Thirty Years Ago?

Thirty years ago. 2 Miami High School students accompanied me to Rhode Island to the National Service-Learning Conference. Students had been involved with Service-Learning since the day Nancy Scott with Cherokee Nation had brought the concept and funding for the work they would do a couple of years earlier.

For over ten years students were involved either directly with the Cherokee Volunteer Society (open to all) or in their classrooms applying what they were learning as they also learned the value of service.

Those 2 students and myself were amazed at what we saw at that conference. On returning they were driven to make sure we had our very own National Conference, but ours would be on Tar Creek. AND LEAD Agency was at the table as those students made the first decisions on the layout, speakers, topics that would be covered.  Always included were tribal and student voices, art and of course science in a big way. They were bold and invited the governor, the Attorney General and US Representatives. And through the years people in those roles have attended and spoken.

This is the 28^th National Environmental Tar Creek Conference and as before, with an emphasis on the environment. Topics have ranged from Tar Creek and consequences to our health and the environment, but have included the topics of the day, from mega poultry expansion, later the poultry digester, always the threat of flooding, while later more information on the toxic effects flooding causes. We have chased BF Goodrich and their attorneys to bring UPDATES on their cleanup. And we learn what EPA has funded in our superfund site and what work has been done.

A range of artists have been featured because seeing the beauty and the truth has value, while also plays, a musical and the clarity print photographers have brought. We experience our environment in multiple ways and we bring these experiences to all who attend.

Often there were few local people who attend. We have been surrounded by environmental harm and most don’t want to admit it or want to learn about it. It’s like we do this whole event in your honor. It will be on-line and available into the future on our website.

But 30 years ago, when you were younger, you cared and you learned. They learned 1/3 of local Indian children had been lead poisoned, they chose to act. You spoke up, you wrote essays and poetry, were published in anthologies. You walked into grade schools and daycares and shared what you knew to alert and teach the little ones how they could protect themselves from lead poisoning. You showed them that how and how often they washed their hands could protect a child’s very own future.

Now many of you have not only had children but some of them have had children. You knew and were empowered back in the day. I challenge and invite you to come back into this work.  Just walk on into the 28^th National Tar Creek Conference. Stay an hour, spend 3 full days and evenings. Keep learning. Practice the skills you had developed and jive up the responsible way you served your community by learning and sharing what you learned.

See you Oct. 6, 7, and 8 at NEO College in the Student Union. Attending is free for Ottawa County Residents and students. And aren’t we all students in the lives we are living?

To register or to see the agenda, please look at our website:  www.leadagency.org 

Respectfully Submitted ~ Rebecca Jim