Elan is a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota. His research will explore sources of sustainable development for tribal communities, emphasizing environmentally sound initiatives. He will examine accessibility to natural resources in Native American communities, in addition to studying how the availability of these resources is contingent on the proper functionality of tribal governments, practices, and relations. Possible areas of research he will investigate include water accessibility, the politics and influence of fracking, and sustainable economic development within Indian Country.