Hopi blue corn is being affected by climate change. Abrahami / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
Climate change is making ancient Hopi farming nearly impossible, threatening not just the Tribe's staple food source, but a pillar of its culture and religion, the Arizona Republic reports.
<p>A two decades-long "megadrought" across the American West as severe as any in the last 1,200 years, has made Hopi lands even dryer than the arid environment in which they have lived for centuries, and heat waves made worse by climate change intensify evaporation, robbing the corn of even more precious water. </p>
<p>Beatrice Norton, 69, is a member of the matrilineal Young Corn Clan responsible for the tribe's food. </p><p>"This is our way of life. We are dependent on this corn for our ceremonies, our way of life, to be complete," she said. </p><p>"But eventually, if this is the way and the direction that this is going to go, our weather and then the environment, global heating and no rain, sooner or later we're going to be missing a big piece of what is a part of our life as Hopi."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/11/30/hopi-tribe-withering-corn-crops-show-impact-climate-change/5931561002/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101464952&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9y8D3XTXSFwLwANv9QSBuZGtBI7yTIw4i6Bram56CIhxz9T1-yn3F4XNruO6STzdw3jToKLwOY392vKXbVTGPdfLEKHEz3tuJov4Aaoh9euz9HfEY&utm_content=101464952&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Arizona Republic</a>; Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-change-drought?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101464952&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9TbYuQOYNDvdnvSxALM83Y-zV5ts7wFnmf9CXh3vPEruqdfiipuGmwSklaBekdnFV8rDLYzYuZhZ3bOYfkUSUcEao5-SWkG7QyAcb7-gsi0KbTDj4&utm_content=101464952&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Drought</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Polar bears are seen in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Alan D. Wilson / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
After ongoing pressure from environmental groups and Indigenous communities, Bank of America has said it will not finance any oil and gas exploration in the Arctic, making it the last major U.S. financial institution to do so.
<p>The decision is especially significant because outgoing President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-arctic-wildlife-drilling-plan-2647013527.html" target="_self">opened up</a> the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/arctic-national-wildlife-refuge" target="_self">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a> (ANWR) to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuel" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> exploration, and is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-anwr-oil-leases-2648954756.html" target="_self">rushing</a> to sell leases for drilling in the refuge before leaving office.</p><p>"It has long been clear that drilling in the Arctic Refuge would trample Indigenous rights, threaten vulnerable <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a>, and worsen the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. Now that every major American bank has stated unequivocally that they will not finance this destructive activity, it should be clearer than ever that any oil company considering participating in Trump's ill-advised lease sale should stay away," <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank">Sierra Club</a> Senior Campaign Representative Ben Cushing said in a <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/11/bank-america-announcement-every-major-us-bank-has-ruled-out-funding-for" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release responding to the news</a>.</p><p>Bank of America first announced its decision to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-30/bofa-says-it-won-t-finance-oil-and-gas-exploration-in-the-arctic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg News on Monday</a> and confirmed it to <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201201-bank-of-america-latest-to-say-no-to-financing-arctic-drilling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AFP</a>. In the statement, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank said it had unofficially refrained from financing Arctic drilling for a long time.</p>
<p>"There's been misunderstanding around our position, but we have not historically participated in project finance for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic," Bank of America head of public policy and strategy in Washington Larry Di Rita told Bloomberg. "But given that misinterpretation, we've determined that it's time to codify our existing practice into policy."</p><p>The Sierra Club singled out Bank of America after Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Chase, Wells Fargo and Citi all announced official no-Arctic-drilling policies this year.</p><p>Bank of America emphasized its environmental commitments to Bloomberg. It has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and aims to fund green bonds and support global climate solutions.</p>
