Below are quotes from academic colleagues, speaking to my impact both inside and outside the classroom, as well as to my ethics of care, respect, and empathy in my research, service, and teaching.
I found Deondre Smiles to be an excellent instructor,
whose engaging presentations introduce students to urgent issues that they face as citizens. I was especially impressed by how he takes full advantage of the Zoom format not only to present students with information but to enable them to see and hear the activists
whose important work they are studying. Ohio State students are fortunate to benefit from his instruction before he leaves us for British Columbia.Dr. David Brakke, Department of History, The Ohio State University
Among so many that are so extraordinary, its challenging to offer only a handful of specific activities that exemplify excellence relevant to this award. As one example, Dr. Smiles has absolutely transformed the student experience in the department, challenging them to think – and act – outside of a traditional Euro-Western paradigm. Deliverables he asks of graduate and undergraduate students, for example, align with how Indigenous Knowledge is often transmitted via creative, varied and often arts-based forms. Clearly, this is the work of a strong mentor. In the realm of research, Dr. Smiles is also extraordinary, bringing and building authentic, long-term and productive relationships with communities, and tackling projects of enormous conceptual and practical importance. In so doing, he is making significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in his field.
-Dr. Denise Cloutier, and Dr. Chris Darimont–Department of Geography, University of Victoria
The highlight of the presentation was Dr. Smiles’ analysis of Indigenous climate adaptation strategies – particularly his discussion of a tribal climate adaptation plan from his own community titled Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad (which translates to “Caring for those who take care of us”). Dr. Smiles also provided students in NAS 101 with an electronic copy of the document to engage with following his presentation. Further, students were particularly engaged by his discussion of climate adaptation strategies utilized in his own tribal communities – from the introduction of buffalo as a food source to replace moose populations that are migrating north to colder climates, to the genetic research currently being done of manoomin (wild rice) to better adapt to the impacts of climate change. As a scholar of Native American Studies, it is clear to me that Dr. Smiles possesses expertise in his field of Indigenous geographies and climate resilience. Dr. Smiles is a strong educator that successfully employs a variety of pedagogical tools to create an engaging and community-oriented learning environment.
Dr. Kaitlin Reed (Yurok/Hupa/Oneida), Department of Native American Studies, Cal Poly University-Humboldt
Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles fosters an engaged scholarly environment where rigorous research is both grounded in the people and lands it serves and envisions manifold possibilities for future liberatory work. Participating in the Geographical Indigenous Futures Collaboratory that Dr. Smiles leads has been a major boon for my work as a feminist political ecologist who prioritizes public scholarship; his leadership in research and education ripples outward well beyond the academic, geographic, and social parameters of the laboratory itself.
-Dr. Maya Weeks, member of the Geographic Indigenous Futures Collaboratory
Dr. Smiles is widely recognized for his collegial spirit, generosity, and leadership. He approaches collaboration with openness and respect, and he has been instrumental in fostering research partnerships across disciplines and institutions. His leadership style is characterized by thoughtfulness, integrity, and a commitment to shared governance. Colleagues consistently describe him as dependable, insightful, and willing to go above and beyond in service of collective goals.
A further testament to his character is his engagement with Indigenous communities and advocacy for their rights, both within the university and in wider society. Dr. Smiles brings an ethic of care and accountability to all his relationships, and he models the values of community-engaged scholarship and public service.
-Dr. Paulette Blanchard (Absentee Shawnee), Haskell Indian Nations University
-“Dr. Smiles’ presentation really hit home, literally and figuratively. Most of the examples he used happened here in my home community and still have major ripple effects years later. Also, I am really interested in this topic.”
-“The guest lecture by Dr. Smiles honestly blew my mind. I hadn’t ever really thought about autopsy but we should more, especially when considering MMIW. I appreciated the information he shared about the Mayo clinic founders. This work is so important and I’m a little stunned that I’ve never really heard of it before. I’m grateful for our exposure to this.”
-“I enjoyed Deondre’s presentation a lot and was super intrigued by the whole thing. The topic was an area I never heard about or read any research on before, and it just made me realize how many different areas can be tackled within the field of public health, and especially Indigenous Health.”
-“-I really enjoyed the guest lecture from Dr. Smiles. Geography is definitely important in understanding and addressing social determinants of health.”
-“-In the guest lecture this week, I so enjoyed hearing about a topic I had not thought about which was the rights of Indigenous peoples across the entire lifecycle, including death. There was one slide that showed the social constructs of the United States compared to the Indigenous peoples before them – one key difference was the overlap in the “land” occupied by those Indigenous peoples compared to the hard boundaries seen in the United States. I was able to see an ownership perspective versus a more stewards-of-the-land perspective between the two maps.”-Feedback from students in the Master of Public Health program, University of North Dakota
Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, Ph.D. 