Native American student looks at research through traditional lens
October 11, 2022 - Mary Beth King
Finding her niche from her traditional background to success has sometimes been a rocky road for Raven Longwolf Alcott. But now a senior looking forward to graduation next spring, she has negotiated the obstacles and found success at The University of New Mexico as a researcher and environmental activist.
“I am from the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in northern New Mexico. I have lived among my community since birth,” Alcott said. “I have learned how to bake bread from my matriarchs and pick chile from my grandfathers. I swam in the Rio Grande with my cousins every summer and sled the hills with trash bags every winter. My upbringing on my homelands with my people shaped my values and trajectory in a career aimed to protect the environment and empower my people.
"Naturally, I was able to comprehend and witness how the land coincided with the health, sustainability, and existence of my culture and language. Introduced to climate change and its effects on Native land at a young age, I have continued to dig deeper into the issue dissecting and exposing all its intersections and inequalities in science and society. As I grow older, my sense of urgency to address climate change heightens.”
A fifth-year senior at UNM, Alcott is majoring in Environmental Science.
“Academically, I was accepted in the Ronald E. McNair Scholars and found a clearer picture of my future with the resources they provide,” she said. Also, as an undergraduate, she is part of the program that introduced her to research and provided necessary resources. received support and resources from New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation for three semesters. She has also been funded by the Leonard Research Fellowship which supports undergraduate research in the Earth and Planetary Sciences.
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