Welcome

Boozhoo/hello! My name is Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles. Niiyokamigaabaw translates to “Stands on Four Earths” in my people’s language, Ojibwemowin.

My pronouns are he/them, and my Ojibwemowin pronoun is wiin. I am of Ojibwe, Black, and Swedish descent and am a citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. I am an Indigenous geographer whose research interests include Indigenous geographies and epistemologies, science and technology studies, and tribal cultural resource preservation and protection.

In the fall of 2026, I begin a tenure-track appointment as an Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities at Bemidji State University, where I teach in the Indigenous Studies program. I come to this role from the University of Toronto, where I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of the Environment, alongside an appointment as Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Geography (2013) from Saint Cloud State University, a master’s degree in Global Indigenous Studies (2016) from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and a Ph.D. in Geography (2020) from Ohio State University, where I also spent a year (2020–21) as a President’s Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of History.

I serve as director of the Geographies of Indigenous Futures Collaboratory, a research group focused on Indigenous geographic methods and collaborations with Indigenous communities. I also hold affiliations with the EGESTA Lab (University of British Columbia), the Technoscience Research Unit (University of Toronto), and the Rising Voices, Changing Coasts Hub (UCAR/Haskell Indian Nations University).

Beyond my research, I serve in leadership roles within the American Association of Geographers (AAG) and the Canadian Association of Geographers, and on the editorial boards of NiCHE and the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. I am also proud to serve my nation as a member of the Board of Trustees of Leech Lake Tribal College.

This website is a place to learn more about me, my academic background, and my current projects. Welcome again — and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.