"To whom do I owe the power behind my voice, what strength I have become, yeasting up like sudden blood from under the bruised skin's blisters?" asks Audre Lorde in Zami (1982). Lorde paints the physiological mechanisms of our voice while recognizing the interdependent journey towards (re)claiming and (re)membering the power behind it. Growing from Audre Lorde’s theory, this project will explore the concept of voice in relationship to water (the Merced River). This series of photographs, soundscapes, and poetry of the Merced River will explore the concept of the interdependent relationship between voice and water. The Merced carries a Christian colonial name (named after Our Lady of Mercy”), however, this river was home to the Ahwahneechee, Southern Sierra Miwok and Paiute peoples. The river was simply called Wa-kal-la (Ahwahneechee for “the river). The photographs, soundscapes, and poetry will reproduce its native name seeking to (re)member and reproduce a name along with highlighting the ancient relationships of Native Americans with the river. Through this act of (re)membering we hope to highlight ancient and sustainable relationships between humans and the river to explore the interdependency of the human and river voices. This work was inspired by the works of photographer Zoe Leonard and multidisciplinary artist Basia Irland.

Approved