Join us for a community collaboration with Urban Abbey as we screen this important film with a post-screening discussion about environmental justice and environmental racism both abroad and in our city. Based on the book “There’s Something in the Water” by Ingrid R. G. Waldron, Urban Abbey will be hosting this discussion alongside their reading of the book.

Elliot Page returns to his home province in Canada to meet with Black and Indigenous women who are working to end the legacy of environmental racism in Nova Scotia. Based on Ingrid Waldron's book by the same name, There's Something in the Water traces the environmental catastrophes that plague remote, low income, and often Indigenous or Black communities.

Sponsored by Mutual of Omaha

About the Moderator

Gab Rima is the Director of Operations and Programming at Urban Abbey, as well as the Co-Founder and Education Lead at Strongly Worded Letters. They have a passion for grassroots community organizing and civic education. They are a graduate of Metropolitan Community College with an Associate's Degree in Theatre Technology, and a current student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Non-Profit Administration. Gab also serves on an advisory board for the ACLU of Nebraska and volunteers with the Nebraska Left Coalition. In their free time, Gab enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and reading.

About the Panelists

Senator Terrell McKinney (tmckinney@leg.ne.gov) - Senator Terrell McKinney is a Nebraska state senator representing district (North Omaha). He formerly worked as a community organizer and huger action advocate at Nebraska Appleseed and is a graduate of Maryville College with a B.S. in sports business management, and a graduate of Midland University with an MBA. He is currently a student at Creighton Law School.

Carla Walker is a formerly incarcerated United States Navy veteran and a fierce advocate for the civil rights of incarcerated individuals. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a high school graduate from Grand Island, Nebraska, Carla’s journey has taken her through profound challenges and remarkable advocacy. During her time in the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW), in York, Nebraska, Carla was a vocal advocate for the health and welfare of her fellow inmates. She fought for access to medically prescribed allergen-friendly diets and adequate healthcare, and worked collaboratively to develop programs that allowed incarcerated individuals to contribute positively to society. Her efforts extended to addressing serious issues such as contaminated water at the York prison, leading a decade-long campaign that culminated in a $2.5 million allocation to replace deteriorating pipes. Carla’s resilience is also reflected in her personal growth through education. She completed several Poetry correspondence courses with College Guild in Brunswick, Maine, this provided a creative outlet for her to express her experiences and emotions. As an alumnus of Defy Ventures/RISE and a consultant for the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, she continues to leverage her experiences to drive change and to support others. Following her release, Carla’s commitment to advocacy did not waiver. She became an Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) Peace Fellow and presented collaborative projects in Washington D.C. that addressed conflict resolution. Now back in her community, she remains dedicated to writing poetry and advocating for reform in the criminal justice system. Carla believes that until compassionate, restorative justice practices are the norm, individuals will continue to face significant challenges both inside and outside of prison. Her ongoing work aims to transform punitive systems into structures that foster healing and success.

Sikowis Nobiss (she/her) is Plains Cree/Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. At 19 she began her life's work of uplifting Indigenous rights and voices when she got her first job at the New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council in Fredericton, Canada during the Burnt Church Rebellion. Between 2010 and 2015, Sikowis attempted to work with various Indigenous folks in Iowa City to build a climate and environment organization but was unsuccessful. However, her goal to found such an organization became a reality in 2016 when she joined the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. This led her to cofound Little Creek Camp in February 2017, which transformed into Indigenous Iowa (later renamed Great Plains Action Society). From August 2017 to September 2020, she helped found the national influencer organization Seeding Sovereignty from the ground up. As her heart is with her people and the prairies, Sikowis returned to Great Plains Action Society where she can work at a grassroots level and a fully Indigenousled organization. Sikowis has a Masters Degree in Religious Studies and Graduate Minor in Native Studies from the University of Iowa. While attending the U of I from 2005-2008, she sat on many diversity and climate committees and was also the Chair
of the U of I Native American Student Association. In 2021 she received the Impact Through Advocacy award from the Iowa Environmental Council. In June 2022, her dedication to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community earned GPAS the OneIowa Community Partnership Award. In March 2023, her work earned Great Plains Action Society recognition for being a women-led organization doing excellent work in the realm of sustainability from the Johnson County United Nations Association Chapter. Sikowis is also a commissioner on the Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She also sits on the Midwest Environmental Justice Grant Advisory Committee, the Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Sector Governance Team and the Just Transition Power Force as a guest expert working to reduce harmful practices in corporate procurement processes. Sikowis is also a speaker, writer, and artist. She believes that environmental and social justice work are inextricably linked and change will only happen when we dismantle corrupt colonial-capitalist systems and rebuild them with a decolonized worldview. She fights for a better future for her two young children.