Laura Harjo (Muscogee Creek) PhD is a graduate of University of Southern California (USC) with a PhD in Geography. She is cofounder of the Indigenous Mapping Network and a board member of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. She is an Assistant Professor in CRP with areas of interest in GIS, social justice and Indigenous Planning. Dr. Harjo teaches community development and GIS, and has special interests in social movements, social media, Indigenous planning, and human/civil/Indigenous rights.  Dr. Harjo researches critical ethnic studies, and community participatory methods for the engagement, empowerment, and emancipation of marginalized rural and urban communities.  Before arriving at UNM, she was a research fellow with the Advancement Project in Washington DC.  As a fellow, she researched civil rights issues in Florida, Texas, and New Orleans related to voter protection, inclusive development, and the prison industrial complex. Dr. Harjo also served as a research associate with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office and USC’s Civic and Community Relations Unit, where her portfolio included: fiscal responsibility and management, gang reduction, and neighborhood and community services. Dr. Harjo was previously appointed Muscogee (Creek) Nation's Ambassador to the United Nations and currently serves on Indian Land Tenure Foundation's Board of Directors.  Dr. Harjo is active with the Southern California Native Feminist Reading Group and works with other scholars to imagine new forms of sovereignty and liberation.