[nativestudies-l] Ron Plain to speak at Brown, available to speak at other schools as well

[Hoover, Elizabeth]

Greetings! I’m writing to let you know about a speaker that we’re bringing
to Brown University to both invite you to the event (flier to follow if
you’re interested), and to see if you are interested in hosting him as well.

Aamjiwnaang is a Native American reserve in Ontario, just north of Detroit,
where Anishnaabe people have lived for thousands of years.  Following
disadvantageous land dealings, the community found themselves in the center
of Chemical Valley, completely surrounded by 62 petrochemical plants.  For
several decades, the noise, air and water pollution of the plants were
inconvenient, but recently community members realized their health problems
- ranging from high rates of cancer to miscarriages and skewed birth ratios
- were not normal, and may be connected to the pollution.  Community members
have begun organizing and working to spread the message around the impacts
of industry on Anishnaabe health and culture. One of these community
members, Ron Plain, worked to found the Aamjiwnaang Environment Committee,
and has been featured in almost a dozen documentaries and feature length
news pieces about Aamjiwnaang. Native Americans at Brown (NAB) will be
hosting Ron on Wednesday October 19 for an event examining environmental
contamination on Indian lands, the challenges of community organizing when
you are fighting the main sources of local employment, and the difficulties
of conducting environmental health research in the face of stiff industry
opposition.

We would like to invite you to come to Brown on October 19th to hear Ron
speak.  Additionally Ron is available from the 16-25th if other schools are
interested in hosting him. In the past, Ron has addressed campus wide
communities, or tailored talks specifically to Native American Studies,
Epidemiology, Environmental Law or .Psychology classes. If you are
interested in arranging for Ron to speak at your school please feel free to
email Elizabeth_M_Hoover at brown.edu.

-- 
************************
Elizabeth Hoover, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies and American Studies
Brown University, Providence RI
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