<p>Its announcement raises further doubt about the likely success of Trump's push to lease parcels of ANWR before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. Some analysts have pointed out it may be difficult to finalize sales by that date, AFP reported. Oil prices are also hovering around $45 a barrel, so companies may not be motivated to lease drilling sites far from major infrastructure. International financial institutions have also promised not to fund drilling in the refuge.</p><p>"Nearly 30 major banks around the world (now including all 6 major U.S. banks!) have concluded that funding new Arctic drilling — especially the Arctic Refuge, which Trump is recklessly trying to destroy — is far too risky and bad for business," Cushing <a href="https://twitter.com/bmcushing/status/1333544873530679297" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.</p><p>Environmental and Indigenous groups have long opposed drilling in the ANWR, partly because of its potential impact on Indigenous rights and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> such as polar bears and caribou. ANWR's coastal plain is the birthing and nursing ground for the Porcupine Caribou herd, and the Gwich'in Nation of Canada and Alaska considers it the "Sacred Place Where Life Begins." In 1988, the nation formed the <a href="https://ourarcticrefuge.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwich'in Steering Committee</a> to oppose oil and gas drilling on the plain.</p><p>"The Trump administration has never even pretended to care about the Indigenous communities whose human rights would be threatened by the destruction of the coastal plain, but major financial institutions are listening to us," Gwich'in Steering Committee Executive Director Bernadette Demientieff said in the Sierra Club press release. "We will never stop fighting to protect the sacred calving grounds from destructive drilling, and we will prevail."</p>
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Avocado
Increased consumer interest in sustainability has largely driven the expansion of new organic product lines. It's this combination of consumer consciousness and evolved eco-friendly products that has people searching for the best organic mattress.
But there are many brands in this space. We wanted to take a closer look at the Avocado mattress and explore what makes it such a popular pick in the eco-market.
<h2>What should I look for when buying an organic mattress?<br/></h2><p>Whether it's an <a href="http://avocadomattress.n5ka.net/nrJ1V" target="_blank">Avocado mattress</a> or another product from a reputable manufacturer, there are a few things to consider before making a purchase.</p><p>The first thing to know is that accreditation gets a little fuzzy. </p><p>The reality is that not all mattresses claiming to be "natural" or even "organic" will qualify for an official organic label from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). </p><p>In order to do so, mattresses must be made up of 95% certified organic materials. </p><p>In addition, no harmful chemicals can be used in the processing or production of the mattress, which is considered a complex finished textile product. </p><p>As you research, you may find that some mattress manufacturers will call their products "organic" because they use a smattering of organic products—but not enough to carry the USDA seal, a practice that's known as "greenwashing."</p><p>To find a mattress that has been certified organic, you'll want to look for accreditations like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).</p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MzAwNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTcwOTM1MH0.LFqDzobbjsMxHhtZv3MQ9iOvBSxDwEQF840cDR8Ze9Y/img.png?width=980" id="5dcba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="47f0b3694c23691bb74eb2e4329e6271" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
</p><p><br/></p><p>You can also look for the GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) logo.</p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MzAxMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzIxMzkwOX0.TQWz8NDTzRpr4Q0sDssTj9r1BwV4cRNbgiGtn9wjWrA/img.jpg?width=980" id="73347" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1952e84d562c83064655dd296fdd14aa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
</p><p>These two standards help to uphold the 95% organic rule.<br/></p><p><span></span>Once you're squared away with certifications, the rest of the buying process is similar to purchasing a traditional mattress. </p><p>First, you'll want to find one that satisfies your desired level of comfort.<br/></p><p>As a rule, many organic mattresses tend to be a bit stiffer, so testing its firmness—either before purchase or during a trial period after you get it home—is in your best interest. </p><p>Lastly, as with most purchases—especially in the organic space—cost is a factor. A goal of bringing home the best eco-friendly mattress money can buy can price some consumers out of the organic market entirely.</p><h2>What makes Avocado the most popular organic mattress?</h2><p>There are two groups that most people will turn to while researching a product: Expert reviewers and fellow consumers. When it comes to picking the best organic mattress, both the pundits and verified customers agree that an Avocado mattress is at or near the top of the list.