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The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. It was also a site of trade, travel, gathering and healing for more than a dozen other Native tribes and is still home to over 100,000 tribal members in the state of Illinois. I also recognize Northwestern University’s historical relationship with the Cheyenne and Arapaho. These lands continue to carry the stories of these Nations, their forced removal, and their struggles for survival and recognition.

Image © Justin Barber Photography

Kimberly R. Marion Suiseeya is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Environmental Policy and Culture program at Northwestern University. She is also Faculty Affiliate with the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy, the Northwestern-Argonne Institute for Science and Engineering, the Institute for Policy Research, and is a Fellow with the Earth Systems Governance Project. Her current funded research projects include Presence to Influence (since 2015); STRONG Manoomin Collective: Strengthening Resilience in Ojibwe Nations across Generations (NSF Award 2044053, $50,000, 01/15/2021 - 12/31/2022; NSF Award No. 2209226, $5,088,165, 09/01/2022 - 08/31/2027; NSF Award No. 2233912, $2,000,000, 08/01/2023 - 07/31/2026); and Disproportionate Impacts of Environmental Change (Northwestern University’s Buffett Institute ($300,000, 2020-2023; Sloan Foundation, $50,000, 05/01/2023 - 04/30/2024; NSF Award No. 2330041, $250,000, 10/01/2023 - 09/30/2025).

Trained as an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist, Dr. Marion Suiseeya works collaboratively with diverse communities including scholars, Indigenous communities, policy makers, advocates, and government agencies to examine and address the justice dynamics generated through different forest, climate, and biodiversity conservation initiatives. She is also an experienced policy analyst and practitioner with expertise in Southeast Asian, US, and international environmental policy. Dr. Marion Suiseeya's areas of expertise include: global environmental politics, environmental justice, international development, political ecology, Indigenous politics, and interdisciplinary, community-driven environmental research. Marion Suiseeya holds a PhD in Environment from Duke University, an MA in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a BA in International Relations/Politics and German Studies from Scripps College. She grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In addition to her scholarly pursuits, Dr. Marion Suiseeya has extensive experience as a practitioner, having first served in the US Peace Corps in Guyana and later working for conservation and development organizations in the United States (New Hampshire and Vermont) and in Southeast Asia. She has worked on World Bank-funded projects in Laos and is a member of the IUCN’s expert Commission on Economic, Environmental, and Social Policy, Theme on Governance, Equity, and Rights.


As a scholar and teacher, I have a responsibility to acknowledge both the Peoples as well as the histories of dispossession that have allowed for the growth of this institution. I’m committed to supporting Indigenous Peoples and nations at Northwestern, in my community, and beyond. At Northwestern, my ongoing actions and commitments include:

  • Actively engaging students in addressing the role that our university has played in shaping these histories through integration of Indigenous knowledge, scholarship, and histories in courses and research
  • Engaging colleagues in examining and addressing how we (re)produce implicit and explicit bias, discrimination, exclusion, and colonial legacies in our work and practice
  • Advocating for the establishment and support of full scholarships dedicated to Native American and Indigenous undergraduate students
  • Supporting the Native American and Indigenous community at Northwestern in their efforts to make Northwestern a more inclusive and safer place for Indigenous Peoples to thrive
  • Contributing to the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research's efforts to cultivate and strengthen Indigenous research and community impact
  • Encourage students and colleagues to move Beyond Land Acknowledgements and develop action plans to support Native American and Indigenous communities

Visit the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research for more information. Take an Indigenous Tour of Northwestern.