The November 4th “Air, Water, Land: Native/Indigenous, Black, and Afro-Descendent Relationalities and Activism” event is free and open to the public and will feature both in-person and remote events. Registration for the event can be found on the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies website.
“This symposium is framed as a way to bring people together to center Indigenous, Black and Afro-descendent voices both locally and hemispherically,” said Kirby Brown, associate professor and director of Native American and Indigenous studies. “We want to prioritize not just how they’re experiencing climate change but also what they’re bringing to these crises in terms of traditional knowledge or contemporary cultural practice.”
Climate change, environmental racism, settler colonialism, white supremacy, patriarchy, north/south divides, and unequal access to basic environmental resources by communities of color have inspired ongoing environmental justice activism in the Americas. This Fall 2021 symposium will center Indigenous and Black voices, leverage the campus residencies of Maya activist and teacher Irma Alicia Velasquez Nimatuj (in residence through the Global Justice Initiative and the Department of Anthropology) and Muskogee/Creek artist and activist Amber Starks (in residence through the UO Common Reading program) and focus on environmental justice and sustainable food systems. Designed to foster critical conversations from Indigenous and Black/Afro-descendant communities across the Americas, this event is organized around themes of air, land, and water, with a committed focus to issues impacting local communities.
Remote events will be held over Zoom. In-person events are subject to UO COVID-19 guidelines, which may change, and are restricted to the UO community and guests. Seating is limited and guests must register. Register for in-person events by emailing cllas@uoregon.edu.
