UPDATED: Guest article: Wisconsin DNR still accepting comments on Line 5; Public Hearing on February 2, 2022

By Barbara With*
Posted Jan. 16, 2022, on Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative
Reprinted here with permission
See UPDATES below

Map courtesy Carl Sack.

On February 2, 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is holding a public hearing on the proposed reroute of Enbridge Energy’s Line 5. The hazardous liquid pipeline conveys light and synthetic crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, through northern Wisconsin and both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan.

Under state law, the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Line 5 must contain information about how the project would impact people, natural resources, and the economy. It must also include an analysis of alternatives to the proposed project.

Members of the public are needed to weigh in on the draft EIS:

https://widnr.widen.net/s/pmjdl6pbpd/el5_drafteis_dec2021_vol1-deis.&nbsp

UPDATED Feb. 2, 2022: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) has extended the public comment period for Enbridge Line 5 draft Environmental Impact another two weeks -- to March  18, 2022. The move was in response to a letter sent by the Wisconsin League of Women Voters and nine other organizations concerned that the period was too short considering the complexity of the project, including the over 400 page draft EIS that was released on December 18, 2021.

REGISTER HERE to testify at the Zoom Hearing, to be held at 4 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. 

Members of the public who do not wish to provide testimony during the hearing and only want to listen can watch a live feed of the hearing on the DNR’s YouTube channel.

Public comments should be sent:

By email: dnroeeacomments@wi.gov

By U.S. mail:
Line 5 EIS Comments
DNR (EA/7)
101 South Webster Street
Madison, WI 53707

The Danger of Enbridge

Line 5 cuts across the heart of the Bad River Reservation where it continues to operate despite ongoing litigation. Enbridge is also operating Line 5 without permits through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and under the Straits of Mackinac, where they have refused to comply with an order from the Governor of Michigan to shut down.

Enbridge proposes to build a new section of pipeline around the perimeter of the Bad River Reservation but still within the Bad River watershed. The construction project -- which would stretch for more than 40 miles and cross nearly 200 waterbodies -- would allow Enbridge to continue operating the pipeline in environmentally sensitive areas of Wisconsin that also include the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds. Their plans include blasting through the asbestos-rich million-year-old bedrock of the Penokee Hills in order to drill miles of HDD (horizontal directional drilling) under all major waterways in the watershed.

"The State of Wisconsin must ensure that Enbridge is never again allowed to show the kind of disrespect and disregard for environmental regulations they did during recent Line 3 construction in Minnesota," said Paul DeMain of Honor the Earth, "No further pipeline permits should be given to Enbridge -- anywhere in the United States -- until they clean up their mess in Minnesota, where they have ruptured aquifers and spilled chemical drilling fluids into our rivers and wetlands. Wisconsin must do better. The safety of our resources and the public trust of our water hangs in the balance."

The Enbridge Line 3 easement at the headwaters of the Mississippi River after removal of wooden planks reveals the damage they’ve incurred. Rain recharged the aquifers and pushed the drilling fluids to the surface, continually since mid-September, 2021. (Photo courtesy Ron Turney)

"The draft EIS represents a critical opportunity for the public to provide input on a controversial proposal that continues to move forward, despite the harm it will cause," stated Elizabeth Ward, executive director of Sierra Club Wisconsin. "Enbridge’s proposal, which could be devastating for the water and wetlands in the area, directly contradicts the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change recommendation to avoid all new fossil fuel infrastructure."

"Pipeline construction in the Bad River watershed could cause significant environmental harm that must be prevented," said Midwest Environmental Advocates Staff Attorney Rob Lee. "This project would also facilitate the continued operation of the entire pipeline, which is nearly 70 years old and has already spilled at least a million gallons of oil." 

* Guest author Barbara With is a citizen journalist from La Pointe, Wis.

UPDATE: Red Cliff releases Enbridge draft EIS Fact Sheet

Posted by Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative

January 29, 2022

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe have released a Fact Sheet concerning the Enbridge draft Environmental Impact Statement concerning Line 5 through the Penokee Hills. The Fact Sheet notes how the pipeline could affect Treaty Rights, impact wild rice (manoomin), and threaten Lake Superior fisheries and tribal commercial harvests. CLICK HERE for the Fact Sheet.

Guest article: Election Elucidation: A look at Michigan's 2022 election calendar with County Clerk Jennifer Kelly

Copper Beacon news site is now Copper Beacon, Inc. (Logo courtesy Joshua Vissers)

By Joshua Vissers, Editor, Copper Beacon, Inc.
Posted January 22, 2022, on Copper Beacon, Inc.
Reprinted here with permission

Michigan’s 2022 election calendar is 18 pages long and full of jargon and references to state laws and other documents. It’s not particularly easy to understand.

Fortunately, Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly agreed to a short interview where she helps to outline the process for people interested in running for local office. Jennifer discusses positions on the coming ballot, nominating petitions, filing deadline dates, write-ins and more. She’s also made herself available for other questions.

CLICK HERE to listen to Josh Vissers' brief audio interview/podcast with Jennifer Kelly.

Visit https://www.copperbeacon.org/ for the latest Hancock City Council meeting news, The Inside Scoop with good news for Copper Beacon, and more January articles on local news.

Guest article: COP26 -- An Indigenous Experience

By Kathleen Brosemer*

Guest author Kathleen Brosemer, Environmental Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and Michigan Tech Ph.D. student in Energy and Environmental Policy, is pictured here at a display on ancestors along a walkway at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (November 2021). "This quote about the ancestors meant a lot to me," Brosemer writes. "WE are the ancestors to the people who will be struggling to survive. We should be better ancestors than we have been." Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos courtesy Kathleen Brosemer)

What’s COP26? It’s the 26th annual Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The United Nations has been brokering a climate change agreement among the nations of the world for over 26 years. It’s not controversial -- it’s settled science that humans are altering the climate of the only planet we know of that can support human life. It’s not a smart thing to do; but so far it’s been profitable, so it’s tough to get it stopped.

