Publications:
Condamné à mort: Slavery and the Hangman of New France, 1733-1743
2016 - My graduate thesis strives for a greater understanding of slavery as experienced in New France, as well as its relationship to the French Atlantic. It draws on documents related to Mathieu Léveillé, the executioner of the colony from 1733 to 1744.
On the Water: A Conversation about the Natural Spaces We Call Home
2021 - Written as a local companion to the traveling Water/Ways exhibit, this multimedia essay asks readers to consider the places in which they feel closest to nature. It combines interviews with local conservationists, landscape photos, and stories about our chaning environment.
2023 - This document was created for the Dune’s Learning Center in order to formalize their Walk Through Time program. Student interns create characters that interpret residents of the Calumet Region and Indiana Dunes over the last three centuries: Potawatomi hunters, French Canadian fur traders, Swedish farmers, and members of the Prairie Club. The program seeks to explain evolving perceptions of the land held by natives and newcomers.
Mayor Mom
In Progress - Sheila Matias, an educator, mother, and the first female mayor of Michigan City, lived a life that inspires many people to this day. This project seeks to establish her legacy as a leader in Michigan City and La Porte County.
Nature’s Architect: How Trail Creek Sculpted Michigan City’s Shoreline
2024 - Michigan City’s lighthouse has been an icon of the city for over 100 years, but few people know that the harbor and jetty system have had unintended outcomes. A love letter, Nature’s Architect explores the relationship Hoosiers living on the lake have with the environment—both natural and man made.
Race Riots and White Flight in La Porte County
Seeking Funding - In July 1970, the Black community responded to years to lack of jobs, bad and segregated housing, urban destruction with little reconstruction, and harassment from police. What was the experience of race in Michigan City, Indiana, in the 1970s? What were the results of this event for both Black and white residents of Michigan City? How does our history continue to impact our experience of race in La Porte County today?
