Protecting the Wolf River--Activism, Tradition, and Place during COVID-19

In Summer 2020, I worked with the Wolf River Action Committee, a group dedicated to halting recent developments of metallic sulfide mining exploration on the Wolf River. To mitigate COVID-19 impacts on public participation, this project included the collection and assembly of a multi-media educational website and panel series that emphasize oral tradition of the Menominee, Sokaogan Chippewa, and Anishinabee communities connected to the Wolf River. This project answered a direct need of the Wolf River Action Committee to give activists a platform during the pandemic while highlighting the importance of place through collected art, written stories, poetry, music, and film.

The Wolf River Action Committee is a collaborative group of Tribal members, allies, and environmental and political experts dedicated to preserving the cultural and environmental resources of the Wolf River. The website is a composite of the summer 2020 virtual panel series held by the committee: Mining Wisconsin’s Riverways: Past & Present Issues & Activism. It is also a celebration of the River through art, written word, stories, and music.

You can check out the website here and watch the four panels on YouTube: