Join us for an evening of short films and community conversation exploring movements to protect water, land, and community.

The program will feature a curated selection of short films highlighting water protection movements in the Midwest, and beyond. Following the screenings, Dakota elder and historian Tim Mentz Sr. and Sikowis Nobiss, Cree-Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan and the founder and executive director of the Great Plains Action Society, will participate in a moderated discussion and audience Q&A.

While many people became aware of water protector movements through the mobilization at Standing Rock, similar organizing and advocacy have taken place across the Midwest. This conversation will reflect on the legal, cultural, and community dimensions of water protection, and the ongoing work of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental stewardship.

This program serves as a precursor to Friday’s panel, Who Defends the Defenders? Exploring Sovereignty, Legitimacy, Human Rights, and Activism in Land and Environmental Protection, which will continue the conversation in a broader legal and global context. That event is 12:30 – 2:00 pm on Friday April 10 in the Boyd Law Building and virtual via Zoom.

This event is free and open to the public. Food will be provided for those who register in advance, before April 2, 2026. To register, fill out this form: https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a5JiVQHWiklSlDM

Co-sponsored by the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative (HELI), the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (UICHR), and partner community organizations. Additional sponsors forthcoming.