This mural, painted on the wall in the entrance hall going into the Conference Center, depicts most aspects of public concerns and involvement in COP26.

At COP21 in Paris in 2015, the big news was the agreement of the parties to this convention, to work to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. That was a big deal, because there's good science that predicts if we let the warming exceed 1.5 degrees across the entire surface of the earth, not only would that be catastrophic regarding hurricanes, wildfires, and coastal inundation, but it might not be possible to prevent a runaway warming of the surface that would wipe out all life.  So the Paris Agreement was cause for celebration. But as with everything at an international level, the devil is in the details.  How would we make this come about? COP26 was significant because the parties agree to review all the details and make new commitments every five years.

The intervening six years have seen little progress. Although some nations have made great strides in reducing emissions, the global emissions keep going up. Even during the pandemic, when planes stopped flying and people stayed home, emissions kept going up. The pandemic meant the postponement of COP26 from November 2020 to 2021, which was a good thing, because in November 2020 the US representatives would have been from an administration hostile to progress in this area. The former administration had in fact withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, which the incoming administration in January 2021 immediately rectified. So there was at least a chance at some progress.

I was attending COP26 in two roles: as an observer because I'm a PhD student in Energy and Environmental Policy at Michigan Tech, and as a presenter -- to give a talk about energy justice for the Anishinaabeg, in my role as Environmental Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

A display of red dresses along the fence leading to the entrance to the conference center in Glasgow commemorates the lives of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

At the COP, I spent most of my time with the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, helping draft language for inclusion in Article 6 of the Paris Rulebook, which provides the details for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement. Article 6 contains rules about market and non-market measures and international cooperation. What worries Indigenous peoples around the world is the possibility that states could put rules on how people are living within healthy forests, turning them into "protected areas" that exclude the people who have lived there since time immemorial. So-called "forest offsets" are false solutions for mitigating climate change -- they’re just calculators that let states pretend they’re taking action while they continue to subsidize fossil fuels.

Kathleen took this photo while working with the Indigenous Peoples' Caucus to draft suggested language for inclusion in Article 6.
  
We were able to get some good language inserted into Article 6, as well as into the final COP26 decision, recognizing Indigenous peoples’ rights and providing for a grievance mechanism when states take actions that harm Indigenous peoples. However, a grave disappointment was the failure of the parties to promise to phase out coal. Instead they used the more wishy-washy "phasing down" in the final consensus document. They also only committed to "cut back" on state subsidies to non-sustainable energy production, not to eliminate those subsidies.

At Paris in 2015, our Anishinaabeg knowledge keeper Frank Ettawageshik was there for the exciting moment when the governments of the world promised to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The former chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has been active worldwide in protecting Aki (Mother Earth) through work on the Great Lakes Commission and many other collaborative efforts.

Since 2015, he has turned his voice toward climate change.  Ettawageshik understands the drastic and terrible consequences that all of humanity faces, but that will come first and worst to Indigenous peoples if we let this get away from us. If we are to keep our Paris commitment, we must reduce emissions by 45 percent (below 2010 levels) by 2030. This is the best science we have and has been accepted by the signatories to the UNFCCC.

That’s only eight years away.

There is frankly no way to do this while governments still subsidize fossil fuels, using our tax dollars at cross purposes.

We are at a turning point.

Kathleen is pictured here at the booth for Action for the Climate Emergency, wearing her ribbon skirt and her red moccasins.

What can you do to reduce carbon emissions? There is a long list of things to try. Some of it will save you money. Other things won’t work in your life or require too much of an investment you can’t afford right now, but no matter your circumstances there is something you can do. After Glasgow, it looks as though it’s going to be up to us.

Checklist of things you might incorporate into your life to reduce carbon emissions:
- Grow some of your own food in your garden. Food from far away increases vehicle emissions.
- Hunt, fish, and gather locally.
- Buy food from local farmers.
- If you buy any new appliances, look for the EnergyStar logo.
- Switch from natural gas or propane to electric appliances.
- Start and use a backyard composter for kitchen and garden waste.
- Recycle as much as you can. Landfills emit methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. The less we throw in, the less methane.
- Buy less stuff. Buy used items if they’ll do the job, or share with others. Manufacturing and transporting new goods emits carbon.
- Air seal your home. Clear caulk is cheap, and it will reduce drafts and save money.
- Add insulation to your home, especially the top (attic) and bottom (basement). Insulating and air sealing the top and bottom means stopping the chimney stack effect that steals your heat.
- If you do any renovations (even for just one wall or one room), plan for energy efficiency at the same time. Any extra costs will pay for themselves in energy savings.
- If a furnace upgrade is in your future, plan for ground source heat pump** and/or wood or pellet stove heat.
- When it’s time to replace a car, look into a hybrid or all electric vehicle. Prices are coming down!
- Use the car less. Combine trips, carpool, and walk or bike if that’s possible for you for some trips.
- If travelling, see if you can avoid a car rental and use public transit.
- Look into solar net metering for your home.

Next year’s COP will be in Egypt. I hope I am able to attend and be part of the Indigenous Peoples' demands for change once again. It’s incredibly important if we are to have a future on this planet.***

Editor's Notes:

* Guest author Kathleen Brosemer has been the Environmental Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians for 11 years and is presently a Michigan Tech Ph.D. student in Energy and Environmental Policy. She is a member of the Echota Cherokee, from her father, who grew up in Alabama. She is also known as Azhede-kwe (White Pelican Woman), a name given to her by an elder after Brosemer's return from Standing Rock.

