Exhibit: Water is the First Medicine of This World: Books about the Human Relationship to Global Waterways

“Water is the first medicine of this world”  —  La Donna Brave Bull Allard, indigenous activist

Water sustains life on our planet and intersects with all aspects of it. It serves as a constant muse for artists, an endless medium for scientific exploration, and a centerpiece of cultural expression and sacred practices. Even at UW-Milwaukee, we celebrate the uniqueness of the School of Freshwater Sciences and cherish the Library Fountain as a gathering place for our campus community. This display explores the cultural, scientific, and artistic significance of water, mostly through illustrations and covers from books in the UWM Libraries Curriculum and main collections. As you browse the cases, we invite you to interrogate your own relationship with water and the shared future of this natural resource.