Issues in Tribal Sovereignty and Water, Forest and Wildlife Management
Speaker: Gerald Torres

Monday, October 9, 2023
6:45 PM check-in. 7:00 PM program

Register at: bit.ly/Who_Owns_the_Sky
Hybrid meeting (in-person and virtual)

Yale professor Gerald Torres, a pioneer in the field of environmental law, will speak at the October 9, 2023 meeting of Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield Country (HFFC) about emerging issues of tribal sovereignty and natural resource management, water, forests and wildlife. Modern tribal management has changed, but tribes continue to assume greater control over issues affecting their well-being. This raises problems of cooperation, conflict, and accommodation between the various levels of government. Professor Torres will explain the practical and jurisdictional concerns reflecting deep historical issues.

Gerald Torres is Professor of Environmental Justice at the Yale School of the Environment with a secondary appointment as Professor of Law at the Yale University Law School. He has taught at Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School, where he served as the Oneida Nation Visiting Professor of Law. Professor Torres served as Counsel to the Attorney General on environmental matters and Indian affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice. He has served on the board of the Environmental Law Institute, the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, and the National Petroleum Council. Torres is currently the board chair of EarthDay.org, a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and on the Advisory Council of The Connecticut Sea Grant. He is also the founding Chairman of the Advancement Project, a leading Civil Rights advocacy organization. Torres lives in Fairfield, CT and works in New Haven.

This meeting is free and open to all. Professor Torres will present live from the Wilton (Connecticut) Quaker Meeting House, 317 New Canaan Road. Come meet him informally during the social hour beforehand. Pizza and refreshments will be served from 6-7:00 PM. We will also be recording and broadcasting this meeting virtually via Zoom for anyone unable to join us in person.

Register here to attend in person or to receive a link to participate online.

The Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County, Connecticut (HFFC), espouses reason and compassion, and seeks to promote humanism and free thought in our community. It holds general meetings, film events, book discussions, solstice celebrations, charitable activities, and science roundtables. Learn more at hffcct.org

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash