Bridging Knowledge Systems in Convergence Research: Community-Centered and Place-Based Approaches in Lake Superior's Keweenaw Bay

Abstract This study presents results from an NSF-funded convergence research project conducted in partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (TRIBAL PARTNER) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. While convergence research frameworks often emphasize deep integration, we argue that participatory, place-based, and community-led convergence requires maintaining an integrity of difference. Through a systematic literature review, surveys and qualitative interviews, we examined how team members operationalized convergence research and the Tribal Landscape System (TLS) framework. Two cross-cutting dynamics -- time arcs and frictions -- emerged as central to shaping convergence in practice. Our findings demonstrate that long-term partnerships, ethical engagement, and adaptive collaboration can transform tensions into productive spaces for knowledge co-production. Expanding the convergence canon to support epistemic plurality strengthens community-led research, sustains collaborations, and offers insights for those practicing convergence amid growing political and institutional pressures on public science.