Dacotah-Victoria is a water researcher, a story-teller, a surfer, and photographer. A second year PhD student in the Resources Management and Environment and Sustainability programme, she is supervised by Dr. Leila Harris. Dacotah-Victoria’s research and communications work covers how humans relate and interact with their natural and social built environments, and within this for Dacotah-Victoria, there is an inescapable emphasis on the culture and values we hold and on all streams that are water related.
Prior to joining the EDGES research group at UBC, Dacotah completed a year-long sabbatical working in Dublin as the Communication Officer for SWAN (Sustainable Water Network), the only water-focused organisation in Ireland.
In addition to her academics and writing, Dacotah-Victoria is also a trained facilitator and mediator, and is bilingual in Spanish and English.
Dacotah-Victoria is dedicated surfer and enjoys volunteering, teaching “Free Surf Lessons on Saturdays,” at her local beaches. She was recently awarded the UBC Public Scholar’s Initiative Award for her work engaging in knowledge co-creation and creative arts-based approaches of storytelling, theatre and film. This partner-led research in Canada and New Zealand explores the social dimensions of water beyond measurements of quality and quantity – culture, values, identity… and their inclusion to mobilize and encourage varied conversations and responses to water (in)security. Read more here.