Jim LeBlanc in 50 Cents a Pound
-Photo by John Diehl

Read More at For Sugar Island: Anishinaabe Theatre Exchange

On June 1, 2018 Lake Superior State University hosted the Anishinaabe Theatre Exchange performance of 50 Cents a Pound and The Frybread Queen. The Evening of Performance and Dialogue was produced and coordinated by University of Michigan Professor Anita Gonzalez and LSSU Assistant Professor Spencer Christensen.

Colleen Medicine (left) and Rebecca Parish (right) in The Frybread Queen.
-Photo by John Diehl

50 Cents a Pound was directed by UofM Assistant Professor Malcolm Tulip and incorporated writing and choreography from the ensemble into an original script by Rebecca Parish. Local fishermen involved in the Bay Mills “Fish Wars” spoke about their struggle to survive through gill net fishing on the Great Lakes. Tom Malloy Sr. and Jim LeBlanc described their resistance against “sporties” and others who were determined to stop them from exercising their rights under the 1836 Ceded Territory Treaty. Movement sequences which captured sensations of waterways and ships and being tossed were woven into the fishermen’s accounts. Bay Mills Community College student Joe Medicine delivered text describing the history of fishing rights.

Excerpt performances from the The Frybread Queeen by Native American playwright Carolyn Dunn, were directed by Sara Rademacher and examines suicide in a Navajo reservation. Performers Colleen Medicine, Rebecca Parish, Tomantha Sylvester and Micaela Ironshell-Domiguez, played characters coming together and sharing recipes after tragedy. Performers mixed Frybread while performing and spoke with audience members about domestic violence and suicide within Native communities after the event.

Professor of Theatre and Drama Anita Gonzalez

“The biggest thing about the Anishnaabe Theatre Exchange is that we hope to continue to develop performance events which speak to social concerns and histories of the Anishnaabe people. I plan to have performers from this exchange come to Michigan in January or February to present their stories and explain their process at the University of Michigan. I would like to continue to develop work with the community for performances at Bay Mills, Kewadin and LSSU.”

From left to right, students Wazhinguda Eli Horinek, Michael Oakes, Magdelyn Miller, Zach Kolodzeij, Tomantha Sylvester, and Shaunie Lewis perform in 50 Cents a Pound
-Photo by John Diehl

ATE was formed in May 2018 to support the community’s desire to tell stories through performing arts. The Cultural Department of the Chippewa Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, LSSU, UofM and the Bay Mills community collaborated to build upon 2015 activities originated through the Third Century Initiative grant program.

For more information on the Anishinaabe Theatre Exchange contact Anita Gonzalez at [email protected] or 845- 380-1499.

Governor Rick Snyder was joined by Rep. Joe Graves (R-Linden), Rep. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), representatives from the business and non-profit community, as well as the members of the UM Unemployment Clinic commemorating the passage of the recent Unemployment Insurance Act overhaul.

When Representative Joe Graves wanted to fix the Michigan unemployment insurance system that wasn’t working he called on the experts from the University of Michigan Law School Unemployment Insurance Clinic to help. Rep. Graves assembled a bi-partisan workgroup that included Clinic Director and Clinical Assistant Professor Steve Gray and law student members of the MLAW Clinic.

From left to right:
Clinical Assistant Professor of Law Steve Gray, MLAW students Schuyler Ferguson, Seth Tangman and Lauren Fitzsimons, and Representative Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores)

Seventeen members of the workgroup representing both employers, claimants and the Unemployment Insurance Agency collaborated to craft legislation to address problems with the existing system. In October 2017 eight bills were introduced to the Michigan House of Representatives. Two weeks later those bills passed the House with unanimous support.

A month later those same bills unanimously passed the Michigan Senate. The legislation was signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder in December 2017.

Professor Gray made note of the Clinic’s participation in the process.

“What a great experience for law students to be a part of this unique bi-partisan lawmaking workgroup and to be involved at every stage of the process to help fix serious problems that impact so many families in financial crisis across the state. Clinic faculty and students were involved in research, analysis and bill drafting as well as legislative committee testimony to support the legislative fixes.”

Professor Gray has proposed a policy clinic course for students. His proposal was approved by the University of Michigan Law School, and the course will be offered in fall 2018.

Rackham Student Government holds a day of advocacy luncheon.

The successful day resulted in nine meetings with Michigan legislature representatives and staff.

The Rackham Student Government strives to improve the graduate student experience at the University of Michigan through academic and professional programs, extracurricular engagement, community service, and multi-level advocacy.

From left to right: Tom Jurkiw, Lucca Henrion, Angela Kimber, Sarah Bork, Nocona Sanders, Ayesha Wahid

Rackham students pose with Senator Steve Bieda from Macomb County