Stories of Intercultural Collaborations: Tribal Nations and The Lost Ladybug Project

Over the last eight years, the Lost Ladybug Project has worked to develop collaborations with members of Native communities in order to increase access to and offer benefits of the project. Working to increase the diversity... [ view full abstract ]

Over the last eight years, the Lost Ladybug Project has worked to develop collaborations with members of Native communities in order to increase access to and offer benefits of the project. Working to increase the diversity of participants and include under-represented communities introduced other, sometimes unforeseen, factors into the equation. Our invitations to participate also meant we were asking for assistance and required us to be changed by, to listen to, and respond to the varied needs of individual communities.
Collaboration means both to "work with another person or group in order to achieve or do something" and to "give help to an enemy who has invaded your country during a war...especially an occupying force". I will tell stories and invite discussion about how the reality of multiple perspectives has helped forge some wonderful intercultural collaborations based on parallel respect and shared environmental stewardship and has helped explain why others failed to blossom and grow. All our intercultural collaborations have contributed to the development and success of both the educational and scientific aspirations of the Lost Ladybug Project.