** According to a recent Michigan Tech News article, "Solar-powered Heat Pumps Warm Upper Peninsula Homes for Less," heat pumps are defined thus: "A heat pump is an air conditioner running in reverse. Working at temperatures as low as minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, the pump takes cold air from outside and produces warm air inside. It runs on electricity but is three times more efficient than the space heater under your desk. That efficiency is vital for dealing with the U.P.’s high electricity prices -- but the real savings come from using solar PV (photovoltaic). MTU studies have previously shown that solar PV is cheaper than grid electricity. The latest studies explore whether enough solar energy can be generated and used by the heat pump to keep an average U.P. home warm -- and what it will cost."

*** This is the second in Keweenaw Now's series of articles by guest authors who attended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. See also: "Guest article: COP26 Reflection," by Alexis Pascaris, posted Jan. 1, 2022.

Group forms for vigil despite cold Jan. 6 weather

By Joshua Vissers
Posted on Copper Beacon Jan. 8, 2022
Reprinted here in part with permissionAbout 50 people came together to remember the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol Thursday at 5 p.m. (Photo by Allan Baker)

Local organizations promote the importance of voters' rights, fair elections

Coinciding with gatherings across the country, around 50 people came together near the south end of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge to recognize the seriousness of the attack in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.

Speakers encouraged attendees to contact their representatives to encourage passage of voting rights legislation, especially at the national level with the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Organizers said that the vigil was bipartisan and that voters' rights should not be a partisan issue. Speakers reminded attendees that Republican presidents had renewed the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 for decades until recent court cases weakened it. The new voting rights act would renew old rules and more....CLICK HERE to read this article, with more photos, on the COPPER BEACON.

Guest article: COP26 Reflection

By Alexis Pascaris*

Alexis Pascaris, a member of Michigan Tech's COP26 Delegation, observes the global stocktake during the final drafting of the Glasgow Climate Pact. (Photos courtesy Alexis Pascaris)

[Author's Disclaimer: I was on the Michigan Tech delegation to COP26 -- the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Oct. 31-Nov. 12, 2021) in Glasgow, Scotland -- but I do not speak for the university. I am part of the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (Y.E.A.H.) network, with funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), but do not speak for NSF.]

Optimism and pessimism; hope and despair; inspiration and anger -- these dualistic emotions characterize the experience of many COP26 participants. Oscillating between moments of empowerment and overcast, student delegates from the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (Y.E.A.H.) reflect on their time in Glasgow with varying degrees of faith in the outcomes of the global climate summit. With gracious funding from the National Science Foundation, the Y.E.A.H. network dispatched student delegations from Michigan Technological University (MTU), Colorado State University (CSU), Vanderbilt University (VU), University of Connecticut (UCONN), and Moravian University (MU) to experience first-hand the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s annual international assembly.**

Members of Michigan Tech's COP26 Delegation are pictured here, from left, Alexis Pascaris, Professor Sarah Green, Jessica Daignault, Shardul Tiwari and Kathleen Brosemer.

Ayush Chutani, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering from MTU, captured the dynamic experience in his description of COP26.

"There existed two worlds in Glasgow -- one inside the fence trying hard to fight with words in order to keep 1.5 degrees alive, and one outside fighting with their voice to keep the future alive," Chutani said.

This complexity existed in participants’ emotional experience and in the collective undertone of the climate summit. Depending on whose opinion you solicit, COP26 is either described as a triumphant and invigorating celebration of the human capacity for resilience, or as a political charade of empty pretenses that our shared goal to keep global warming below 1.5℃ is within reach. To add to this complexity, these sentiments are not mutually exclusive. I return from my escapade in Glasgow with both narratives fighting for precedence inside my head. And in order to authentically serve as a COP26 envoy for Michigan, I must tell the whole of the story -- both the light and the dark. It is the duality of the experience that makes it so rich, impactful and empowering.

A giant globe hovers over Glasgow's Climate Action Hub.

We cannot ignore the dismal reality of having to beg world leaders to take action to hastily reverse and repair the environmental and social injustices related to anthropogenic climate change. We also cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that the climate crisis is already devastating communities across the map -- wildfire, drought, crop failure, ocean acidification, sea level rise, desertification and starvation. These are not distant threats but existent truths our brothers and sisters are grappling with. The gathering in Glasgow shone a bright light on the disparate worlds developed and developing nations are living in; and it made clear the varying degrees of capacity, resources and political will nations are bringing to the negotiation table.

Charles Doktycz, Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering at Vanderbilt University, describes this eye-opening experience.

"COP served as a great reminder that not every country has the same motivations coming into negotiations," Doktycz noted. "Climate change has not impacted everyone equally, and that must be acknowledged in sustainable development."

COP26's nature-based emblem.

Equitably addressing mass loss, damage and suffering necessitates tangible political action coupled with contributions from big businesses and financial leaders in developed countries -- but from the perspective of a youth observer, these "actions and contributions" can tend to feel more symbolic than substantive.

UCONN Masters student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology  Amanda Pastore reflects on the need for urgent and authentic action.

"COP26 was an overwhelming, incredible experience that reminded me how much faster humanity needs to act," Pastore told me.

Alexis, second from left, and her colleagues from the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education -- Shardul Tiwari, left, Jacob Genuise and Amanda Pastore -- deliver their presentation, "Voices of Optimism: YEAH for Climate Action and the SDGs."***

Injustice. Inequity. Loss and damage. Environmental and social disorder. We gathered to ensure that this is not the legacy we leave for future generations. To guarantee a livable future, we must vigorously accelerate the phase out of fossil fuels, increase financial and technological transfer, build capacity for mitigation and resilience, and emphasize indigenous culture and knowledge as critical parts of the solution. There is no time left for discussion and consideration; there is only time for execution and implementation of the provisions laid out in the Glasgow Climate Pact.

Kathleen Brosemer -- environmental director of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, standing board member of Oil and Water Don’t Mix, and Ph.D. student at MTU -- remains weary of applauding the seemingly empty pledges that were made at COP26.

