Changing Idaho One Paw At A Time
An indelible part of the photovoice process, ever since the early days of photovoice in the 1990s, has been the tangible and material change that positively impacts the lives of the community that the participants call home. The photos and the stories shared through the process of photovoice explore and amplify the shared needs and concerns of pluralistic communities to the community members, stakeholders, and leaders. A photovoice project in Northern Idaho through Braver Lens — a collaboration between Braver Angels and Interfaith Photovoice supported with funding from The Fetzer Institute — upholds and models this part of the photovoice legacy, showing that our stories and our photographs can positively and materially change a community.
And perhaps dogs have something to do with that.
Braver Lens is an attempt to contribute healing to our country’s deepest divisions using the photovoice technique. Participants learn how to compose and share photographs as a method of starting dialogue with one another, and then, guided by a facilitator, the photographs serve as a launching point for conversation and as an artistic expression of who we are and what we perceive. The initial pilot program saw 14 Americans from all walks of life, demographics, ages, and from all across the political spectrum come together for the initial five week training. Many of these participants became facilitators and brought the technique back to their own communities as a tool for change. At a time when we are more divided and hostile than ever, Braver Lens challenges its participants to see deeper and more empathetic than ever before.
While driving from her home in Idaho to Spokane, Washington, Amy Hebert came up with a photovoice prompt: “What qualities in your dog would you like to see in people?” At the time, Amy was still being trained in photovoice through Braver Lens: Amateur Photography to Heal American Divides, and it would be months before she began her own project. But the prompt stuck with her. It combined her passion and love for dogs, photography, and building bridges across political divides. It was a perfect fit for her.
The political context of North Idaho, only an hour or so from the Canadian border, is an interesting case study in American political demographics. It’s a firmly “red state,” though, like anywhere in the United States, there is no such thing as complete political homogeneity. Amy, who identifies somewhere near the center, says she has only seen two bumper stickers supporting the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, but she probably sees that many stickers in support of the Republican Party at the typical stop light. And outside of the normal and peaceful red and blue political divide, North Idaho has also been somewhat of a refuge for white supremacists and self-proclaimed neo-Nazis. In this context of division and hate, the Brave Lens project in Idaho‚ named Canine Bridge, sought to heal deep social and political divisions one paw at a time.
It’s also a state that loves their dogs. There is no state in the country with more dogs per household than Idaho, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.It’s not even close. 58% of all houses in Idaho have a canine member of the family. The next closest state is Montana at 52%. Amy’s intuition that her love of dogs would resonate with her community was spot on: Idaho loves their dogs.
What qualities do people see in their dogs that they would like to see in people? One participant, Angela, using a photo of her dog Grim, said, “We can learn from our dogs how to be better neighbors and friends. No matter what is blocking you in life, there's always a way around.” Another participant, Julie, pointed to the insight of change, challenging that assumption that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. As the owner of an old dog, Fiona, she knows this is a faulty assumption and wonders what it would be like if more of us were also willing to embrace change. Another photo of Fiona plays off of the (literal) perspective of the world that dogs see and how it’s different from our higher vantage point.
The original goal was for a single, one-and-done public exhibition of Canine Bridge. But it turned out that Amy’s community wanted more. So far, they’ve displayed their photos at the Braver Angels national convention in Kenosha, Wisconsin, three times at the local ArtWalk hosted by the Coeur d’Alene Arts & Culture Alliance, been featured twice on live television interviews, been the subject of three articles in the local paper, and a smaller version of the exhibit was on display for the month of October at Mountain West Bank for Pet Appreciation Month. And who knows what will come next!
Canine Bridge on display at Mountain West Bank.
It’s also an exhibit that has left tangible marks on the community. Abby Light, the Executive Director of the Coeur d’Alene Arts & Culture Alliance, is currently exploring banks as a way to expand the influence of culture and art into the community, adding another outlet for such creative expression outside of the monthly art walks.
At the last two ArtWalk events, Amy’s group collaborated with a local animal shelter, Companions Animal Center. The center had adoptable dogs available on the side of the exhibit and ended up adopting several dogs after everything was said and done. The local dog club was also present at the exhibit to help give guidance on those looking for a dog regarding what breed might work the best for them, offer training classes, and answer other relevant questions to potential new dog owners.
Because of the connections made at the exhibit, the shelter is looking to collaborate with the dog club on training so that when animals are adopted, they will have a better chance of staying in their forever homes and not being returned to the shelter. More animals in the greater Coeur d’Alene, Idaho area will experience a higher quality of life because of this Braver Lens photovoice project. And, if Amy and her project participants are right, more people will experience flourishing because of these animals. They are changing Coeur d’Alene one paw at a time.
