January 2007 Trailblazer Overflow

The following is an important article that we did not have room for in this issue...

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FIRST NATIONS, THE GREAT LAKES, AND THE ENVIRONMENT: TRI-NATIONALIMPLICATION

Third Annual International Workshop Sponsored and Organized by the Center for the Study of IndigenousBorder Issues (CSIBI): Phil Bellfy (Michigan State University), Karl Hele (Western Ontario University), and David McNab (York University,Atkinson Faculty)
To be Held on the Campus of Michigan State University, April 19-22, 2007, in Conjunction with International Events Honoring Earth Day, with the Generous Assistance of the Government of Canada.
Featuring a Keynote Address by Winona LaDuke.
Due to the simple fact that Aboriginal People live “close to nature,” their cultures are based on a deep and sacred relationship to the natural world. As the effects of Global Warming are increasingly being felt, Aboriginal People are becoming more concerned over the environmental changes taking place in the Great Lakes region, and elsewhere, as these changes are directly affecting the way they interact with the natural world.
Maintenance of the Great Lakes’ environment is the joint responsibility of Canada, the United States, and Native People; consequently, this conference is designed to bring together faculty, researchers, Tribal people, government officials, and students from both sides of the US/Canada border to address the environmental issues facing the Great Lakes.
The primary objective of this conference is to highlight the environmental threats facing the Great Lakes and the steps being taken by the US, Canada, and Native People to reverse this destruction.
While we would be happy to see proposals that address any aspect of Indigenous Great Lakes Culture, we are especially interested in proposals from any discipline that address the Great Lakes environment. We are also encouraging poster presentations to accompany the conference.
Suggested topics include, but certainly are not limited to: Traditional Ecological Knowledge, How the US/Canada Border Affects Enforcement of Environmental Protections, The Role of Tribal Governments in this Trans-border Region, Culture and Environment, Literary Expressions of the Environment by Indigenous People, the Role of the Environment in the Spiritual Lives of Great Lakes Peoples, Invasive Species and their Ecological and Cultural Effects, Indigenous Community Responses to Great Lakes Environmental Degradation, and the GMO Threat to Traditional Foods.
In keeping with past conferences, the organizers hope to publish a book containing a number of expanded versions of the presented papers and posters.
Proposals should be sent to Phil Bellfy, via email bellfy@msu.edu by Dec. 15, 2006. We strongly encourage proposals from First Nations and Tribal people, as well as organizations sponsored by or affiliated with them.

Phil Bellfy
White Earth Anishnaabe
Michigan State University
American Indian Studies Program, WRAC Department

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