Assistant Professor James Mestaz started his appointment in the History Department in August. His new book, "Strength from the Waters: A History of Indigenous Mobilization in Northwest Mexico" was just published by the University of Nebraska Press. The manuscript is an environmental and ethnohistory of modern Mexico, through the specific gaze of the Mayo native people of Sinaloa and their changing interaction with their river system in the twentieth century. Dr. Mestaz teaches courses in Latin American and World History and hopes his book will inspire indigenous people and environmental activists globally. He is also confident that it will help foster connections between SSU students and local grassroots and community organizations, a focus in which he will continue to devote his time.