"I am shocked and appalled that world leaders, knowing we must cut emissions 45 percent within eight years, can’t even commit to stop using tax revenues to subsidize fossil fuels!" Brosemer commented. "They’re using our money to kill off humanity!"

But dwelling on the devastation belittles the momentous change bubbling beneath the surface. More than 30,000 individuals gathered in Glasgow to learn from one another’s experience, to devote genuine energy and resources to collaboration, and to devise aggressive strategies for climate action. The raw intention behind these annual gatherings is absolutely commendable.

My colleague Jacob Genuise, a graduate student in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability at CSU, captures the essence of these intentions.

"Gathering thousands of scientists, activists, policymakers, industry leaders, and students in one place in the pursuit of climate solutions and progress creates its own kind of magic," Genuise said.

Eugene Agyei, MTU Ph.D. student in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture, reflects on the reality of a global gathering convened to respond to the climate crisis.

"It was an unbelievably great experience to see almost the whole world trying to figure out a solution to a critical problem and bringing young people along while doing so," Agyei noted.

Delegates from the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education are pictured here, from second to left, Jessica Daignault, Daniel Dominguez, Shardul Tiwari, Alexis Pascaris, Jacob Genuise, Amanda Pastore, Kaydee Barker, Sarah Viders, Cody Sanford, Madeline Allen, Mathew Tyman, Amna Ijaz.

Not only do these global climate summits create a kind of "magic," they also make noise, raise awareness, demand attention from the media and the public, and provide participants with a renewed sense of personal agency and a refined ability to advance solutions. This sense of personal agency is particularly salient for youth delegates. We have returned home with an enhanced worldview and a more robust skill set, which we will channel into our work as we are now more capable of leading the next generation of change.

This renewed sense of agency is described by Madeline Allen, a Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt University.

"I left COP26 with a renewed sense of hope," Allen said. "Hearing from stakeholders and decision makers from around the world has reminded me that an abundance of solutions to mitigating and adapting to climate change already exist, and I truly believe that we are gathering the momentum and will needed to finance and deploy these solutions at scale and keep the goal of 1.5 degrees alive."

Climate activists fill the streets of downtown Glasgow during COP26.

So how do we make sense of the contrasting narratives about the climate crisis being circulated by mass media and within our own Keweenaw community?

We must take a realistic orientation towards this wicked problem -- one that is inclusive of both agency and anger. Agency without exposure to the infuriating injustices caused by climate change is naive. Anger without agency is hollow. But agency fueled by anger is transformational. It infuses our actions with a fierce compassion for the suffering of our planet and its people. And it grounds our resolve for change in an aggressive pursuit of justice for all of creation.

Alexis with the globe: "She's got the whole world in her hands!"

"I view this as a catalyst moment for action on climate change post-pandemic," remarked Cody Sanford, environmentalist and creator of the Livable Future podcast from CSU. "I’m very impressed by the way people are catalyzing action in their own communities."

COP26 was a catalyst for government, industry, civil society and youth alike. Whether we lean towards optimism or pessimism in our reflections, one commonality we all share is our reinvigorated efforts to realize positive, sustained change. We have absorbed the COP26 experience into ourselves and are channeling it to create a grassroots ripple effect -- from the individual, to the community level and beyond.

Editor's Notes:

* Guest author Alexis Pascaris is a Keweenaw resident (with no plans to leave) and a recent graduate (Spring 2021) of Michigan Tech University, where she earned a Master of Science in Environmental and Energy Policy. Pascaris, a research scientist, is the founder of AgriSolar Consulting, LLC, through which she is advancing sustainable land use, farm resilience and renewable energy through agrivoltaic solutions.

** To learn more about the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (Y.E.A.H.) visit https://yeah-net.org/.

*** SDGs are Sustainable Development Goals. Alexis Pascaris also attended the COP25 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid in December 2019. See her 2019 Michigan Tech Research Blog article, "COP25: We Are the Solution."

Letter: State of the Menominee River

One of many signs placed near the Menominee River by water protectors opposed to the proposed Back 40 mining project. (Photo courtesy Mary Hansen of the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River)

By Dale Burie, President
Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River
Sent as Letter to Editor Dec. 27, 2021

As 2021 comes to a close, I would like to offer my "State of the River" address to the people of this Menominee River watershed and beyond.

This past year we have seen Great Lakes Exploration file an application for exclusive Mineral Rights in Holmes and Faithorn townships in Menominee County. The Coalition established a "Call to Action" button on our website for concerned citizens to submit their letters of opposition. There were over 600 letters filed with the Mineral Leases Division of the State of Michigan in opposition, and we are asking for denial of this application.*

Aquila Resources also filed an application for exclusive Mineral Rights in Lake and Holmes townships in Menominee County. Once again, the Coalition established a "Call to Action" button on our website to send a letter of opposition to the Mineral Lease Division of the State of Michigan. Well over 200 letters were submitted, asking the Division director to deny this lease application.**

In October, Aquila Resources announced the transfer of their interests to Gold Resources of Denver, Colorado. This is the same Aquila Resources that came to this area with promises of high paying jobs, helping local school systems, building better roads; and after spending over 100,000,000 dollars of money they obtained from our friends, relatives, and the good people of Marinette and Menominee Counties, they are all but bankrupt. My heart goes out to the investors for their losses.

As Gold Resources intends to spend 2022 filing for the necessary permits to continue the Back Forty project, we as the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc., stand ready with our staff of Environmental attorneys to STOP any forward progress for a sulfide mine on the Menominee River, with your help and support.

We have an opportunity to submit your letter of support to make the Anaem Omot (The Dog’s Belly, Anaem ah ka chiew, 60 Islands) Holmes and Lake Townships, Menominee County, Michigan, for consideration for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places by the State Historic Preservation Review Board at their meeting on January 28, 2022. You also can attend with ZOOM. This is the historical Menominee Indian burial grounds, dance rings and gardens.

