Welcome to the AquaLog reboot with Morgan! I’m a graduate student working toward my Masters in Library and Information Science, and I have an undergraduate degree in Hydrology and Geology. In other words, my role as a project assistant at the Wisconsin Water Library is right up my alley!
Photo: Morgan in Istanbul, Turkey, 2015.
I started working at the Water Library in August 2018 and will be here for about a year. Now that I’ve settle into my position a little more, AquaLog will become part of my weekly (or bi-weekly – we’ll see how motivated I am to write each week!) schedule here at the Water Library. If there are any topics you would like me to cover, please reach out at mcwitte@wisc.edu.
______________________________________________________________________
Now on to this week’s topic!
In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I chose Native American connections with the Great Lakes area as my first AquaLog topic.
Photo: Portland Mercury Events, https://www.portlandmercury.com/events/19362162/indigenous-peoples-day-celebration.
When I started doing research for this post, I was overwhelmed with information! From historical documents and primary sources to art exhibits and cultural artifacts, the history between Indigenous populations and the Great Lakes is rich and diverse. I knew I couldn’t do all of that history justice in one blog post, and I’m no expert on the topic, so I decided to focus on three modern-day themes:
1. Acknowledgement of native contributions to Great Lakes states
During my search, a recent news article from the Great Lakes Echo stood out to me among the sea of information: “Rethinking, retelling Native American roles in Great Lakes history.” Historical markers throughout Michigan rarely recognize the contributions of Native Americans to the state and are often offensive and Eurocentric. Michigan is collaborating with native groups in the state to right these wrongs so that the state’s historical monuments reflect a realistic history. I’ll definitely be following this story to see how the process plays out!
2. A commission that makes a big impact on the Great Lakes
On a more regional scale, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, or GLIFWC, also works to maintain rights for native peoples. Representing eleven Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, GLIFWC is an expert organization that protects hunting, fishing, and gathering treaty rights, provides legal analysis, and reinforces conservation and natural resource management practices. The commission makes an impact on Great Lakes research through monitoring projects, mercury contamination reporting, and environmental education. Basically, GLIFWC has so many amazing resources available that I can’t cover them all. Go check them out for yourself here!
3. How Indigenous knowledge can help us think about water crises
Written by Dr. Deborah McGregor, Traditional Knowledge: Considerations for Protecting Water in Ontario provides insight into First Nations perspective on water crises in Ontario, Canada. As an Anishinabe woman, McGregor presents “lessons and teachings from Elders, knowledge holders, practitioners, Anishinabe thinkers, scholars and others” in relation to water management. (1) McGregor’s article is engaging and informative, and she covers topics from Creation beliefs to political history to current activist movements in relation to water. Give her article a read for a First Nations scholar’s perspective, I promise it won’t disappoint!
Photo: Lake Ontario, 2006. Mother Earth Water Walk, an activist group mentioned in McGregor’s article. http://www.motherearthwaterwalk.com/.
If you’re interested in finding out about the history behind today’s current events and present-day organizations, the Wisconsin Historical Society and UW-Madison Libraries have great collections. Librarian tip: using Subjects to narrow your results will help you squeeze out the good information without needing to guess what words to use in your search!
Oh, and did I mention that the Wisconsin Water Library has a great selection of books on Indigenous literature and history, too? Head on over to the library website for curated reading lists on many topics, including Native Americans and Water!
Resources I mentioned in this article:
Evans, Maxwell. “Rethinking, Retelling Native American Roles in Great Lakes History.” Great Lakes Echo, 8 Apr. 2018, greatlakesecho.org/2018/04/13/rethinking-retelling-native-american-roles-in-great-lakes-history/.
Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, www.glifwc.org/.
McGregor, D. (2012). Traditional Knowledge: Considerations for Protecting Water in Ontario. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 3(3).