By Heather Fabritze
Outgoing News Editor
In a collaborative effort headed by the Department of Anthropology, the exhibit “Hostile Terrain 94” on the main floor of the Clifton M. Miller Memorial Library raises awareness of the persisting immigration issues along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to anthropology and archaeology chair Dr. Emily Steinmetz, HT94 is designed to call students’ attention to the “decades-long humanitarian crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, where thousands of migrants have died while crossing through the Sonoran Desert.”
The large map, which is found on the back wall of the library’s main floor, features thousands of tags for the nearly 4,000 people known to have died while attempting to cross the border. Each tag is located at the geographic point where their remains were discovered.
According to an email from Dr. Steinmetz, over 250 people participated in the project as of mid-April. The end goal is to fill out as many tags as possible by the end of the semester.
“It has been a moving experience to gather, bear witness to the deaths that are mostly hidden from public view, and engage in dialogue around this challenging topic,” Dr. Steinmetz said in the email.
HT94 had multiple public events throughout the month of April to expand the impact of the exhibit. The first, which took place on April 10 in the McLain Atrium of the John S. Toll Science Center, started with a community session to fill out tags and discuss the context surrounding the installation.
A showing of director Raúl Paz-Pastrana’s documentary “Border South” followed, including a conversation with Paz-Pastrana. According to the film’s website, it follows Honduran migrants along the border, displaying their “resilience, ingenuity, and humor” in the midst of a “global migration system that renders human beings invisible in life as well as death.”
Phi Beta Kappa, the Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, and the Departments of Anthropology, English, Political Science, and Communications and Media Studies co-sponsored this event.
Two more open community sessions followed on April 15 and 24 in The Egg.
Another facet of the exhibit is the facilitation of sessions in the library with any class, organization, or group on campus. This convening features a 45-minute discussion surrounding the installation followed by time to fill out more tags.
The Virtual/Augmented Reality Digital Imaging Studio in the basement of the library also compiled multiple immersive experiences related to migration, immigration, and the Sonoran Desert for anyone hoping to expand their awareness even further.
“Our community has shown an openness to learning more, asking hard questions, and discussing immigration, U.S. border policies, and the dangers that migrants face,” Dr. Steinmetz said. “The spaces we’ve created together demonstrate that dialogue is an antidote to the simplistic and polarizing political discourses about these issues.”
In the fall, Dr. Steinmetz plans to host additional programming for the exhibit, including speakers, films, and other collaborations with academic courses. The Department of Anthropology is also seeking a second cohort of interns for HT49. Any student who is interested should email Dr. Steinmetz at esteinmetz2@washcoll.edu.
Photo by Selena Francese.
Photo Caption: At the beginning of the semester, the map started out empty — participants gradually added tags over the course of four months.