The Northern Arizona University History Department invites the NAU community to attend “Strength from the Waters: A History of Indigenous Mobilization in Northwest Mexico” a lecture with author and historian James Mestaz.
- Time: 6 p.m.
- Date: Nov. 16
- Location: NAU Campus, Liberal Arts Building, room 136
Mestaz’s lecture will focus on the Mayo people’s relentless struggle against water appropriation and witness their enduring survival and Indigenous perseverance. His book, “Strength from the Waters: A History of Indigenous Mobilization in Northwest Mexico,” takes a look at the Mayo people and their struggle to maintain their access to the Fuerte River.
Mestaz is an assistant professor of Latin American history at Sonoma State University, where he teaches courses that are focused on histories of marginalized groups. After learning about the negative impact caused by stereotypes of the indigenous community, he sought to teach academia and encourage students to bring forth positive change.
Those who attend Mestaz’s talk can learn more about the history of oppression that the Mayo people face and the fight against water appropriation as well as the Indigenous community’s endless struggle to keep access to land and water and to express their rights.