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Mission Statement 

We seek to provide a space for graduate and undergraduate Earth Science students to discuss difficult topics relating to our discipline. We also would like to provide an opportunity for students to organize and begin to both dismantle oppressive systems and ideologies entrenched within the Geosciences as well as highlight and reinforce the things that make our discipline, flexible, unique, and a natural fit for a more just world. 

We hope that our group also serves as a platform for community building in our department. We encourage students to attend one of our meetings or events and introduce themselves; adding their contribution to our growing understandings of a decolonized Earth Science. 

Contact

If you are interested in attending one of our meetings or for a schedule of events please email Ashlie Gilbert at ashliegilbert@montana.edu

Community Agreement 

Our discussions are facilitated by various student members of our group. But we always seek to adhere to the following community guidelines. These guidelines are a living document that are constantly under revision and evolve with our community.

(Adapted from ASU Archeology Journal Club, another student-led decolonization group)

  • Recognize: We recognize that we must strive to overcome historical and divisive biases, such as racism and sexism, in our society.
  • Acknowledge: We acknowledge that we are all systematically taught misinformation about our own group(s) and about members of other groups. This is true for everyone, regardless of our group(s).
  • No Blame: We agree not to blame ourselves or others for the misinformation we have learned, but to accept responsibility for not repeating misinformation after we have learned otherwise.
  • Respect: We agree to listen respectfully to each other without interruptions. Only one person speaks at a time. However, this does not mean we should ignore problematic statements. Be aware of calling in and calling out. Both approaches are valid and can be done with care and respect, with the goal of helping each other learn. We acknowledge that we may be at different stages of learning on the content and discussion topics.
  • Individual Experience: We agree that no one should be required or expected to speak for their whole race or gender. We can't, even if we wanted to.
  • Trust: Everyone has come to the table to learn, grow, and share. We will trust that people are doing the best they can; we all make mistakes and have bad days; when these occur, let's challenge and encourage each other to do better. We acknowledge once again that we may be at different stages of learning on the topic.
  • Share the Air: Share responsibility for including all voices in the discussion. If you have a tendency to dominate discussions, take a step back and help the group invite others to speak. If you tend to stay quiet, challenge yourself to share ideas so others can learn from you. If you are exceedingly quiet, do expect that the facilitator will call on you in meetings to participate.
  • Not Experts: The facilitators are not experts. They are here to help facilitate the process. They and everyone in the group are here to learn. We also recognize that everyone has an opinion. Opinions, however, are not the same as informed knowledge backed up by research. Depending on the topic and context, both are valid to share but it's important to know the difference. To engage in deep learning, we will want to lean more toward informed knowledge and gain practice reflecting and speaking thoughtfully on difficult topics.
  • Ask for help: It's okay not to know. Keep in mind that we are all still learning and are bound to make mistakes when approaching a complex task or exploring new ideas. Be open to changing your mind, and make space for others to do so as well.