The Project originated from a two-week collective fieldwork to the Yellowstone National Park area and the Wind River Reservation in 2024, organized by the CUSO Swiss Graduate Program in Anthropology. The excursion brought together doctoral candidates, professors, and Indigenous co-researchers to explore conservation practices, Indigenous rights, and tourism dynamics in the world’s oldest national park - a global model for protected areas.
Alongside Indigenous experts from Cambodia, Ecuador, and the United States, participants engaged in collective research and analyses that emphasized diverse perspectives - academic, practical, and cultural. The program allowed participants to explore multimodal research methods that combined photography, video, sound recordings, and written notes to deepen understanding of socio-ecological challenges. For many researchers, including members of The Clappers research group, this hands-on experience laid a foundation for future collaborations and meaningful contributions to anthropology.