This lecture is part of the Institute of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry series on Toxicology and Societies: The Impacts of Chemicals in our Lives, brought to you in partnership with the WWU Alumni Association.

Jessica Koski weaves together her various roles and experiences as an Indigenous woman researching, advocating, and serving in the Great Lakes region of North America. This presentation provides a regional overview and highlights Indigenous toxic concerns in the context of Indigenous environmental justice and the roles Indigenous communities are leading to protect the largest system of freshwater in the world.

Our vision in developing this series was to support a better understanding of something that affects all of us. There are over 300,000 chemicals being produced and used in almost everything we wear, eat, and drink. How can you ever hope to understand when and where you or your family might be at risk from some of these chemicals? The short answer is, you can’t know everything about all of these substances, but you can learn more about how toxicology (the study of toxic substances) affects you and your society.

This seminar series aims to help you better appreciate, understand, and evaluate the many ways that manufactured chemicals interact with all humans on Earth.