World Water Day, Tuesday, April 22, will be marked at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a symposium coordinated and arranged by students of Professor Doug Post.

"Nibi: The Spirit of Water," will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the University Center (UC) Laird Room. It is open to the public without charge. State Representative Spencer Black will speak at the optional 11:30 a.m. luncheon in the UC Alumni Room, at which T-shirts, books and plants will be available for sale. Cost for the lunch is $10 per person and reservations are available through the Letters and Science Development Office, 132 Collins Classroom Center.

Each year during the spring semester, Post�s biology students are given the assignment of designing and implementing a workshop focusing on the environment. A reception will be held in the UC following the event. Further information is available through the group�s Web site at http://biology.uwsp.edu/faculty/DPost/nibi.

"We are a group of concerned students from UWSP planning a symposium in honor of the International Year of Fresh Water. We are interested in learning and appreciating Native American perspectives as well as scientific viewpoints concerning water," the planners say.

Symposium speakers who will approach the topic from varied perspectives and the times of their talks include:

Ken Fish: Director of the Menomonie Treaty Rights and Mining Impacts Office and one of the strongest voices in the fight against the Crandon Mining project, has been influential with this critical environmental issue, 4 p.m.

Jonathon Gilbert: Ph.D., Wildlife Section Leader for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission- ecosystem management, social aspects of wildlife management, specific issues regarding deer/elk, bears, and national forest land-use planning, 3:30 p.m.

Jennifer Hill-Kelley: Environmental Quality Director, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, responsible for reviewing environmental impacts of tribal projects and operations, assuring environmental compliance with tribal and federal laws, and developing policies to affirm environmental sovereignty and provide community education. Serves on the executive council of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, vice chair of the Indigenous Peoples Subcommittee, vice chair of the Oneida Utilities Commission and chair of the Oneida Nation Arts Board, 4:30 p.m.

Michael Nelson: Associate Professor of Philosophy and Natural Resources at UWSP, won the University Excellence in Teaching Award in 2002, environmental ethics coordinator and mentor for UWSP�s Eco-Hall where he supervises and overseas projects and activities, 9:30 a.m.

Melissa Scanlan: Founder and executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, Wisconsin native, received a law degree and a master�s degree at the University of California- Berkeley. Environmental advocate with the National Resources Defense Council, Wisconsin�s Department of Justice, Communities for a Better Environment, and Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld, and Toll, 1:45 p.m.

Arlene Kanno: Member of The Concerned Citizens of Newport, author and environmentalist. Has worked on committees to help preserve and clean up Wisconsin�s water, one of the strongest

advocates in the fight against the Perrier Company using Wisconsin�s water as a source of their products. Has worked on international and national projects to improve peoples� awareness of environmental issues that accompany and surround water, 1:15 p.m.

Ed R. Garvey: Lawyer with the firm Garvey & Stoddard, native of Burlington Wis., received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1983 was asked by the Wisconsin Attorney General, Bronson La Follette to return to Wisconsin and take the position of Wisconsin�s Deputy Attorney General, served Wisconsin for two years in this position. Also a Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, 2:15 p.m.

George Kraft: Director of Water Resources Outreach at UWSP, has received awards from agencies such as the Wisconsin River Alliance, Wisconsin Department of Regulation, and Wisconsin Water Well Association. His research interests revolve around questions of water resource sustainability, particularly profitable agriculture and water impacts, 10 a.m.

Jack Utter: Hydrologist from the Navajo Nation, Utter received a Ph.D. in natural resources in 1979. He later studied law and helped to co-negotiate water rights for the Yavapoi-Prescott Tribe. A former visiting professor of Indian Law History at Northern Arizona University and Prescott College, Utter now works for the Navajo Nation�s Water Administration. He has written many insightful publications on Indian issues plus a book entitled, "American Indians, Answers to Today�s Questions," 10:30 a.m.

Sue Nichols: Wisconsin Representative of the Bad River Band of Ojibwa. She has served as a U.N. visiting scholar for the Land Tenure Service where she worked on women�s access to land and land registration. She has been a member and past president of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics. Her research topics include: Ocean Governance, Marine Cadastre and land registration and administration in places such as Canada, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Moldova, 11 a.m.

Schedule:

9 a.m. � introduction to the symposium and welcome
9:30 a.m. � Speaker, Michael Nelson, Departments of Philosophy and Natural Resources
10 a.m. � Speaker, George Kraft, UWSP professor of water resources
10:30 a.m. � Speaker, Ed Garvey, attorney, Garvey & Stoddard, Madison
11 a.m. � Speaker, Sue Nichols, member Bad River Band of Ojibwa
11:30 a.m. � luncheon welcome by CNR Dean Victor Phillips
Lunch �  Alumni Room,  Speaker, State Representative Spencer Black, �Protection of the true treasures,� Cost: $10 (public welcome to attend)
1 p.m. � afternoon opening remarks by COFAC Dean Gerard McKenna
1:15 p.m. � Speaker, Arlene Kanno, Concerned Citizens of Newport
1:45 p.m. � Speaker, Melissa Scanlon, founder Midwest Environmental Advocates
2:15 p.m. � Speakers, Jack Utter and Milton Bluehouse, Jr., Navajo Nation
2:45 p.m. � Break
3:15 p.m. � brief remarks from CPS Dean Joan North
3:30 p.m. � Speaker, Jon Gilbert, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
4 p.m. � Speaker, Ken Fish, Menominee Nation
4:30 p.m. � Speaker, Jennifer Hill-Kelly, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
5 p.m. � Panel Discussion � all speakers
5:45 p.m. � closing remarks 

sclanton/vc/Biology symposium