Ross Frank, Ph.D.

Director, UCSD TRPP

Email: rfrank@ucsd.edu

Dr. Frank's research engages in elucidating how non-Indian historical narrative interacts with knowledge produced by and understood within indigenous epistemologies. While completing graduate school at Berkeley, experience working at Apple oriented Dr. Frank toward thinking about digital technologies in relation to production, dissemination, and access to historical research and resources. Dr. Frnak has helped build the Tribal Digital Village, a broadband network created and directed by a consortium of 21 Southern California Indian nations to integrate digital technology resources and techniques into existing and desired cultural, educational, economic, and governance activities. Dr. Frank directs The Plains Indian Ledger Art Digital Publishing Project (plainsledgerart.org), which aggregates nineteenth-century drawings in U.S. and European collections to provide a digital platform for research, public access, and preservation.

Dr. Frank's experience has shown him that the Kumeyaay, Luiseño, Cupeño, and Cahuilla tribal communities and governments and researchers at UCSD have much to offer each other, but that few channels and mechanisms exist to acquaint one another with their respective projects, desires, and areas of research. CIHED offers this project to provide support for the formation of meaningful partnerships directed by tribal entities in the San Diego region and beyond.