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Browsing by Author "Hausermann, Heidi, advisor"

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    Federal perceptions and tribal sovereignty: consultation and relations between the Bureau of Land Management and federally recognized tribes
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Lundy, Morgan, author; Hausermann, Heidi, advisor; Henry, Edward, committee member; Schneider, Lindsey, committee member
    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an institution of settler colonialism. Its origins lie in Western expansion and the dispossession of land from Indigenous communities. Today it administers the largest collection of public lands in the country and must maintain relationships through consultation with Tribal governments. Even though these relationships are legally mandated, there is often contention and confusion surrounding them. Despite these issues, there is little research looking at how the BLM understands and carries out Tribal relations. Using semi-structured interviews with BLM employees and decisionmakers, Part I of this research analyzes how individual actors understand and shape these government-to-government relationships. Results indicate that even though BLM decisionmakers are responsible for Tribal relations, archaeologists are the primary employees maintaining them. Part II evaluates how these same actors understand and account for Tribal sovereignty in their work. Findings highlight that Tribal sovereignty is not a static concept and is negotiated in these government-to-government relationships. This thesis does not provide recommendations for improving the BLM's Tribal relations. Instead, it demonstrates how BLM staff members manipulate and move within settler colonial structures. Hopefully, this research provides basic information useful in dismantling and reforming settler colonial institutions that have historically oppressed Native nations and communities.
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    Muddy state development in Ghana’s upper east region: one village, one dam, and its effects on smallholder farmers in a study community
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Roan, Patrick, author; Hausermann, Heidi, advisor; Leisz, Stephen, committee member; Fonte, Steven, committee member; Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Hanson, committee member
    Warming trends and drought conditions across northern Ghana portend major implications for water access critical to the future of smallholder farming, food security, and human health. To mediate the impacts of future water resource concerns, the Ghanaian government launched the One Village, One Dam initiative (1V1D) in 2017 which aimed to construct or repair approximately 570 small-scale dams on ephemeral streams in northern communities. Hundreds of dams have been constructed or overhauled to develop northern regions and provide communities with access to water, particularly for dry season farming. This thesis examines the implications of the 1V1D intervention in one study community in Ghana's Upper East Region including social-ecological relationships between smallholders and their farming practices, land-use changes, gold mining, climate data, and farmer perceptions of climate change. My findings reveal that while the government attempted a community-based approach with 1V1D, local insight was marginalized and implementation relied more on outside engineering expertise and State preferences. Most participants contend the dam embankment was poorly designed, improperly located for adequate water capture, and heavy sedimentation including from gold mining is decreasing its capacity. The dam is insufficient for dry season farming, forcing farmers and livestock to depend on wells and boreholes for water, and regional markets for supplemental food supply. Issues of food, water, and economic insecurity are therefore not well addressed by this State development project. A comparative analysis of participant perceptions on climate change is explored and this thesis ends with insights on community ideas for more sustainable climate adaptation interventions.