A Menominee burial ground on the Michigan side of the Menominee River, not far from the proposed site for the Back 40 mining project. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

You may submit your support letter to Todd A. Walsh, National Register Coordinator by email at: WalshT@michigan.gov  or by letter to: Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, 300 North Washington Square, Lansing, Michigan 48913.

Protect the Menominee River for your children and grandchildren.

Dale Burie
Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc.
www.jointherivercoalition.org

Editor's Notes:

* See our Oct. 27, 2021, article, "DNR to hold Public Meeting, comment period, on Great Exploration metallic mineral lease request in Menominee County."

 ** See the Nov. 20, 2021, article, "UPDATED: PUBLIC NOTICE: DNR to hold virtual public meeting on Aquila mineral lease application Nov. 23."

People of the Heart complete third annual 90-mile Water Walk

By Michele Bourdieu

People of the Heart Water Walkers gather at the Sand Point Lighthouse on Keweenaw Bay for a photo at the conclusion of their 3-day, 90-mile walk from Copper Harbor to Baraga, Mich., on Oct. 11, Indigenous Peoples' Day, 2021. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The third annual People of the Heart Water Walk for Indigenous Peoples' Day 2021 was the 12th Water Walk for Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie, of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), co-founder and co-organizer of the Walk. This year her mother, Barbara Swartz, joined her daughter by driving one of the vans that accompanied the walkers in the 90-mile trek from Copper Harbor to Baraga and by offering her cooking skills for the participants.

Michigamikwe Terri Denomie, co-founder and co-organizer of the People of the Heart Water Walk, takes a break during the Walk, riding a while with her mother, Barbara Swartz, at the wheel. (Photo © and courtesy Donica Hope Dravillas)

Terri, who is Head Start Center Director at the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, including KBIC Head Start and Early Head Start, spoke about her connection with her inspiration -- the late Grandma Josephine, who led water walks along all the Great Lakes. The lovely photos of water Terri takes and posts on her Facebook page are evidence of her belief that "Water is Life."

Terri and Barbara, along with People of the Heart co-founder and co-organizer Kathy Smith of KBIC, paused at Great Sand Bay on Oct. 9, the first day of this year's Walk, to speak with Keweenaw Now.

Terri, Barbara and Kathy at Great Sand Bay on Oct. 9, 2021. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"I'm the proud caretaker of our KBIC Water Walkers Eagle Staff since 2015," Terri said.

She often carries the Eagle Staff or the traditional copper pail of water during water walks. Terri added she is even thinking of having a small water walk for her KBIC Head Start pupils to make them aware of the importance of protecting the water.

"The Children of our Community will always be in my heart! I've watched so many young children through their first five years of life in our Community, and love to watch them grow!" Terri said.

Besides serving on the Tribal Education Committee for 26 years, Terri served on the Tribal Council from 1996 to 2001 and dedicates hours of volunteer time for women's ceremonies and Talking Circles, preparing and delivering senior citizen meals in Baraga and more.

This is the second year Terri's mother, Barbara, has cooked for the Water Walkers. She also cooked for Pow Wow feasts for 9 years.

"She's one of our elders, who guides us and supports us," said Kathy Smith.

Kathy, who formerly worked in the KBIC Natural Resources Department, told Keweenaw Now her main concern is conserving the seeds and plants, sources of food and medicine for the Anishinaabe people, especially now when climate change brings more hot, dry weather. In addition, the black ash trees on the reservation, used for making baskets, have been threatened by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer.

"Something needs to come about or our beautiful gifts (i.e. resources) could be taken away," Kathy said. "Luckily we have seeds in storage."

She recently received a position in charge of wild rice issues for GLIFWC -- the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

In the traditional Anishinaabe migration story, wild rice is the "food on the water," important for food security, she explained.*

The People of the Heart Water Walk is a spiritual journey during which participants, Native and non-Native, honor the water to call attention to the importance of protecting it.

During the Water Walk, Nibi (water) is always moving throughout the day. It doesn't stop. Just as a river continually flows, so does Nibi in a water walk. In order to keep this gentle flow, participants use a relay system of walkers. When one person passes the copper vessel of water to the next walker, this is a phrase you may hear in exchange: "Anishinaabemowin: Nga izhichige Nibi onji." Broad translation: I will do it for the water.**

Day 1: Copper Harbor to Mohawk

During the Walk, Terri posted on Facebook, "Day 1 of the People of the Heart Water Walk started at 7:40 a.m. in Copper Harbor and we walked 33 miles to Mohawk stopping at 6-7 p.m.!"

Water Walkers head south from Copper Harbor on Oct. 9, 2021, Day 1 of the 3-day walk to Baraga. (Photo © and courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

Near Eagle Harbor, Terri walks with Ronnie Mae Krueger of Copper Harbor. (Photo © and courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

Walkers reach Eagle Harbor on a warm, sunny Oct. 9 and continue on to Great Sand Bay. (Photo © and courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

Some of the Water Walk vehicle support drivers pause at Great Sand Bay to assist with the relay exchanges, but the copper vessel of water and the Eagle Staff keep moving on the way to Eagle River and Mohawk. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

The Rev. Julie Belew carries Nibi while Kathy Smith accompanies her with the Eagle Staff, heading toward Eagle River on Day 1. (Photo © and courtesy Donica Hope Dravillas)

The Rev. Julie Belew, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Baraga, participated again in the People of the Heart Water Walk, along with her husband, the Rev. Bucky Beach, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Houghton. In addition to walking, the couple have offered hospitality to the walkers each year.

"Water is fluid: With its ebb and flow surrounded by diverse environments, I think of the diverse communities that come together to surround the water in prayer," said Pastor Julie. "It touches my heart every time the copper vessel is passed from one pair of hands to the next as we carry the water. With collective intentions we express gratitude for Nibi giving of herself to sustain all our relations -- the two legged, four legged and winged creatures. We cannot live without her! 