</p><p><a href="https://www.usnews.com/360-reviews/mattress/avocado" target="_blank">U.S. News & World Report recently gave Avocado the nod</a> in the categories of best mattress, best for back pain, best for stomach sleepers, best firm mattress and best hybrid mattress, citing its ability to provide a more restful night's sleep.</p><p>Avocado mattresses were also named best healthy mattress and <a href="https://www.health.com/home/healthy-home-awards" target="_blank">best organic mattress in Health.com's Healthy Home Awards</a>, <a href="https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/best-mattress-in-a-box" target="_blank">best mattress in a box for the environmentally conscious by <em>Shape </em>magazine</a> and <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home-products/g29892090/best-mattresses/" target="_blank">best organic mattress by <em>Good Housekeeping</em></a>.</p><p><span></span>The brand has also received a <a href="https://help.avocadogreenmattress.com/en_us/can-you-show-me-your-aca-certification-SJOs16UED" target="_blank">certificate of endorsement from the American Chiropractic Association</a>, been <a href="https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/consumer-reports/" target="_blank">consistently lauded by <em>Consumer Reports</em></a> and touts <a href="https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/natural-mattress-reviews/" target="_blank">more than 18,000 5-star reviews</a> from real Avocado mattress customers.</p><h3>Corporate Stewardship</h3><p>Peeling the curtain back on the company's operations and mission, it's easy to see why so many people consider Avocado to be the best organic mattress.</p><p>The brand's products are American-made, designed in Hoboken, New Jersey, and manufactured by hand in Los Angeles. </p><p>Its factories are powered by renewable energy, and Avocado ethically harvests wool for products from sheep that it raises while also producing its own natural latex.</p><p>It's because of that commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices that the Avocado mattress became the first in the world to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. And earlier this year, the company announced that it now offsets more carbon than it generates. </p><p>It's also important to mention that <a href="http://avocadomattress.n5ka.net/MG32K" target="_blank">Avocado is certified organic by the USDA</a>.</p><p>With a goal of not only providing superior products that promote healthy sleep, Avocado also believes in the power of sustainability and social responsibility—a belief it backs up by donating 1% of all revenues to environmental nonprofits</p><h3><span></span>Quality Products</h3>
<p>Beyond just its top-selling mattress, Avocado manufacturers ancillary bedroom products like bed frames, dressers and end tables.</p><h2>Do I pay more for an organic mattress?</h2><p>Like any consumer good, organic mattresses come in a variety of price points based on size, comfort level, materials used and amenities. However, generally speaking, you will pay more for an eco-friendly mattress than you might for a traditional mattress. </p><h2>What am I paying for with an organic mattress?<br/></h2><p>Perhaps the biggest reason why someone would purchase an organic mattress is because of its sustainability. </p><p>According to a survey covered in <em>Forbes</em>, more than three-quarters of all participants said they <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/07/23/77-of-people-want-to-learn-how-to-live-more-sustainably/" target="_blank">wanted to learn more about sustainable lifestyles</a>. And for at least some of those people, supporting the environment meant altering their habits of consumption. </p><p>Further, statistics show a substantial cross-section of consumers across various age ranges who are even <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/228380/people-who-pay-more-for-eco-friendly-products-and-services/" target="_blank">willing to pay more for eco-friendly products and services</a>.</p><p>One of the reasons why someone might be willing to pay more to purchase the best organic mattress is for their own safety. </p><p>Products treated with harsh or toxic chemicals can contaminate the air we breathe, a particularly troubling hazard considering <a href="https://www.reference.com/world-view/percentage-average-human-s-life-spent-sleeping-3b3e05c6a8925081" target="_blank">we spend about one-third of our lives in bed</a>. To make matters worse, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that indoor air can be as much as <a href="https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality" target="_blank">five times more polluted than outdoor air</a>.</p><p>There's also the <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-mattress/best-organic-mattresses" target="_blank">durability factor of a certified organic mattress</a>, writes SleepFoundation.org. Compared to an organic mattress, there could be several years difference in how long a traditional mattress lasts before wear and tear or loss of support forces a replacement purchase. And because an organic mattress has high-quality materials that maintain its support and shape, you're likely to report better sleep patterns for longer.</p><h2>Final Thoughts on Avocado</h2><p>If your quest to find the best organic mattress has led you to Avocado, it's a good place to start. The brand has a verifiable commitment to sustainability, uses natural and non-toxic materials, and even donates a share of its revenues to nonprofits with a similar mission and vision. </p><p>Whatever direction you go in for your next purchase, we encourage you to think about how your purchases impact the world. Small choices over time add up, and we can all shop a little smarter.</p>
