Eastern Washington University’s Activist in Residence program kicked off its return this year with a room full of lively guests.
The program, hosted by the Gender and Women’s Sexuality Studies department, aims to provide a series of workshops for students to attend led by an activist who has done work in their community.
“Activist in Residence is a hands on invitation to a local or regional activist to share not only their career and their vision, but also some actual tools in helping students who are interested in a primary or secondary career in community organizing or activism,” said Kevin Decker, the interim director of the GWSS department.
With adequate donor funding for the first time since 2022, Jacob Johns was selected as the activist for this year, said Lili Makin, director of the GWSS department. His first workshop was held on Jan. 15.
Johns, a Hopi and Akimel O’odham activist and artist, primarily has been protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline would contaminate drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the event of an oil spill.
During his workshop, Johns shared videos of himself standing at the front lines of the protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
“I witnessed grave sites being bulldozed, was attacked by security dogs, pepper sprayed, and have been physically assaulted by security
guards,” Johns said on his campaign website.
The first workshop was titled “Breaking Free from the Non-Profit Industrial Complex.” Johns talked about finding funding that does not restrict what an activist can do.
“A lot of environmental justice groups take money from grants, and the grants are often funded by fossil fuel industries,” Johns said. “They have to sort of cowtell to the demands of the funders.”
Johns said that he hopes people at his workshops leave with “inspiration. And also confidence in being able to do whatever they want. So many times people tell us what we can’t do, and I’m here to tell you what you can do.”
Decker encourages everyone to come to one of the remaining three workshops and to see Johns’ art in the JFK Library’s Secrist Gallery.
