ASU project highlights tribal water connections through interactive exhibits

A team of Indigenous scholars at Arizona State University is working with tribal communities across Arizona to create water-centered exhibits that reflect each tribe’s stories, rights and relationships to water, according to ASU News. The Indigenous Water Stories Research Cohort, led by assistant professor Liliana Caughman, collaborates with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative to build immersive displays in rural areas.

The exhibits feature language, oral history, technology and cultural revitalization. One South Phoenix exhibit, “Agua es Vida: Honoring Mothers and Water,” incorporated virtual-reality games, a water chatbot and personal storytelling. The cohort is working with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes and Navajo Nation, among others, to tailor each display to local perspectives. “We’re trying to engage with them and use this as a process to help them think about water, tell their stories and uplift their communities,” Caughman said.

ASU News