"As the many cars passed us on our three-day journey I would hear a pleading come from my heart, 'Please, (people who pass us by), may there be some realization/awareness that she (Nibi) needs our protection and care, and it will take all of our efforts.'"

Charli Mills of Hancock participated in the People of the Heart Water Walk for the second time, driving one of the support vans. She had also driven a vehicle and provided food and drink for them in October 2019.***

Charli Mills, center, is pictured here with her support vehicle  on Day 1 of the 2021 People of the Heart Water Walk. (Photo © and courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

"This year, the weather was unseasonably warm, reminding us that the work we do for the water is vital," Charli told Keweenaw Now. "Climate change is here." 

In 2020 Charli was unable to participate actively in the Water Walk, partly because of COVID (Last year People of the Heart encouraged supporters to do their own water walk or an individual activity of personal connection with water to keep the group small because of COVID distancing protocol.) and partly because she was working hard to finish her MFA degree.

"I took breaks (from studying) to meditate on the work of the Water Walkers and focus my attention on how precious Nibi is to us all," Charli added.

Cynthia Drake of Ripley is another Water Walker who participated remotely but spiritually in last year's walk (because of her daughter's illness) but walked with them again this year and has welcomed the People of the Heart Water Walkers to her home and waterfall each year. She commented on what the Water Walk means to her.

"It's just a powerful spiritual journey and practice to do this honoring and respect of our Nibi, our water, which is truly our life, and to be in community," Cynthia told Keweenaw Now. "When we do the Water Walk it brings us into this beautiful community of people who are almost like tributaries into the flow of the water as we do this journey with the water. I was just honored to be a part of it."

Day 2: Mohawk to Houghton

On Day 2, Oct. 10, Water Walkers passed through Lake Linden, Mason and Dollar Bay on their way to the Portage Lift Bridge in Houghton. They passed Torch Lake and Portage Lake, stopping at a point just a few miles short of Chassell.

Theresa Pitts of KBIC, who grew up near Torch Lake, a Superfund site and Area of Concern -- polluted by years of copper mining toxic waste -- joined the Water Walk this year because of her own experience of the need to protect the waters of the Keweenaw.

Theresa especially wanted to walk from Hubbell, her childhood home, to Mason, where she remembers spending time with family members, including her grandmother, who lived there.

Theresa Pitts and other Water Walkers reach Mason in Osceola Township. The Rev. Bucky Beach, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, walks beside her with the Eagle Staff. (Photo © Charli Mills and courtesy Theresa Pitts)

"It was in Mason where I learned of the dangers of Torch Lake. It was there I came to understand at an early age that her water was sick," Theresa writes in a guest article for Keweenaw Now on her personal experience of this year's Water Walk, "People of the Heart Water Walk offers hope for area lake."

Water Walkers approach the Portage Lift Bridge from Ripley. (Photo © and courtesy Donica Hope Dravillas)

On Day 2 People of the Heart Water Walkers cross the Portage Lift Bridge between Hancock and Houghton. Some drop asemaa, sacred tobacco, into the Keweenaw Waterway as a gift to the water. Mike Rodriguez of KBIC carries the Eagle Staff. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Water Walkers continue their Day 2 walk along the Houghton waterfront. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Madeline, center, has participated in the People of the Heart Water Walk all three years with her Mom, Donica Hope Dravillas of Copper Harbor. Here Madeline carries Nibi as the walkers continue along Portage Lake on US 41 just south of Houghton on the way to Chassell. (Photo © and courtesy Theresa Pitts)

Donica Hope Dravillas commented on the diversity of the group of walkers.

"We have People from all walks of life gather to carry this water," Donica said. "I am honored to walk with the Grandmothers, Youth, Men, Them, and Women that have brought their self and their heart to do this work."

Day 3: Houghton to Baraga

During the Walk on Day 3, Oct. 11, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie posted on Facebook this map of the remaining route from the Houghton-Baraga County line toward the Water Walkers' final destination, inviting others to join them for the conclusion of the Walk at the Sand Point Lighthouse on Keweenaw Bay. (Map © and courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

Water Walkers head along US-41 toward their final destination, Sand Point Lighthouse in the Ojibwa Recreation Area, Baraga. (Photo © and courtesy Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie)

On a beautiful, sunny Oct. 11 afternoon, the Water Walkers reached the Ojibwa Recreation Area, where they returned the water carried in the copper vessel to Keweenaw Bay, offering asemaa, sacred tobacco, and singing a water song in the Ojibwa language.

People of the Heart Water Walkers arrive at the Ojibwa Recreation Center in Baraga for the completion of their 90-mile Water Walk at Sand Point Lighthouse. Carrying the copper vessel of Nibi is Kathy Smith, accompanied by her twin sons -- Jacob, carrying the Eagle Staff, and Caleb. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

As Walkers approach the lake, Terri's grandson Chance offers them asemaa to take to the water. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Water Walkers return Lake Superior water (Nibi) they have carried from Copper Harbor to Baraga in a ceremony on Keweenaw Bay near the Sand Point Lighthouse. Kathy Smith, her son Jacob (carrying the Eagle Staff), and Gichigamikwe Terri Denomie with her grandson Chance sing the Nibi Song by Dorene Day. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

The Nibi Song in the above video was suggested to Doreen Day by her grandson. They have given permission to everyone to sing this song to the water. The words are translated here:
"Water, we love you.
 We thank you.
 We respect you."

The pronunciation is as follows:
Ne-be Gee Zah- gay- e- goo
Gee Me-gwetch -wayn ne- me – goo
Gee Zah Wayn ne- me- goo ****

Following the return of Nibi to the lake, Kathy Smith thanked the Water Walkers for their participation.

Kathy Smith expresses thanks to all who contributed to the success of this year's People of the Heart Water Walk. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Kathy noted also the importance of the food chiefs who worked in the kitchen: Erika Vye, Ronnie Mae Krueger, Evan Lanese, Gabriel Ahrendt, Elise Rosky, Emily Shaw, and Rachael Pressley.