Avocado Vegan Mattress
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MzAzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDkwMDMyMX0.zu1arLxCzFa1-qq7Lg_nJMSuyqvxC6DIx715xpqmQqs/img.jpg?width=980" id="54fb0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0720ceac909ef550c9bb977027ae721b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Avocado
<ul><li>GOLS organic certified latex</li><li>GOTS organic certified cotton</li><li>1,000+ pocketed support coils </li><li>No polyurethane foams, polyester, or toxic fire retardants</li><li>Replaces all cotton with wool</li><li>Vegan certified</li><li>PETA-approved</li></ul>
$899
Alpaca Wool Plush Mattress Topper
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MzA4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzMwNTI5OH0.LEx4dUTi1np_XCFc1taoy9y3Wgu43HoWF3p0Q1PITPY/img.jpg?width=980" id="bff7b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="165eaa5fed1d9c5f64cc03b51c9e147d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Avocado
<ul><li>Certified organic and natural materials</li><li>Natural alpaca and GOTS organic certified wool and cotton</li><li>Soft, plush feel that's more "luxurious" than most common products</li><li>Elastic straps to hold it in place</li></ul>
$449
Avocado Green Pill
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MzMwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjY3NTczMn0.GynsxBf0E3Nvl0192XtWsB9-JrKywFLT7UhSwkX_VXw/img.jpg?width=980" id="a9604" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29f27629674202517662576d32a7d547" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Avocado
<ul><li>GOLS organic certified latex and GOTS organic certified kapok</li><li>Organic jersey cotton liner that's machine washable </li><li>GOTS organic certified quilted cotton cover</li><li>GREENGUARD Gold certified, vegan, and handmade in Los Angeles</li></ul>
$89
Organic Superfine Suvin Cotton Sheets
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MzExOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODE2Njc0OX0.6e0zVUOdjW0FuEC3tPvpBOvil1gN8CE3teZ8VVnwTDE/img.jpg?width=980" id="11382" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="091acb792fe57f4663a76438044b9e74" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Avocado
<ul><li>GOTS organic certified Indian Suvin Cotton</li><li>1,000 thread count per inch weave </li><li>Sateen finish</li></ul>
$349
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By Liz Kimbrough
Six grassroots environmental activists will receive the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in a virtual ceremony this year. Dubbed the "Green Nobel Prize," this award is given annually to environmental heroes from each of the world's six inhabited continents.
<p>This year's winners include an Indigenous Mayan beekeeper who led a coalition to ban genetically modified soy in seven Mexican states, a French activist who pressured France's three largest banks to stop financing coal, a woman who harnessed youth activism to enact a ban on single-use plastics in the Bahamas, an Indigenous Waorani woman who organized legal action preventing oil extraction in a huge expanse of Amazon rainforest, an Indigenous Karen organizer who spearheaded the formation of the world's first peace park in an active conflict zone, and an activist who prevented the construction of what would have been the first coal-fired power plant in Ghana.</p><p>"These six environmental champions reflect the powerful impact that one person can have on many," John Goldman, president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, said in a statement. "Even in the face of the unending onslaught and destruction upon our natural world, there are countless individuals and communities fighting every day to protect our planet. These are six of those environmental heroes, and they deserve the honor and recognition the Prize offers them — for taking a stand, risking their lives and livelihoods, and inspiring us with real, lasting environmental progress."</p><p>The prize ceremony, typically held in April each year was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/goldmanprize/" target="_blank">ceremony</a> will take place virtually today, Nov. 30, at 4 p.m. PST and will be hosted by Sigourney Weaver, with musical appearances by Jack Johnson, Michael Franti, Danni Washington and Lenny Kravitz.</p><p>Here are the winners of the 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize:</p>
Kristal Ambrose, the Bahamas
