  pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristics.