"Through the Eyes of Rivers" is an ongoing project that invites humans to look at the world through the eyes of rivers and their ecosystems. Through this work, I advocate for an ecocentric worldview that acknowledges the personhood of entities such as rivers and their inhabitants. Over the past three years, in collaboration with Talking Rivers, Inc. and Talking Wings, I have been using visual art and storytelling to guide community conversations, workshops, conferences, art installations, and storytelling circles.
Examples of this work are:
- Our Neighbors: In this exhibit, I wanted to expand the concept of neighbor to envelop all the other beings, animals and plants, who form part of the ecosystems we call home. My goal was to bring into a human-made municipal building the furry, feathered, and leafy people of the Raquette River (Ahná:wate in Kanienkéha/Mohawk) watershed.
- TEDx Tupper Lake: As part of the Talking Wings I participated in the TEDx Tupper Lake. With my fellow artist and life companion Tzintzun Aguilar Izzo we challenged our audience to see the world through the perspective of other living organisms. We wanted to inspire people to rethink our relationships with nature and expand our understanding of what it means to be part of a community.
- Listening to Water: Listening to Water followed the rivers and streams that flow from the Adirondack Mountains to their confluences with the Kaniatarowanénhne, translated from the Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) as the Great River, also known as the St. Lawrence River. Traveling through and with these waters, I co-curated this exhibit with Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo under the Talking Wings and Talking River, Inc. umbrella.
LISTEN
Another project related to the "Through the Eyes of Rivers" endeavor is the collection of illustrated short stories titled "Listen."
"Listen" is a collection of illustrated lyrical short stories in which more-than-
human species, ecosystems and entities share their struggle to thrive in a
world that is being rapidly transformed by humans.
human species, ecosystems and entities share their struggle to thrive in a
world that is being rapidly transformed by humans.