草莓社区

Major news media such as and the are paying attention to an environmental and political crisis developing in northwestern Wisconsin, and 草莓社区 professor and her spring documentary students are in the middle of the news story.

Their film, 鈥�,鈥� is helping to shape a national conversation about environmental justice, citizen activism, indigenous rights, and nonviolent resistance.

Largest open-pit mine ever?

The 45-minute film focuses on the proposed creation of the world鈥檚 largest open-pit mine 鈥� nearly four miles long, 1,000 feet wide and 900 feet deep 鈥� in the Penokee Hills, just miles from the world鈥檚 largest freshwater lake and several Native American communities that rely on the water source to preserve tribal traditions and economic well-being.

鈥淓MU students are helping drive a very important dialogue about one of the major issues of our day,鈥� says Moore, associate professor of and .

鈥淭his is a story that is far from over,鈥� added Pete Rasmussen, co-founder of the and a prominent voice in the film. He noted the of a from mining company Gogebic Taconite to Governor Scott Walker鈥檚 recall campaign.

The film traces three compelling story lines 鈥� the extractive industry of open pit iron ore mining, its potential effect on one of the world鈥檚 largest freshwater lakes, and the multicultural group of citizen activists who have been monitoring the site and protesting the proposal. Woven into the narrative is a Greek chorus of West Virginia residents affected by the .

Alerting people of Wisconsin

The documentary is 鈥渁 message to the people in Wisconsin of what will likely happen if the mining is continued,鈥� said student filmmaker Anne Diller 鈥�14. 鈥淎fter listening to the people from West Virginia share their warning to Wisconsin, it felt like we were piecing together a love letter.鈥�

Since its premiere June 20 on the reservation of the Bad River band of the Lake Superior Chippewa tribe, the film has earned accolades from local activists.

Jill 鈥淧each鈥� Hartlev, a member of the tribe鈥檚 , helped host the premiere, which was open to the public and included a potluck, poetry, singing and dancing. Several of those interviewed in the film were also present, including tribal chair Mike Wiggins Jr.

鈥淚t was an overwhelmingly positive response among those present,鈥� Hartlev said, who added that Moore鈥檚 presence made the event special. 鈥淚t was very moving for me personally to see those faces and hear those voices. These are personal friends and also people who I work closely with. I was moved to tears.鈥�

Rasmussen said he appreciated 鈥渢he connections the students made, how it showed an understanding of how we鈥檙e all connected, from West Virginia to Virginia to what鈥檚 happening here.鈥�

Putting all the pieces together

Local and national media had reported on the proposed project, Rasmussen said, but 鈥渢he film put all the pieces together and has definitely had a broader impact with audiences who are not as familiar with the issue and the idea that we鈥檙e facing this all over the country in a systemic way.鈥�

Hartlev and Rasmussen, who both attended multiple regional showings throughout the summer, noted that the various audiences shared an especially visceral reaction to Gogebic Taconite spokesman Bob Seitz鈥檚 statement about the presence at the proposed site of grunerite, a rare asbestiform rock that carries the risk of airborne carcinogens. Seitz鈥檚 statement contradicted both of the company鈥檚 own scientists, as well as that of Northlands College geologist Tom Fitz.

鈥淭here were gasps and laughter, expressions of disbelief during that segment,鈥� said Rasmussen. 鈥淭he people who have been paying attention in meetings and hearings have seen that denial, but there鈥檚 only a few people going to those meetings. So to get that on film is motivating to the public, because it鈥檚 something they鈥檝e heard about, but they haven鈥檛 seen it.鈥�

Moore 鈥� an experienced videographer who has produced documentaries aired by the Discovery Channel, PBS and National Geographic 鈥� noted that the experience of capturing that interview on film and dealing with the ethical aftermath was unsettling, though educational for her students.

鈥淭he students are really in the middle of this, and that interview segment shows that,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ere was a company spokesperson offering misleading information, right on film, and we spent a lot of time talking about the best way to handle it.鈥�

Importance of bearing witness

Moore teaches a documentary filmmaking course every two years. (Previous student-involved projects include a and a feature about local cooperative restaurant .)

The challenges students 鈥� and professors, Moore says 鈥� to think about 鈥淓MU鈥檚 message of service and responsibility in a media industry which is so entitled and can be quite destructive and powerful.鈥�

鈥淗ow do we think about media as creating a sacred space?鈥� Moore said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 our role as a witness to the social justice movement?鈥�

Moore was introduced to the documentary鈥檚 subject matter by Danielle Taylor, who holds a from EMU. Taylor created the 鈥溾�� video project and blog.

Moore began filming in the fall of 2013. On several occasions, she stayed at a harvest camp established near the proposed site by the Lac Courte Oreilles band, where participants monitor a mining project entrance, conduct research, and practice traditional hunting and foraging skills.

By the time the spring 2014 documentary class began, she had dozens of hours of footage and faced the unique challenge of 鈥済etting my students excited about something I was already passionate about.鈥�

Link to West Virginia chemical spill

That wasn鈥檛 a problem after the Elk River toxic chemical spill on January 9, which contaminated the water supply 300,000 residents of Charleston, West Virginia, for days.

Senior Emma King and junior Karla Hovde interviewed several West Virginia residents, including Bob Kincaid, host of and a frequent contributor to the anti-mining discussion in Wisconsin. Those interviews had a dramatic impact on King.

鈥淚 really saw how misusing the environment hurts everyone,鈥� King said. 鈥淭alking to people firsthand, rather than reading about it in a book, put this into perspective for me.鈥�

Her involvement in the project changed her from a casual supporter of environmental causes to a passionate proponent.

鈥淲e were able to amplify the voices of a group of people who were concerned about their community,鈥� Diller said. 鈥淚 felt like I had a personal relationship with the people as we edited their interviews. They opened up and shared their stories with us and trusted us to get their message out to the world.鈥�

Moore says the film is an official selection of the . A spring showing on campus is also planned.

For more information on this issue, check out the reports on the , , and .

Editor’s note: In February 2015, Gogebic Taconite announced , citing unforeseen “wetland issues that make major continued investment unfeasible at this time,” as well as concern with impending environmental legislation. Though the company continues to claim that it will still work on securing permits to mine, some local officials and have suggested the press release is a sign of victory.