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Miriam Kashia papers

 Collection
Identifier: IWA1355

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Scope and Contents

The Miriam Kashia papers date from 2014 to 2016 and measure 24.5 linear inches and 21 gigabytes. The papers are arranged in three series: Great March for Climate Action, Keystone pipeline protests, and Artifacts.

The Great March for Climate Action series (2014) covers Kashia’s participation in the Great March for Climate Action, where activists traveled from Los Angeles, California, to Washington D. C. on foot to draw attention to climate change. The series includes articles written about the march, photographs, and routes and information for those participating. This series also includes photographs and presentations by Kashia.

The Keystone pipeline protest series (2014-2017) includes several photographs of Kashia and the 100 Grannies organization protesting the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines that would go through Iowa. The pipelines were a crucial issue in the United States’ 2014 midterm elections. Activists like Kashia were concerned that the oil pipelines would contaminate the Ogallala aquifer, endanger the Sandhill region, and infringe on the sovereignty of indigenous lands. There are photographs at Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the Dakotas as well as at the Mississippi Stand, located in Lee County, Iowa.

The Artifacts series (2014) includes realia from the Great March for Climate Action, such as the shoes and hat worn by Kashia during the march. The series also contains pins and bracelets relating to the march.

Dates

  • Creation: 2014-2017

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa. However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Biographical / Historical

Miriam Kashia was an activist focused on environmental issues and climate change. A retired psychotherapist, Kashia understood climate justice and social justice to be strongly connected and advocated for a number of related causes. She was a member of 100 Grannies, an organization focused on a livable future for its members’ grandchildren. She participated in several marches for climate causes, including the Great March for Climate Action in 2014. Kashia marched across the nation, walking an average of fourteen miles per day. Marchers used solar cookers, camped along the way, and had their supplies driven by trucks powered by biodiesel.

Kashia participated in several social justice initiatives and wrote and spoke about her activism. She was arrested for trespassing while protesting an Iowan farmers’ land being used for construction of the Dakota Access pipeline in 2016.

Extent

22.5 linear inches

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

North Liberty, Iowa climate activist who participated in the Great March for Climate Action and protested the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers (donor no. 1704) were donated by Miriam Kashia in 2018.

Author
Beatrice Kearns, 2023
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository

Contact:
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)