academia & policy

research & policy focus

I work at the intersection of indigenous peoples, natural resource and environmental policy. I take bold and risk-informed approaches to my work.

academic training

Engineering and Public Policy, Doctorate, Carnegie Mellon University

Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science, University of Kansas

International Baccalaureate Diploma, United World College of the American West

notable policy outcomes

Supporting Rep Gabe Vasquez’s M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act

Pew Charitable Trusts: Research on Tribal Co-Management of Federal Lands

Digital Organizing: Historic Native Voter Turnout in Arizona in the 2020 Election

Testimony to the Congress on leasing reforms spurred by “Welcome to Gwichyaa Zhee”

Tribal summits Outdoor Retailer show in partnership with the State of Colorado

Direct tribal engagement in Colorado’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)

Addressing route naming within the climbing community & Federal public lands

selected journal publications

1. Necefer, L., Wong-Parodi, G., & Small, M. J. (2020). Governing energy in conflicted resource contexts: Culture, cost, and carbon in the decision-making criteria of the Navajo Nation. Energy Research & Social Science, 70, 101714.

2. Necefer, L., Wong-Parodi, G., Small, M. J., & Begay-Campbell, S. (2018). Integrating technical, economic and cultural impacts in a decision support tool for energy resource management in the Navajo Nation. Energy Strategy Reviews, 22, 136-146.

3. Pasqualetti, M. J., Jones, T. E., Necefer, L., Scott, C. A., & Colombi, B. J. (2016). A paradox of plenty: Renewable energy on Navajo Nation Lands. Society & Natural Resources, 29(8), 885-899.

4. Necefer, L., Wong-Parodi, G., Jaramillo, P., & Small, M. J. (2015). Energy development and Native Americans: Values and beliefs about energy from the Navajo Nation. Energy Research & Social Science, 7, 1-11.

selected op-eds

We Need to Reframe Why We Do Land Acknowledgments // Outside Magazine (October 2021)

A few years ago, I was a vocal proponent of the outdoor industry incorporating Indigenous land acknowledgments as standard business practice. As it’s become more common, my perspective has evolved.

The Racist Defacing of Petroglyphs Is a Teaching Moment // Outside Magazine (May 2021)

The more we learn an incomplete fairytale of Indigenous peoples and our history in this country, the more we perpetuate acts of ethnocide, like the ones we’ve seen in recent weeks in southern Utah

The Department of the Interior Shaped My Life // Outside Magazine (March 2021)

For most Americans, the naming of a secretary of the interior is of little consequence. However, as a Navajo man, who holds this position has defined much of my life, and the recent appointing of Deb Haaland marks a groundbreaking moment.

current board and advisory work

Honnold Foundation

Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC)