As a water scholar and protector, Kelsey Leonard seeks to establish Indigenous traditions of water conservation as the foundation for international water policy-making.

Why you should listen

Dr. Kelsey Leonard represents the Shinnecock Indian Nation on the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean, which is charged with protecting America's ocean ecosystems and coastlines. She also serves as a member of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board of the International Joint Commission. She has been instrumental in safeguarding the interests of Indigenous Nations for environmental planning, and builds Indigenous science and knowledge into new solutions for water governance and sustainable oceans.

Leonard's recent scholarship explores Indigenous water justice and the defining international legal principle of self-determination under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Kelsey Leonard’s TED talk

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Planet Protectors: Notes from Session 3 of TEDWomen 2019

December 6, 2019

The world is experiencing the consequences of climate change and the urgency couldn’t be more clear. In Session 3 of TEDWomen 2019, we dug deep into some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time — exploring solutions and the many ways people across the globe are fighting for change. The event: TEDWomen 2019, […]

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