| December 2011 | Kristen Gutierrez-Conroy - Michigan State University-College of Law |
when researching my recent series :2010/11 nibi anishinabe kwewag ~ Water and the Original People's Women
she sent me this email:
First, I want to tell you that it was a happy accident that I stumbled
>> upon your work and I greatly appreciate your ability to invoke an
>> emotional visual expression of such intangible, and often difficult to
>> articulate relationships; particularly that of women and the water. I
>> am currently a third-year law student at Michigan State University--
>> College of Law and am quickly coming to the end of the semester. I am
>> writing to request permission to use some of your images in a
>> presentation I will be giving to my class in my Advanced Topics in
>> Indian Law: Native American Natural Resource Law as well as for a
>> poster presentation for a course: Gender Justice and Environmental
>> Change (which is a core-class for a Master's specialization in the
>> same topic).
My final project for the class focuses on the need for
>> Great Lakes managers to include Anishinaabe women in decision-making
>> leadership roles as a necessary aspect of participatory co-management
>> schemes managing agencies purport to value and implement. I'm arguing
>> this because of the special generational knowledge about aquatic
>> ecosystem health and wise-use (which current managing structures are
>> also threatening in addition to failing to adequately protect our
>> waters) is particularly salient and far superior to mere quantitative
>> science-based approaches currently used.
I eschew the voyeuristic
>> approach used by many academics which typically involves taking
>> pictures of "authentic Natives" and while searching for an
>> alternative, I came across your work. Your 2010 ANISHINABE KWEWAG *
>> Water ~ First Nations Women gallery expresses many of the same
>> arguments I attempt to make but is able to touch the heart and mind in
>> a way my words cannot and I would greatly appreciate permission to use
>> some of the images for a limited academic purpose. My assignment is
>> due on Dec. 4th, and I apologize for not providing you with much time
>> to consider..
For her presentation in Advanced Topics in Indian Law: Native American Natural Resource Law as well as for a poster presentation for a course: Gender Justice and Environmental Change a core-class for a Master's specialization in the same topic, this poster places new ideas among old, from the Original Knowledges of respect.