Kathy, who has been the co-organizer of the People of the Heart Water Walk all three years, told Keweenaw Now she was very pleased with this year's walk for several reasons.

"This year was a fantastic year," Kathy said. "The weather was beautiful and Mama aki had been so generous to us all. She provided everything that we needed to bring awareness to the water, and the surrounding communities have been so supportive. Nimiigwechiwendam to everyone who supported, donated time and monies. Especially to the food chiefs that provided sustenance.

"The walk has been successful each year as we go along and gets more acknowledgement each year. Each step is a prayer and gratitude for our most precious gift, Nibi. We help by healing our own personal connection and relationship to each other, the land and to Nibi. What better gift of coming together along with MTU's Indigenous Peoples' Day Campaign who facilitates the planning committee. It's a precious gift in building relationships and doing this work together."

Joanne Thomas of Allouez, in Keweenaw County, was unable to join the walk because that same weekend she was hosting visitors from out of town, descendants of Big Annie Clemenc, heroine of the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike. Annie's descendants, Denise Masse and Debra Devlin, came to Calumet to donate the award for Big Annie's 2013 induction into the International Labor Hall of Fame to the Big Annie exhibit at the Coppertown Mining Museum in Calumet. Joanne, who created that exhibit, was a part of the event at the museum. She also told the visitors about the Water Walk happening that day because they had expressed a wish to visit the spring of fresh water near Centennial Heights, just north of Calumet.

Joanne Thomas, right, helps visitor Debra Devlin, a great granddaughter of Big Annie, collect fresh water from the spring near Centennial Heights. (Photo courtesy Joanne Thomas)

"It was the weekend of the Water Walk, and I was taking them to fetch water at the spring because they loved the water when Debra tried it when she was here earlier in August," Joanne told Keweenaw Now. "They were happy to 'participate' as they were tactilely appreciating clean water." 

Denise Masse, who is married to a great grandson of Big Annie, collects water from the spring. (Photo courtesy Joanne Thomas)

Thus, as Kathy Smith noted, awareness of the People of the Heart Water Walk for Indigenous Peoples' Day is reaching a wider community each year.

Notes:

* See p. A51 of an excerpt from The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway, by Edward Benton-Banai, for the reference to wild rice in the story of the Anishiinaabe migration.

** See "Protocols for the Nibi Walks."

*** See Charli Mills' 2019 Keweenaw Now guest article, "Experiencing People of the Heart Water Walk."

**** Click here for more on the Nibi (Water) Song.

Opening Zoom Reception for Natalie Salminen Rude exhibit in·ter·stice: (noun) a small intervening space to be Dec. 9 at Finlandia Gallery

Artist Natalie Salminen Rude. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University Gallery presents the 31st Annual Contemporary Finnish American Artist Series Exhibition featuring the artwork of Natalie Salminen Rude at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC), Hancock until February 4, 2022.

An opening Zoom reception will be held at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 9. Join Zoom Meeting here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85740123384?pwd=VkxCVTVwck5PZzZKdTJYTFBYUHJxdz09

Meeting ID: 857 4012 3384
Passcode: 713269

An in-person closing reception for the artist is planned to take place at the gallery from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 3, with an artist talk beginning at 7:20 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

first fruits offering
(scarcity poses as truth)
Annunciation
2021
Encaustic, mixed media on panel
8″ x 10″

Finnish American artist Natalie Salminen Rude is presenting an exhibit titled in·ter·stice: (noun) a small intervening space. Contemplative, multidisciplinary and inquisitive, Salminen Rude aims to identify and uncover the dehumanizing forces found within technology and systemization. What is to be done if we are too deeply steeped in a system that we depend on? What happens when we never stop long enough to think thoroughly through the possible ramifications of progress as a core value, as our new sacred?

we’re overthrown
values illuminated
please take directions
2019
Encaustic, hand drawn plat map artifacts, dried botanicals, 23kt gold leaf, quilting hoops
48″ x 72″

For Salminen Rude, an antidote lies in the re-humanizing of all things. A simple first step for her is more non-digital communication, through movement, word and image, in physical spaces. By use of antidotal and symbolic imagery, layered ideation, encaustic, oil, light and darks, and haiku (as "poetic assists" for conversation), Salminen Rude brings together an interstice for contemplation and conversation. Her desire is that viewers pay attention to and participate in their own inquiries and solutions. Through attention, dialogue and the art of breaking down the breakdowns, the re-humanizing of our world is still possible.

Salminen Rude is both an artist and a poet, with poetry and text playing a vital role in her practice. She works in a variety of mediums, employing oils, mixed media and encaustic in her paintings and sculpture. Her work explores and celebrates layered ideation, both physically and metaphorically.

life support systems
embedded in Earth’s design
the Lie says "uproot"
2021
Oil, 23kt gold leaf on canvas
30″ x 40″

Salminen Rude received a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2003 and currently resides in Duluth with her husband and three children. Prior to the pandemic of 2020, she maintained a brick and mortar studio and showroom called Studio Haiku. She teaches encaustic workshops both locally and internationally; exhibits; and facilitates discussions on spirituality, the art of haiku, and what it means to live as an artist within the context of commitment, family, and the humble rhythms of life. 

human flourishing
are we paying attention?
extermination
(detail) 2019
Encaustic, hand drawn plat map artifacts, Japanese paper, ink, 23kt on birch panel
45″ x 48″

The Finlandia University Gallery is located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.

Learn more about this exhibit, other exhibits and the Finlandia University Gallery in general by visiting finlandia.edu/universitygallery.

Michigan Advance: Nessel interview: GOP is in 'extreme minority' on gun laws, abortion bans

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. (Photo courtesy Michigan.gov)

By Laina G. Stebbins*
Posted on Michigan Advance December 3, 2021
Republished in part here under Creative Commons**

The fate of Roe v. Wade has never hung more precariously in the balance as the 6-3 conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments Wednesday over a Mississippi abortion law that may spell the end of Roe v. Wade.

