Author Page: Maia

Profile

Maia grew up in Minnesota on an acre of land near the Gateway Trail. She studied archaeology and music at the University of Michigan and considers herself a Midwesterner through and through. In the summers of 2007 and 2008, Maia performed thesis research in Belize. Her experiences studying anthropology at home and in Central America helped shape her understanding of the volatile relationships between human societies and the environment in the past and today. This work inspired her search for solutions to climate change and environmental degradation that would also answer the social justice problems we face today. She has been a member of the National Council of the Student Environmental Action Coalition and helped to host statewide conferences and retreats through the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition.

RYSE posts by Maia:

March on Blair Mountain!

March on Blair Mountain!

Posted by Maia on Jun 1st, 2011 in RYSE | 0 comments
This June 4-11 will be Appalachia Rising: March on Blair Mountain! The march will call for the preservation of Blair Mountain, the site of an historic coal union battle; the abolishment of mountaintop removal coal mining; the strengthening of labor rights; and an investment in sustainable job creation for all Appalachian communities. Please see more information in the blog post below or visit this site for information on participating in the march. The following post was written by Nell Gagnon and was originally published at this site. Cross-posting is encouraged. Here’s something the... (continue reading)
Movement to End Mountaintop Removal Raises Hell in D.C.

Movement to End Mountaintop Removal Raises Hell in D.C.

Posted by Maia on Oct 5th, 2010 in Climate Justice, Energy, Featured, Mountain Top Removal, RYSE | 0 comments
Cross-posted from Gosztola Blog (http://open.salon.com/blog/kevin_gosztola) By Kevin Gosztola More than a hundred activists sit in front of the White House demanding the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining be abolished. by Kevin Gosztola Over a thousand Appalachian residents and activists participated in a rally and march in Washington, D.C. on Monday, September 27th. The action was the culmination of a multi-day convergence that had been put together by a coalition known as Appalachia Rising, which organized the activity to advance the movement to abolish mountaintop removal coal... (continue reading)
Appalachia Rising: Join the Mobilization to Abolish Mountaintop Removal!

Appalachia Rising: Join the Mobilization to Abolish Mountaintop Removal!

Posted by Maia on Sep 1st, 2010 in Mountain Top Removal, RYSE | 1 comment
Cross-posted from It’s Getting Hot in Here Written by Dea Goblirsch and Kim Huynh. Photos by Ben Droz. “President Obama, join me in my kitchen at 4 p.m. any day of the week and learn first-hand what you are allowing to happen in Appalachia and its mountain communities,” said Bo Webb, a ninth-generation resident of Naoma W.Va. in the Coal River Valley, “You’d hear and feel blasts coming from both sides of the valley, and if it rains, you might see water flowing black down river. The mountain behind my home is destroyed – gone forever – and across the valley Massey Energy is... (continue reading)
Appalachia Rising: Have you registered yet?

Appalachia Rising: Have you registered yet?

Posted by Maia on Sep 1st, 2010 in Mountain Top Removal, RYSE | 0 comments
Let’s start from the basics: Do you know what mountaintop removal coal mining is? Here are resources in case you don’t: previous RYSE blog posts (here & here). Also, it has received some pretty good coverage in the New York Times lately, including this video. Photo credit: treehugger.com Now, have you heard of Appalachia Rising? It is a weekend educational event and day of action September 25-27. Here is the vision statement: “Appalachia Rising is a mass mobilization in Washington DC on September 27, 2010 calling for the abolition of mountaintop removal and surface... (continue reading)
RAN • ART = Success!

RAN • ART = Success!

Posted by Maia on May 7th, 2010 in Featured, Rainforest Agribusiness | 0 comments
Over 150 people showed up for RAN • ART at the Tarnish & Gold Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis last Saturday, May 1, 2010. The event consisted of an art exhibition and concert hosted by Substance, RAN, and local art collective Rogue Citizen, in order to show the connections between rainforest destruction and two of the Twin Cities’ largest corporations, Cargill Incorporated and General Mills. The gallery exhibited art submitted around the theme: “What is the problem with palm oil?” I got to talk to Nolan Morice, co-founder of Substance and lead organizer for RAN • ART, about the... (continue reading)
Raising Public Awareness: How Can We Do it Best?

Raising Public Awareness: How Can We Do it Best?

Posted by Maia on Apr 17th, 2010 in Featured, Rainforest Agribusiness | 3 comments
I have been thinking a lot about education lately. As I consider my options after graduating from college, one thing in my mind is how powerful it is to be a good teacher. Educational inequalities plague our country, and I have been inspired to give my time to those who do not have access to the opportunities we supposedly guarantee in this country. Similarly, in my activism, I am constantly asking myself how I can most effectively educate the public about issues. There is so much information out there: online, in books, and in the media. How can one be an informed person, gathering knowledge... (continue reading)
SUBSTANCE: art meets activism

SUBSTANCE: art meets activism

Posted by Maia on Apr 2nd, 2010 in Featured, Rainforest Agribusiness | 2 comments
Recently I had the opportunity to interview Substance’s co-founder, Erick Boustead, in the lead up to a collaborative Substance and RAN event in the Twin Cities. Hear what he has to say about working for change through art, developing self-sufficient models of activism, and the upcoming RAN/Substance art contest! Substance is a nonprofit booking and promotions group based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, devoted to merging music, art, and nonpartisan progressive activism. Beginnings Erick got into activism through music. He got his first drum set in 5th grade and began playing in bands by... (continue reading)
Twin Cities Leprechaun Flash Mob!

Twin Cities Leprechaun Flash Mob!

Posted by Maia on Mar 17th, 2010 in Rainforest Agribusiness | 0 comments
A flash mob can be a cheery and exciting method for public education about an issue. This past Sunday, RAN Twin Cities joined with Macalester College students and Real Food Challenge participants for a festive leprechaun action! As Twin Cities activist Erick Boustead said, “Pristine rainforest in Indonesia and Malaysia is being cut down for palm oil that ends up in the cereal we eat.” The Twin Cities based company General Mills sources unsustainable palm oil for their products such as Cheerios and Lucky Charms. On the afternoon of March 14, seventeen activists wearing green clothes... (continue reading)
Valentine Delivery to General Mills HQ

Valentine Delivery to General Mills HQ

Posted by Maia on Feb 17th, 2010 in Featured, Rainforest Agribusiness | 1 comment
For Valentine’s Day, RAN-Twin Cities activists and kids dropped off more than 100 children’s Valentines to the General Mills Headquarters. Through the Valentine delivery and some great songs they wrote for the occasion, they asked General Mills to have a heart and save the rainforest! General Mills’ staff greeted the group, offered them cupcakes, and provided them with letters reiterating their stance on palm oil. However, we know that by buying their palm oil from Cargill, General Mills is violating its own sustainability policy. By the way, have you heard that Climate Counts... (continue reading)
Story of a RYSE blogger

Story of a RYSE blogger

Posted by Maia on Feb 8th, 2010 in RYSE, Uncategorized | 0 comments
Because I will be writing for the RYSE blog on a regular basis, I want to take a moment to introduce myself and my path to environmental activism. Hopefully by sharing my story you will have a clearer idea of how I look at things and how to read my posts. Archaeology and Anthropology Since high school, I have been fascinated by archaeology. I participated in my first archaeological dig when I was 16, and continued to study ancient cultures in college. As a tour guide at the University of Michigan’s natural history museum, I gave tours of the Native cultures exhibits. I enjoyed teaching... (continue reading)
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