Rachel Dorothy Tanur Memorial Lecture

Sam Olbekson, an Indigenous architect with over 25 years of design, comprehensive planning, and cultural visioning experience, will present "Culture, Community, and Environmental Justice in Contemporary Indigenous Design."

Sam Olbekson, an Indigenous architect with over 25 years of design, comprehensive planning, and cultural visioning experience, will present "Culture, Community, and Environmental Justice in Contemporary Indigenous Design."

Creating a strong sense of place is critical to cultural identity in Native American communities. New tribal building and planning projects provide significant opportunities for tribal communities to reinforce cultural revival efforts while advancing economic, educational, and healthcare initiatives. This session will encourage an open and interactive discussion of the central issues in tribal design and efforts to lead a fundamental shift toward culturally appropriate design solutions and self-determination. From rural reservation single-family houses to inner-city multifamily mixed-use urban developments, Native American communities face unique challenges and opportunities. Legal and political constraints, complicated funding mechanisms, and a lack of infrastructure all contribute to a critical shortage of adequate housing and economic opportunity in most Native American communities. Many design solutions for tribal communities, unfortunately, fall back on one-size-fits-all models of development and design cliches that do not respond to the distinct social structures of Native families or reflect the diverse range of cultural and artistic expression unique to each tribe. This discussion will highlight diverse Native American projects that have challenged the status quo of typical tribal design and planning projects with innovative and culturally respectful design solutions.

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Contact: events@gsd.harvard.edu