Aug 14, 2023 Eliana Massey, Spring 2023 DM Undergraduate Intern

Briefly describe your project and the challenges, lessons learned, and obstacles overcome in the execution of it. What were the professional, academic, and personal motivations underlying your project?

I partnered with the Pacific Island Studies Program to begin building an ArcGIS story map that locates Pasifika faculty, staff, and resources on the University of Utah’s campus for prospective and current Pacific Islander students. Utah ranks third in the nation for the highest percentage of Pacific Islanders in the state’s total population. With nearly 50,000 Pacific Islanders, Utah has the fifth largest state-wide Pacific Islander population in the United States. Nonetheless, few resources currently exist at Utah’s flagship university to specifically support Pacific Islander students. 

As a Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) person myself, one of the things that initially impressed me about the University of Utah was the opportunity to learn more about my culture and history. I began this project by establishing a relationship with the Pacific Island Studies Program Director, Dr. Maile Arvin, and seeking input about the needs and interests of the Pacific Island Studies Program community and whether a digital humanities project could potentially be helpful or generative. The needs and interests were broad enough that I performed research on existing projects at the intersection of digital humanities and Indigenous Studies in order to generate a list of potential project ideas that you could be selected from. I worked with Dr. Arvin to prioritize the idea to build an ArcGIS story map for Pacific Islander Students. 

I also began exploring how digital humanities methods might be helpful in documenting or supporting the work of some of the Pacific Island Studies Program’s community partners, local Indigenous and Pasifika community gardens.

How did the Digital Matters Undergraduate Student Internship dovetail with your academic pursuits? What interested you in applying for this fellowship?

This internship gave me the opportunity to explore my interests in Indigenous Studies, digital humanities, and community-engaged research. I am interested in working in an informal learning environment like a science center or a museum, library, or archive in the future. I am well-aware of the ways that these institutions have harmed, excluded, and profited off of Indigenous communities and I am interested in finding ways for these institutions to use their resources to support and be in good relation with Indigenous and Pasifika people. I’m excited to attend the 2023 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museum with Dr. Arvin and learn more about these topics. 

What insights have you gained in regard to your specific field as a result of your project and fellowship experience?

This experience has helped me appreciate that community-engaged research must occur on a different timeline than non-community-engaged research. Additionally, the process is just as important if not more important than the output. I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve built through these ongoing projects. This work has led to many more opportunities to use digital humanities to support Asian American and Pacific Islander historical research and education. 

What would you tell potential undergraduate internship applicants to help them shape their own digital scholarship project?

Don’t be afraid to pursue a project that is personal to you. If an issue affects your community, it is worth investigation and creativity. Digital Matters internships are incredibly unique because they offer the chance to craft your own project. You can learn skills that will support your academic and professional development while working on issues you care about and building valuable relationships if you plan carefully and are willing to be flexible. 

What do you see as the upcoming important issues surrounding digital scholarship in your field? What areas/issues could students and scholars investigate to extend the knowledge in this area?

Digital tools are often used to raise awareness on a subject and to connect individuals. Both applications are necessary in many projects at the intersection of Indigenous Studies and digital humanities. However, sometimes raising awareness and fostering connection within a community are at odds with each other. Some degree of privacy or content or audience management is often necessary for Indigenous communities to feel comfortable interacting with each other and sharing more intimate parts of their culture. What are ways that digital platforms open to a mixed audience (community outsiders and insiders) can protect privacy while also offering doors that Indigenous people can open to connect with each other?