Collaborative Communication: Co-Producing Communication Strategies With Tribal Partners in Northeast Oklahoma

Given the increasing frequency of environmental hazards such as extreme flooding, effective crisis and risk communication is critical. In the United States, Indigenous communities like the Wyandotte Nation face additional challenges due to cultural communication differences. This study sets out to explore communication practices with the Wyandotte Nation and develop more culturally adaptive communication strategies. Taking a collaborative approach of co-production, the centering of Tribal needs, and prioritizing trust building, the project was grounded in place-based knowledge. Using ArcGIS StoryMaps, a narrative-driven interactive tool was developed, combining maps, videos, images, and datasets. The experience was framed as a “journey down the river” and incorporated storytelling elements to resonate better with Indigenous communities. Preliminary results indicate a strong positive reception by both the Wyandotte Nation and NOAA and have achieved the goal of increasing visibility, with the Storymap and accompanying documentary reaching over 790 views. This scalable framework of co-production and incorporating Indigenous storytelling with modern interactive tools not only offers a tangible benefit to the Wyandotte Nation, but also holds the potential for broader applications across NOAA and risk communication more generally.