This is the second summer during which she conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Pablo Toral. Her project examines the ongoing impacts of land dispossession and environmental injustice faced by Indigenous communities, particularly the Ojibwe. She connects these issues to broader struggles for environmental justice in urban Black communities, highlighting shared experiences of displacement and systemic neglect.

Through in-depth interviews, archival research, and field observations, Veronica explored how policies of displacement and the narratives of “untouched and pristine wilderness” transformed Indigenous lands into protected reserves—acts rooted in attempts to erase Indigenous presence and sovereignty. She notes that areas such as the Boundary Waters are often romanticized as pristine wilderness, but are historically tied to dispossession, violence, and cultural erasure.

Veronica’s final project was an autobiographical essay in which she examined the interconnected themes of land dispossession, environmental racism, and the cultural construction of the “American Wilderness”—particularly as they relate to Indigenous and Black communities. She used her hometown of Milwaukee as a lens to explore how historical policies and narratives have marginalized communities of color from access to natural spaces, drawing on the concept of the “Adventure Gap” to highlight disparities in outdoor participation.

Reflecting on her experience, Veronica identified several key lessons. “I learned that land dispossession and environmental injustice are ongoing struggles affecting Indigenous and Black communities, and that addressing these issues requires collective, cross-community action. It also taught me that listening to community voices and honoring Indigenous knowledge are essential for creating meaningful change in environmental advocacy.”

A double major in political science and critical identity studies, Veronica plans to pursue law school after graduation.