Speaker Bio

With bachelor degrees in environmental engineering and engineering sciences and a graduate degree in engineering management, all from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Phoebe Suina has managed multimillion-dollar emergency and disaster assistance projects for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and at the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for post-Cerro Grande fire erosion, sediment control, debris flow and flood hazard mitigation. She led environmental compliance and environmental remediation efforts on DOE and LANL projects and has worked for the US Bureau of Reclamation, where she completed water resources engineering project design, operation and maintenance on the nation s rivers and waterways. Ms. Suina currently manages emergency and disaster assistance projects for High Water Mark s clients including meetings with client and funding agency staff, documentation of all project activities, expenditures and records management, and project closeout. She is meticulous in her record keeping and takes pride in her attention to detail. From San Felipe and Cochiti Pueblos, she is very active in the traditional culture of her respective Pueblos, and continues to assist and share her knowledge and skills with the Pueblo communities.

Abstract

Even with the state of our current environment and our world, there are steps, decisions and actions that we can do on an individual level to bring a positive shift that will steward our lands and resources for our children and those yet to be born. Since time immemorial, indigenous people strived for balance with the environment by understanding the complex interconnections and interdependence of each individual, each plant, each piece of land and each drop of water. By listening to and valuing the lessons, expertise, and core values of indigenous peoples, who have lived resiliently within the southwest region since time immemorial, all of us can start to take better care of the air, water and lands. The realization of the complex interdependency of our environment leads to the understanding of our individual power and responsibility to bring a positive shift to the overall balance.