Please join us for Art as Resistance, a conversation about art and environmental justice by Jihan Gearon and Ed Kabotie on Monday, June 17th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Downtown Library's Community Room.

Jihan Gearon is an Indigenous feminist, painter, writer, organizer, and leader in Indigenous environmental justice. She is Diné and Nahiłii (Black) and originally comes from the community of Old Sawmill, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. She is Tódích’ií’nii (Bitter Water clan) and her maternal grandfather is Tł’ashchí’í (Red Bottom clan). She is a graduate of Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems and a focus in Energy Science and Technology. Her work over the past 20 years – particularly with the Black Mesa Water Coalition, Indigenous Environmental Network, Climate Justice Alliance, and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance – has made her a nationally recognized movement leader in environmental and climate justice, just transition, Indigenous Peoples' rights, and indigenous feminism. Jihan was awarded the NDN Changemaker Fellowship in 2020, the Black Women Green Future Award in 2021, and is featured in the book Notable Native People. At the age of thirty-five, Jihan was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. As part of her journey of healing, she turned to painting, creating bold, powerful works that featured the animals, people, and other beings that protected, motivated, and transformed her during her recovery. Her paintings bring her passions in life together, showcasing feminine energy, connections with the natural world, and the future of a healthy planet.

Ed Kabotie is a multi-faceted creative from the Hopi village of Shungopavi and the Tewa village of Khapo-Owinge. His work reflects the virtues, values, and sometimes vices of his Puebloan culture. Inspired by the artistic heritage handed down to him by his father and grandfather, his creations take the form of overlay jewelry, watercolor paintings, stippled drawings, and multi-instrumental, tri-lingual compositions. It is his mission to strengthen the communities of his nativity through creative expression. By the mediums of art and music, he endeavors to share the courageous stories of his people.

This film is part of our Environmental Justice and BIPOC Communities Series:

• June 18th: Movie and Discussion: Necessity - Oil, Water & Climate Resistance
• June 20th: Arizona Water Use from Prehistory to the Present
• July 16th: Movie and Discussion: Downwind
• July 22nd: Archaeology’s Deep Time Perspective on Environment and Sustainability
• August 29th: Caretakers of the Land: A Story of Farming and Community in San Xavier