Just one day before, a 15-year-old at Oakland County’s Oxford High School allegedly opened fire, killing four students and injuring seven others.

The collision of the two issues in less than a week, both of which she is deeply involved in, is not lost on Attorney General Dana Nessel.

By the end of this Supreme Court term, it will likely be far easier for a teenage boy to acquire a firearm in Michigan than for an adult woman to procure an abortion.

    -- Dana Nessel (@dananessel) December 1, 2021

In a phone interview with the Democratic AG Wednesday evening, the Michigan Advance asked how preventing gun violence and protecting abortion access is possible under a GOP-controlled state Legislature and a right-wing Supreme Court.

"Anything that’s any kind of regulation on any kind of firearm is impermissible in accordance with today’s Republican Party," Nessel said.

And most Republican officials at the state and federal level are also firmly against abortion rights. 

To Nessel, both issues are prime examples of how "the Republican Party is in the extreme minority when it comes to how the public feels and how residents of the state of Michigan feel."

Sixty percent of American adults want to see Roe v. Wade upheld, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, and Pew Research has found that roughly two-thirds of Americans have consistently opposed completely undoing Roe for the past 30 years.

Additionally, about 57 percent of Americans believe that firearm sale laws should be stricter.

Why can you buy a deadly weapon when you're 18 but not a Budweiser? I mean, it's outrageous. -- Attorney General Dana Nessel

Nessel says that the only real way to get an "extreme minority" from controlling public policy for everyone else is to vote them out of office. Michigan’s new redistricting panel will help, she contended -- a "once-in-a-decade redistricting" process and a "once-in-forever opportunity to have non-gerrymandered districts" -- with those new district changes possibly helping to get new lawmakers in charge that hold views more representative of most Michiganders.

On Wednesday, the Democrat re-upped her 2019 prediction that Roe will be successfully overturned. The Advance  asked Nessel about what this would mean for Michigan, what it’s like having two college-aged children for whom active shooter drills are the norm.

It is "the worst and most helpless feeling you will ever have as a parent," Nessel said, having her kids text her while sheltered in place at school without knowing whether there could be a real threat to their lives outside their door.

Prior to becoming the state’s chief law enforcement officer, Nessel was a private attorney who notably argued a Michigan marriage equality case that ultimately became part of the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court decision. The Advance also talked with Nessel, the state’s first out LGBTQ top official, about the future of that case.

The following are excerpts from the interview:

Michigan Advance: We can start with the Oxford School shooting Tuesday. What has been your involvement in the  investigation?

Nessel: When the shooting initially happened, we offered our assistance to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department. But since that time, we’ve been coordinating with the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. I’ve talked to Prosecutor [Karen] McDonald several times. My team has been consulting with her team. We’re offering just any assistance or support that we can lend, and, I think, trying to review all the evidence together and collaborate as much as possible. I have a really close relationship with Prosecutor McDonald. This is a pretty big case for her first year in office, but I think she’s handling it very well.

Michigan Advance: The charges against the shooting suspect, particularly the terrorism charge — do you think those are fair?

Nessel: Yeah. Absolutely. I fully support Prosecutor McDonald in her charging decision.

Michigan Advance: What can be done on gun reform in Michigan since our state’s GOP-led Legislature won’t act?

Nessel: Well, how much time do you have? You use that last caveat, right -- "since they won’t act." There are so many common sense gun laws that could be put in place right now, that could’ve prevented what happened [Tuesday] altogether. Some of these are laws that they have in other states. These are not laws that infringe upon a person’s Second Amendment right to bear arms. They’re just common sense reforms that would protect our society, and many which would specifically protect our children.

But I think what we’re going to have to do at this point -- understanding, of course, that we’re going to have our once-in-a-decade redistricting and our once-in-forever opportunity to have non-gerrymandered districts -- I think that we are likely to have more moderated districts where you’ll have a competitive district that had been gerrymandered for so long, instead of it being a rush to the base and to support the concept of "anyone should have any kind of gun, any time, any place, under any circumstances," which is really what the Republican Party subscribes to now.

… Even 10 years ago, it would be hard for me to picture even Republicans supporting the ghost guns, and now you do. That is what you have at this point because anything that’s any kind of regulation on any kind of firearm is impermissible in accordance with today’s Republican Party.

I think we have to view what happened [Tuesday] as an opportunity to make progress so that the lives of these poor kids, whose lives are cut short, or those who are badly injured, or even for the kids, the survivors who were there and present and will forever be impacted by what happened that day, even if they themselves were not injured, we have to do something to advance these bills. If that means having to elect new people for the Legislature with a new mindset, who understand the great importance of reasonable gun laws, then so be it. Then that is what we have to do.

Whether it has to do with gun laws that a vast majority of Michigan residents support, or whether it has to do with the other big news of the day which is the SCOTUS arguments. The vast majority of Michiganders think that Roe ought to be upheld and believe that a woman has a right to have a medically safe abortion [and] that’s between her and her doctor. Any of these issues where the Republican Party is in the extreme minority when it comes to how the public feels and how residents of the state of Michigan feel.

But this will be, I guess, our opportunity at the polls to say, 'We want to have a legislature that is more in keeping with the way that Michigan residents think and what our values and our belief system is.' … Honestly, someone has to hold these folks that are running for my seat accountable, because no one’s asking these difficult questions. … People need to know how they feel about [them], so they can see the differences between the parties. ... CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article on Michigan Advance.

Editor's Notes:

* Laina G. Stebbins, author of this article, is a reporter for Michigan Advance. She covers the environment, Native American issues and criminal justice for the Advance. A lifelong Michigander, she is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism. Read more about Laina here.

** Michigan Advance gives permission for republishing their articles under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.