Pushing Back, Building Bridges – A Renewed Call for “Tracking the Effects”

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Call for Submissions – “Resistance”

Tracking the Effects: Environmental History and the Current United States Federal Administration

A NiCHE Series

Submissions accepted on an ongoing basis.

Series editors: Jessica DeWitt, Shannon Stunden Bower, Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles

In April 2025, the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NiCHE) put out a call for submissions focused on the consequences for environmental history and environmental historians of the current United States federal administration. Titled Tracking the Effects, the series has published eight pieces so far. Authors have reflected on topics ranging from the challenges to teaching in present circumstances, through the consequences for disabled Americans of changes to disaster preparedness, to the risks of scholarship in the current moment.

We are now renewing and extending our call for submissions to this series. In addition to further posts on the topics described in the original call, and inspired by the courage and persistence of Minnesotans, we are expanding our call to include a special focus on resistance. Posts might consider:

  • Examples of historical resistance considered in environmental history perspective
  • Stories of environmental historians involved in resistance efforts
  • Considerations of resistance strategies that have been historically significant or that are of contemporary relevance (or both, like “melt the ice” hats, image of the Norwegian original below.)
  • Engagements with the consequences of resisting or failing to resist

Additionally, prompted by the recent furor over the prospective opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge (shown under construction in our banner image), a set of events that reflects the complexities of current relations between Canada and the United States, we are particularly interested in discussions of resistance that foreground the complexities of alliances and solidarity.

A red knit hat and text in a language that is not English in the foreground. In the background, brown museum artefacts and a portion of a historical photograph.
Photo by Wolfmann, Wikimedia Commons, unchanged, CC BY-SA 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wolfmann

We invite blog posts in the range of 800 to 1200 words, though shorter and longer pieces will be considered. Ideally, posts should be accompanied by at least one image that is free of copyright restrictions. NiCHE is prepared to consider publishing blog posts without attaching authors’ names.

Prospective authors are encouraged to submit proposals to the series editors, though fully drafted posts are also welcomed. Proposals would typically involve a roughly 200-word description of the intended post. Submissions will be accepted in an ongoing manner, with blog posts appearing as rapidly as possible after submission. For more information or to submit, please contact series editors Jessica DeWitt (jessicamariedewitt [at] gmail.com), Shannon Stunden Bower (stundenbower [at] ualberta.ca), and Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles (deondre.smiles [at] gmail.com).

NiCHE offers $100 CAD honoraria to contributors without adequate or consistent access to institutional support. Learn more about our honoraria policy here.

Banner image: Photographer Matt Moniz, unchanged, CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#/media/File:Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge_-WDBA–Architect_Erik_Behrens-_Photographer_Matt_Moniz.jpg

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Shannon Stunden Bower

Shannon Stunden Bower is a Professor of History in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the Canadian Prairies, and addresses questions related to water management (with particular concern for the extremes of flood or drought) and government institutions (whether at national, provincial, or local scales).

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