2023 ROSE-WALTERS PRIZE FOR GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM RECIPIENT
Tara Houska
Houska is a citizen of Couchiching First Nation and a tribal attorney, land defender, environmental and Indigenous-rights advocate and founder of the Giniw Collective, an Indigenous-women-, two-spirit-led frontline resistance to defend the sacred and live in balance. Houska was active in resisting the Line 3 oil pipeline and the Dakota Access pipeline, and she is heavily involved in the movement to defund fossil fuels. She is a TED speaker and the recipient of the 2021 American Climate Leadership Award and the 2019 Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award. Houska served as an advisor on Native American affairs to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and co-founded Not Your Mascots, a nonprofit committed to promoting positive representation of Native Americans in the public sphere. She has written for the women-led climate anthology All We Can Save, The New York Times, CNN, Vogue and Indian Country Today. Houska earned a bachelor of science, a bachelor of arts and a juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Dickinson will welcome Houska to campus for a residency Oct. 4 through Oct. 13. In addition to numerous class visits and meetings with students and faculty, public events during the residencey will include the following:
Public Lecture with Q & A: An Evening with Tara Houska: Stories From Her Work as a Tribal Attorney, Land Defender and Founder of the Giniw Collective
Wednesday Oct. 4, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium
(This event will be available via livestream)
Dickinson's Center for the Futures of Native Peoples Open House
Monday Oct. 9, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m., 239 W. Louther Lawn area
Discover a unique space dedicated to honoring, nurturing, and advancing the futures of Indigenous nations and communities. Our Founding Director, Darren Lone Fight, will offer insights into CFNP's mission and cordially welcome all to this new space on campus. We're privileged to be joined by Tara Houska, the distinguished recipient of the Rose-Walters Prize. Houska’s wisdom and presence has significantly enriched the Center for Sustainability Education, CFNP, and Dickinson College throughout her residency. As you enjoy our innovative new center, enjoy snacks and light refreshments, and join us in embracing this emerging chapter at Dickinson College! We eagerly await your presence. RSVPs are encouraged, welcomed, but not required.
Environmental Leadership Workshop: Organizing to Save Mother Earth (20 student limit)
Thursday, Oct. 12, 1- 3 p.m., Stern Great Room, Stern Center