NAFWS launches open-access, Indigenous-led research publication

Northglenn, CO — The Native American Fish & Wildlife Society (NAFWS) will launch From the Field – Elevating Indigenous Voices on April 15, 2026, a peer-reviewed publication authored entirely by Tribal fish and wildlife professionals working on Tribal lands. The publication will be available as an open-access resource at nafws.org.

For years, Tribal fish and wildlife professionals have raised concerns about limited access to scientific literature and the absence of Tribal voices in published research. NAFWS has been working to address these gaps since 2019 through a series of initiatives to expand access, support Indigenous authorship, and elevate Tribal knowledge systems.

This effort included the establishment of the NAFWS Research & Publications Committee in 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Conservation Training Center in 2022 providing access to thousands of scientific journals, and the release of the Tribal Guide for Conducting Research with Non-Tribal Entities in 2024. Together, this work laid the foundation for From the Field.

“It’s an honor to introduce From the Field, an open-access publication that helps remove barriers to information and creates space for Indigenous-led research to be shared on its own terms. We welcome a wide range of contributions from Western science and best practices to rapid communications and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Our peer review process is grounded in Indigenous values, lived experience, and culturally rooted approaches to stewardship.” -Dr. Julie Thorstenson, Executive Director, NAFWS

The first edition was led by Hannah Golden, NAFWS Fish & Wildlife Biologist, in collaboration with the NAFWS Research & Publications Committee. NAFWS extends its gratitude to the authors and peer reviewers who contributed their time and expertise.

“From the Field gives us an avenue to tell a story that is unique to Tribal members that continue their traditional ways of harvesting while navigating the difficulties of a complex legal systems of the State-run wild game management”, said Dustin Carl, Tribal Fish and Wildlife Director with the Chugach Regional Resource Commission and one of the authors in the publication.

From the Field will be released annually, with a long-term vision of developing a larger journal dedicated to Tribal fish and wildlife research.

The publication will be available beginning April 15 at nafws.org

The post NAFWS launches open-access, Indigenous-led research publication first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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