Dorothea Summers

Yá'át'ééh, my name is Dorothea Summers, but most people call me Dori. I am a member of the Navajo Nation and spent my youth among the lakes of Michigan. However, when I was a teenager, my family moved to the prairies of Kansas. In 2022, I received my bachelor's degree in environmental science from Haskell Indian Nations University and am currently pursuing a master's degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas under the guidance of Dr. Sara Baer. 

My focus of study is land restoration and holistic land management, and I am continuing my education to learn more about these topics. In the summer of 2022, I received my permaculture design certification from the Kansas Permaculture Institute. After completing my studies, I plan to use my knowledge to work with indigenous communities of the prairies. Specifically, I will be studying prairie restoration, but if my Navajo community needs my help, I am willing to return to the desert environment of my family.