12:00: Indigenous perspectives on the American Revolution
1:00: 'Connections Summer Sessions:' River otters in Rochester: A conservation success story
As the country acknowledges America's 250th birthday, scholars are re-examining different facets of U.S. history. SUNY Geneseo is gearing up for a discussion about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Local experts participating in the event say that authentic Indigenous perspectives are key to an accurate retelling of the Revolution and the 250 years of history that followed. We discuss those perspectives and the history with our guests. In studio:
- Grandell "Bird" Hallett Logan, member of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Snipe Clan and spokesperson for Tonawanda Seneca Nation STAMP
- Anna Kowalchuk, director of the Livingston County Historical Society Museum
- Michael Oberg, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Department of History at SUNY Geneseo
Then in our second hour, "Connections Summer Sessions" continues with a series of special rebroadcasts about climate and the environment. This hour, we bring back a conversation about river otters. Last May, the Seneca Park Zoo welcomed the first-ever North American river otters to be born at its facility. Zoo leaders say it's a conservation success story that has been decades in the making. It came at a time when a shift in federal priorities affected environmental and wildlife protections: funding cuts to USAID and a funding freeze for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service halted projects centered on animals facing various threats, including extinction. Can the local project serve as a model for continued conservation work, despite changes at the federal level? We discuss it during this special rebroadcast. Our guests:
- David Hamilton, general curator at the Seneca Park Zoo
- Larry Buckley, Ph.D., senior associate dean of the College of Science at RIT
- Laura Gaenzler, community science coordinator for the Seneca Park Zoo Society
- Tom Snyder, director of programming and conservation action for the Seneca Park Zoo Society
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
