Alex Latta
Areas of Expertise
- Arctic, Alpine and Cold Regions Science
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation
- Climate Change and Sustainability
- Hydrology, Water Systems and Water Quality
- Indigenous Laws, Rights and Governance
Biography
I am a settler-Canadian researcher with roots in Coast Salish territory, and with the privilege of living and working in the territories of the Chononnton, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Dene Peoples. I received my PhD (2005) and MA (1999) in Political Science from York University, and my BSc (1998) in Geography and Political Science from the University of Victoria.
From 2003-2015, my research was focussed on the politics of hydroelectricity, mining, and other extractive resource development in Latin America, especially Chile. During the past decade, I have worked with Indigenous government and community partners in the Northwest Territories, with a focus on climate change adaptation, food security, and Indigenous-led land and water stewardship. I have conducted scholarship that is broadly located within the field of political ecology, including the areas of ecological citizenship, water governance, Indigenous rights, and socio-environmental conflict.
My research has been supported through my involvement with Laurier’s Cold Regions Research Centre, the Institute for Water Science, the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada, and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. I am currently Principal Investigator on a research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, focussed on the rising importance of Indigenous-led land and water stewardship for environmental management and conservation. That work is conducted in partnership with Dehcho First Nations and various Dene communities in the NWT.
Languages
- English
- Spanish