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This is a collection of student research, including capstone projects, from the Environmental Studies & Sciences Program.
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Item The Levee System and its Impacts on Native Americans(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Menke, MillieThe implementation of the levee system on the Mississippi River stemming from settler colonialism has led to the disconnection of the river from its natural distributary network with the delta plain. My documentary is meant to challenge our idea of rivers as controllable and obedient to our implementations and remind us that the history of the Mississippi river has different implications for different groups of people. We must restore education of the river as it relates to our country not just economically but culturally, socially, and environmentally, through the knowledge of Indigenous peoples of the United States.Item Black Bear Decline; Changing ecological values following Native American removal in the Mississippi River Delta(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Thelen, JacksonThe decline of black bears in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta reveals a complex narrative of ecological transformation driven by settler colonialism. Through population modeling and historical analysis, this study examines how Native American removal and subsequent land use changes contributed to bear extirpation. By exploring shifts in human-environment relationships, habitat fragmentation, and hunting practices, this research demonstrates that the bears' disappearance resulted from interconnected ecological and cultural disruptions rather than a single causative factor.Item "Reshaping the Landscape: Environmental Repercussions of Native American Removal" exhibition poster(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025)Poster an exhibition called "Reshaping the Landscape: Environmental Repercussions of Native American Removal." The exhibition opened on April 22, 2025 on the ground floor of Barret Library.Item Removal and Replacement: Exploring Environmental Impacts Resulting from Indigenous Peoples Removal and Rise of the Southern Plantation Economy(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Antesberger, LukeIndigenous tribes like the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminoles existed in the American South long before European colonizers made contact, but the Indian Removal Act (1830) forcibly removed each tribe throughout the 19th century. Succeeding removal came the westward expansion of American agriculture, forestry, land speculation, etc; far from the system of responsibilities of caring for the land held by Native tribes. This StoryMap explores the South's environment before removal, the land management practices used by Indigenous tribes and Colonizing forces, colonial justifications for removal, and the detrimental effects plantations and their owners had on the South. The arcgis storymap that goes with this project is available here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b6e1888203a74dcfb5ef918355c3307eItem Cahokia: The Urban Center of Native Americans(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Dorman, MillieThe ancient city of Cahokia is one of the greatest examples of urbanization in North America, housing over 15,000 Native Americans. Cahokia maintained its population by employing advanced planning strategies, environmental stewardship, and sustainable agricultural practices. Because early European settlers unfairly viewed Native Americans as primitive, they created an inaccurate narrative of Indigenous societies. This paper aims to help Americans reexamine Indigenous history and challenge racial stereotypes by exploring Cahokia's role as a thriving city, analyzing the ongoing erasure of Indigenous cultures in educational systems, and advocating for more inclusive narratives about pre-Columbian Native American civilizations. The arcgis storymap that is a product of this assignment is available here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/dbae6b76531c4489a5037ce439792822Item Sassafras: Weaving Together Indigenous Kinship and Western Commodification(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Rutledge, SkylarSassafras is a truly iconic plant. Many of us may recognize the distinct aroma of root beer or a candy shop, but we might not so easily name that scent as belonging to sassafras. This iconic plant has been used for centuries by Native Americans for a variety of purposes, including as medicine. European colonizers touted the plant as a miraculous cure-all, and later Americans used it to flavor root beer. The difference in how Indigenous Peoples and settlers use Sassafras reflects their ideological differences. We can reflect on the story of sassafras as a way to reflect on our own values and where they come from.Item Integrating Seed and Crop diversity within the United States Agriculture Management System(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Morris, DylanThis project advocates for the reintroduction of traditional Indigenous seeds into U.S. agriculture through USDA-backed policies, emphasizing subsidies for Indigenous community participation. Focusing on the Mid-South region, historically home to the Chickasaw Nation, the policy promotes crop diversification using Traditional Ecological Knowledge to address environmental challenges including drought and soil degradation caused by monoculture and industrial farming. By incorporating heirloom seeds like Hopi blue corn and fostering relationships between farmers, Indigenous leaders, and schools, the initiative supports ecological sustainability, food security, and cultural preservation. This systematic approach integrates education, sovereignty, and environmental stewardship to build a resilient, equitable food system.Item Creating a Medical Perspective Centered Around Eco-Centric Indigenous Values Incorporated with Western Healthcare Principles(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2025) Nedialkova, MonicaIn this podcast series I explore how Native American medicinal practices have been lost throughout years of settler colonialist destruction, ultimately resulting in physical harm to Indigenous communities, a spiritual severance to Mother Earth, and cultural genocide. Acknowledging Indigenous healing methods maintains the value they hold, not only to Native communities, but to the progression of American public healthcare. Through the intertwining Native American medicinal principles to Western healthcare systems, we shift the focus from assessing individual proponents impacting health to a more eco-centric, community forward, and holistic way of providing health care solutions.Item Beyond Catastrophe Magazine ENVS 250 Final Project(Memphis, Tenn. : Rhodes College, 2024-04) Monnet, Gwenaelle; Supan, Sam; Clarke, Olivia; Jorkey, Hope; Griwatch, AliviaBeyond Catastrophe Magazine is the final project for the spring 2024 course ENVS 250: Beyond Catastrophe: Feminist Approaches to Environmental Transformation. The authors of the publication wrote a message in the magazine that reads: "In this magazine, we are exploring the intersectionality of feminism and the pressing issues shaping our world today. In the following pages, we are going to unravel the intricate connections between the environment, feminist approaches, and the slow violence of climate change. The planet is facing unprecedented environmental challenges and it’s crucial to recognize the disproportionate impacts on women across the globe. Women are often on the frontlines of climate change, while bearing the brunt of natural disasters and simultaneously coping with unpaid care work. Global imminent catastrophes have different effects depending on one’s location and identity, and although the situations have similarities in different locations, the approaches vary depending on location. By advocating for understanding these in accordance with feminist frameworks, we can strive to close the gender gap with an emphasis on gender-responsive solutions. Feminist perspectives offer invaluable insights regarding justice, equality, and inclusivity. By centering our projects around the voices of women we can come to understand situated knowledge and embodied experiences such as the adaptation and care work women often perform in response to climate change. By examining multiple locations around the globe we have collectively gathered the international discrepancies in gender inclusivity- finding commonalities and formed communities through lived realities. Throughout this course, engaging in the process of reading, discussion, and reflection has helped shape our approach to a variety of feminist frameworks. We have read luminary works by authors at the forefront of feminist theory including Audre Lorde, Val Plumwood, bell hooks, etc. Analyzing ideas about the constructs of social vulnerability, the personal as political, and shadow places has allowed us to incorporate these concepts into our articles. We delve into the multifaceted relationship between gender, the environment, and climate change and highlight the vital role of women in environmental conservation efforts. By centering our project on the voices and experiences of women, we can construct theories on the intricate interplay between intersecting forces. As we navigate this complex terrain our goals align with amplifying the voices of women leading the change for environmental justice."