Lynda V. Mapes has been reporting on environmental issues for the Seattle Times since 1997 with a specific focus on river health and Native American communities. These points of focus merged in her 2016 coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock. On January 24, 2017, Mapes was joined in conversation by mark! Lopez, executive director of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice. Much of Lopez’s organizing takes place in communities adjacent to the southern portion of the Los Angeles River. In this conversation, Mapes and Lopez spoke about what we’ve learned from Standing Rock, and how those lessons relate to LA River revitalization. This event was co-presented with California State Parks and Friends of the Los Angeles River.

Suggested Reading & Listening

Will the Los Angeles River Become a Playground for the Rich? Richard Kreitner, The Nation, March 10, 2016

Reporting on the Dakota Access Pipeline… ft. Lynda V. Mapes, The Overcast podcast, November 4, 2016

Exposing Injustice at the LA River Christian L. Guzman, Random Lengths News, September 2, 2016

This event was part of Clockshop’s Counter-Inaugural, a series of talks addressing the misogyny, hate speech, and climate change denial that dominated the 2016 presidential campaign. It was recorded by Andrew Kim.