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Pictured: Christi Belcourt and Issac Murdoch, We are Here to Protect: Water is Life, print on fabric, 2024.1.18.

Presented in collaboration with Art Matters: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on Water Justice

Water is one of our planet’s most vital, and most threatened, resources. From plastic pollution in the Great Lakes to devastating spills like the 2010 Kalamazoo River disaster, Michigan has seen firsthand the environmental and human toll of poor infrastructure and extractive industry. Globally, the crisis is even more urgent: over 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity each year, and that number is rising. This symposium brings together voices from across disciplines to explore the challenges we face — and the collective actions we can take to protect water for all.

As part of this important event, MiCAN’s Engagement Coordinator Erica Bouldin will lead a session from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM on the critical work we’re doing to build a clean Michigan future, including our efforts to shut down Line 5, a deteriorating pipeline pumping 23 million gallons of oil through the Great Lakes region every day. In collaboration with the Sierra Club and other community partners, we’re working to raise awareness through Fish for the Future: a peaceful, artistic campaign calling on Governor Whitmer to shut down Line 5 and protect our waters. Our goal is to create over 18,000 origami fish to symbolize public support for clean water and climate action.

In this session, Erica will share more about this campaign and invite participants to fold their own origami fish, a simple but powerful act of solidarity. Together, we can amplify the call for bold action on climate and environmental justice. Join us in using creativity as a tool for change.