CEE Welcomes Liv Bigtree as Fellow

The Center for Earth Ethics is pleased to announce that Indigenous scholar and advocate Olivia “Liv” Bigtree has joined us as a fellow beginning in September. Liv, whose original name, Watyana’li:yo, translates to “She puts down a good track” or “She puts down her good tracks,” is Onyota’a:ka (People of the Standing Stone), Turtle Clan. A proud member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Liv is a dedicated advocate for Indigenous language preservation and land rematriation. 

Liv will spend the next two years learning Kanien’kéha (Mohawk language) through the Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Language Immersion Program in Kahnawà:ke (a Kanien’kehá:ka Reserve in Quebec, Canada). This program will further her prime directive to fully embody Onkwehonwenéha (the Original Language/Instructions).

Driven by a commitment to decolonization and communal healing, Liv has spent the past two years in Ioskóhare (Schoharie Valley) supporting the growth and rematriation of Skywoman’s Forever Farm on the ancestral lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka (People of the Flint).

As an artist, Liv has been recognized nationally and regionally for her impactful work, including being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar of the Arts, a national medalist in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and a winner of U.S. Representative John Katko’s Congressional Art Competition. In 2021, the New York Times Magazine featured her as an “Artist to Watch,” describing her work as “sophisticated, slick and stylish,” and predicting that she will become “a powerful force” in the art world.

We are honored to support Liv on her journey and look forward to the wisdom and creativity she will bring to CEE. Stay tuned for her updates and reflections!