GEOGRAPHY ACTION INSTITUTE 2005  

WASHINGTON D.C.

MIGRATION: THE HUMAN JOURNEY
Robert Lord
Geography Instructor at Buffalo State College and
Niagara County Community College

     National Geographic wants to ensure that its attendees have a stimulating experience while participating in an ‘institute’ and that extends right down to the hotel. The Helix is a ‘boutique’ hotel on Rhode Island Avenue, in the Logan Circle neighborhood, and is filled with neon lights, 60’s retro décor and free champagne each evening. One has to wonder why some states had no participants at these ‘institutes’? Why miss all this fun and the nation’s capital as well… the daily demanding schedule showed us the need for comfortable evening accommodations.
    The hotel is only a few minutes walk from NGS headquarters but along the way one has just enough time to deal with the complexities of an American grid of streets laid out upon Pierre L’Enfant’s grand radial avenues knit together by enormous ‘British’ style roundabouts (traffic circles to the locals). This urban landscape provides a multi-cultural experience, which geographers must navigate via a series of computer-controlled traffic lights. Adventurous geographers face the ‘cavalry charge’ of vehicles, which take turns in the ebb and flow of humanity. At the destination are the fine buildings of the NG headquarters set around a delightful quadrangle of rocks, water and plants, an oasis of tranquility amidst the cacophony of traffic and people.
    It is here we met with the representatives of the other thirty-nine states, a sea of new faces and the first of many new experiences with the staff at NG. As I enjoyed the fine food set out around us I heard someone call my name. Laurel Kellner of the NG staff had spotted my nametag and came over to thank me for my work on last year’s Geography Action Week, “Sounds of Culture”. Now I knew somebody and that broke the ice for the week ahead.
    As we all moved into the theatre to hear our speaker, none of us realised the momentous nature of the topic: “The Genographic Project”. It was Genetics multiplied by Geography, a force that will forever alter our view of the human race and the paths our ancestors’ migration traced across the globe.
 I had made an effort to follow the mapping of the human genome since I met (Sir) Walter Bodmer at the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto) in October of 1994. He was presenting on his research and publication, “The Book of Man: the quest to discover our genetic heritage” (still worth reading). The revelations of this evening showed how much progress had been made in this field of research over the intervening decade by one group of scientists, now led by Dr Spencer Wells (Oxford University). He was now ‘explorer-in-residence’ at NG and our inspiration for the week and the year ahead.
    Many thoughts came to mind and provoked discussion amongst us all:
    -    the ‘out of Africa’ theory of archaeology is confirmed (as opposed to the multi-nuclei theory)
    -    anthropological genetics means our deep ancestry is known for 150,000 years (genealogists, eat your
             heart out)
    -    the findings will put added objectivity into archaeology
    -    our migration from Africa can be mapped in detail and it occurred in several stages due to global
            climatic change (Ice Ages)
    -    the signs (genetic markers) of our past are still with us today
    -    the genetic information from indigenous peoples is invaluable and could be lost this century without this
              project
    -    both educators and the public can participate in this research effort
    -    all participants can help protect and aid indigenous peoples around the world
    -    the ‘missing links’ in our ‘deep ancestry’ have been found and their mitochondrial DNA detected in
            individuals alive today
    -    we are all ‘brothers’ i.e. <0.1 % difference between all of Earth’s races
    -    there was an ‘Adam’, an ‘Eve’ and even a ‘Garden of Eden’, but they have changed in appearance
    -    we must take this ancient and global pattern of movement and create a local and more recent example
            of migration in our own community

    Over the next five days we were led through a structured program of exercises, skill development and applications to prepare us to return to our home state and design a migration model for others to use as guide. We entered our ‘online community’ in computer labs, located online resources, practiced uploading new materials and worked with NG experts on photography, story telling, interviewing and fieldwork. We then spent time in Washington and Staunton (VA) developing these skills in groups and as individuals. One highlight was to meet with Anne Pollard, a program officer with the Education Foundation, and provide her with input on the plans, advertising and educational promotions for this year’s Geography Awareness Week (Nov. 13-19, with Nov 16 being GIS day).
    Throughout this experience we were well supported by the Project Staff as well as guest speakers from the education community. We were also supported by some very fine food in the NG cafeteria as well as dining at local restaurants.
    This institute would not have been possible without the hard work and preparations of the NG staff (Nancee Hunter, Laurel Kellner, Susan Gallagher, Ann Williams, Kirsten Eistner, Kim Hulse, Kaitlin Yarnall and the institute director Dr. Michal LeVasseur (NCGE). I hope you get the opportunity to meet them some day. Putting your name forward to NYGA to represent your state for the 2006 institute would be a great start. My thanks to Steve Vermette and Ginny Figura of NYGA for allowing me to represent the State of New York at this year’s institute.