Abstract deadline: 11:59 PM Pacific Time, .

Geoheritage

P1. Land of Our Ancestors Submerged by a Lake of Betrayal
Patrick Burkhart, Slippery Rock Univ., Slippery Rock, PA; Joe Stahlman, ; Renee M. Clary, Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State, MS; Stephen Boss, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; William Andrews, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY and Christina DeVera, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA

Session Description: This Pittsburgh story reaches far beyond the valleys of three rivers. Many of us were taught that hydroelectric power is “Clean Energy”. Indeed, there are many advantages to hydro power over the combustion of fossil fuels. Perhaps in great irony, however, there are also disadvantages to the construction of dams, though this story has been less often told. With its three rivers, Pittsburgh holds a long history of flooding with extensive flood damages. As a result, flood control became a focus in post- WWII America. President John F. Kennedy then presided over the decision to construct Kinzua dam upstream from the city, on the Allegheny River (which runs next to the Convention Center). When the dam was authorized and constructed, one of the oldest treaties between the US and Native Nations was broken. The Treaty of Canandaigua was signed on 11 November, 1794 between the USA and the Grand Council of the Six Nations. The 50 signatories included Thomas Pickering, agent for George Washington, and Chief Corn Planter (Seneca, Gaiänt'wakê), as well as others of the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onandaga, and Tuscarora Tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy. Authorization of the dam was not negotiated with the Seneca Nation. Instead, Seneca Nation land was seized under the doctrine of eminent domain, a deliberate violation of Seneca sovereignty that forced the removal of people and communities – a story that remains troubling to this day. This Pardee Keynote Symposium explores this sordid history through the presentation of two films: Land of our Ancestors (1991, Seneca Nation of Indians) and Lake of Deception (2010, PBS). Panelists will discuss how the presentation of this history has evolved over time, as well as the ongoing consequences of land seizures. The panel includes individuals from the Senecan Nation of Indians, so that audience members may hear the history of Kinzua Dam from authentic voices. Land seizure and displacement of native people through forcible relocation often precedes the infrastructure that secures our nation’s water resources. What we teach as “Clean” needs a more honest, forthright narration. We strive not to tell this story as past, but as prologue. Every step that each of us takes each day treads on land stolen from Indigenous Peoples of North America, and that theft continues today. How might we write the future? We will be showing two documentaries conveying a broader discussion than the simplistic focus upon flood control. First viewing: Land of Our Ancestors (1991), followed with discussion on experience of the Seneca. Second viewing: Lake of Deception (2016), followed with reactions, concerns, discussion of lessons, and envisioning the future.

Geoscience Education

P2. Spotlight on Positive and Diverse Female Role Models
Abigail Burt, Ontario Geological Survey, Sudbury, ON, Canada; Jennifer Nocerino, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO and Karen Fryer, Association for Women Geoscientists, Westminster, CO

Session Description: This session spotlights diverse women who succeeded on their own terms, took risks and dared to fail. These diverse speakers will come from a broad range of career interests, employment types, and backgrounds. There will be invited speakers, an animated story map and short video clips of voices from around the globe. These amazing mentors and role models will challenge assumptions, share their stories, and demonstrate that there are women who look like you in a wide range of geoscience careers. The session will be followed by the popular Women in Geology Mentor Program.

Geoscience and Public Policy

P3. Addressing Society’s Urgent Need for Critical Minerals: From Policy to Practice
Lily Jackson, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY; Erin Phillips, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY; Franciszek Hasiuk, Univ. of Kansas; Danielle N. Woodring, SAFE Center for Critical Minerals Strategy, Washington, DC and James A. Heller, PG, Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management, Montgomery, AL

Session Description: This symposium will highlight the multidimensional topics facing society pertaining to critical minerals. Expert speakers will address current circumstances surrounding critical minerals and policy, geopolitics and national security, roadblocks to new mining ventures, permitting processes and NEPA, and social and environmental justice. Audience members will be engaged throughout the session via interactive polling. Following talks from invited speakers, join us for a moderated panel discussion in this interactive symposium.

Geology and Health

P4. Encouraging Positive Mental Health in the Geosciences
Jennifer Nocerino, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO; Ester Sztein, Washington, DC; Marjorie A. Chan, Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT and Jennifer Lansford, Duke Univ., Durham, NC

Session Description: Geoscientists are frequently isolated in the field, the laboratory, and in learning environments. COVID and virtual lessons and meetings have increased these feelings of exclusion and/or isolation. Discrimination due to gender, race, and/or disability, along with hidden disabilities such as chronic illness and mental health issues have increased dramatically, taking a toll on our community. This session intends to raise awareness of the challenges experienced by many geoscientists, explores the signs seen in those that are struggling, and gives examples of what universities, companies, and colleagues can do to create a safe working environment conducive to good mental health.

Environmental Geoscience

P5. Past, Present, and Future of Waste Management
Syed Hasan, Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO and Caroline Davies, Univ. of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO

Session Description: Environmentally safe management of waste has become a global issue. The complex stream of societal waste that includes municipal solid waste, hazardous, medical, electronic, and radioactive wastes whose safe management has been presenting scientific, economic, and political challenges to all countries. This session will bring national and international experts to discuss the issues and offer potential solution.