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzI3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDM5NTk5MX0.fdMrrUqf0HvWq0Uh0Ii3mXxJczHPyN1jcnSsQoXoerE/img.jpg?width=980" id="b9e66" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8b8777f7964bb7100672b3be0abf3fe" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Kristal Ambrose. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Kristal Ambrose started a youth movement that convinced the government of the Bahamas to enact a ban on single-use plastic bags, plastic cutlery, straws, and Styrofoam cups and containers.</em></p><p>Millions of tourists travel to the Bahamas each year to see the islands' famed beaches and diverse marine life. However, plastic waste has increasingly polluted beaches and coral reefs, harming marine life and the economy. Worldwide, at least <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">8 million tons</a> of plastic end up in the ocean each year. By some estimates, <a href="https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/#:~:text=The%20Facts%20Are%20Overwhelming&text=We%20are%20producing%20over%20300,into%20our%20oceans%20every%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than half</a> of all plastic produced are for single-use purposes.</p><p>Ambrose, a 29-year-old Bahamian woman, says she once witnessed the removal of plastic lodged internally in a sea turtle and, according to a statement, vowed, "I'll never drop a piece of plastic on the ground again." She went on to join an expedition to study the western garbage patch in the Pacific and, upon returning home, founded the Bahamas Plastic Movement in 2013. The goal: develop solutions and educate the youth. Ambrose created a free camp to train youth leaders and researchers who spent their days surveying beaches for plastic, measuring microplastics from boats, and dissecting fish to find plastic within.</p><p>Ambrose drafted legislation to ban single-use plastics on the islands and organized outreach and advocacy campaigns around the issue. In January 2018, Ambrose and students from her camp met with the environment minister to discuss the economic and environmental impacts of plastic waste. Three months later, the environment minister officially announced a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws, food utensils, and Styrofoam cups and containers. The ban was enacted in January this year.</p>
Chibeze Ezekiel, Ghana
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzM2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTgzOTE3OX0.KoEZr3oMPKbeG2uT8q-ZsGPOGtIZ3l6V6NXEK5U90FU/img.jpg?width=980" id="65224" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6ec640a8ba56a4db22b57e4f8734a7a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Chibeze Ezekiel. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Chibeze Ezekiel </em><em>led a four-year grassroots campaign to cancel the construction of the first coal-fired power plant in Ghana, changing the trajectory of Ghana's energy future</em>.</p><p>Ghana has faced energy shortages and blackouts. Increasing droughts have made hydroelectric projects less reliable. Searching for solutions, the government of Ghana proposed the construction of a 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant and an industry-ready shipping port in Ekumfi district, a coastal fishing community where fresh water resources are limited.</p><p>Knowing that wastewater and mercury emissions from the coal plant could threaten the health and safety of the districts, Chibeze "Chi" Ezekiel, 40, got to work. As national coordinator of <a href="https://gofossilfree.org/" target="_blank">350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon</a> and an experienced youth organizer, he launched an awareness campaign around the dangers of coal plants. When the coal company pitched the plant to local communities and community leaders, the latter were prepared to ask tough questions and provide contrary evidence to their claims.</p><p>In 2016, Ghana's environment minister announced the coal plant would not move forward, and in 2017 the country's president said all new power projects would be renewable energy-based. Ghana has now released a Renewable Energy Master Plan, signaling its commitment to a renewable energy future. Ezekiel's work prevented the coal industry from gaining access to Ghana, and he now works toward a cleaner energy future for the country.</p>
Nemonte Nenquimo, Ecuador
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzM2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzYxODYwM30.cys5ZsFGd75UcjybADGBPFt20jrzgrsFujoj_qMTK4E/img.jpg?width=980" id="96b5a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0778ab7334e3297e0ead52d5fd1499e5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Nemonte Nenquimo. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Nemonte Nenquimo filed a lawsuit against the Ecuadoran government and successfully </em><em>safeguarded 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction.</em></p><p>Nenquimo, 33, is an Indigenous Waorani woman from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. In 2015, she co-founded an Indigenous-led coalition called the <a href="https://www.alianzaceibo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ceibo Alliance</a> and was elected president of an organization that represents the Waorani of Ecuador's Pastaza province.</p><p>Ecuador is among the most biodiverse places in the world, but its forests and people have been increasingly threatened by logging, road construction, oil exploration and other extractive industries. In 2018, in an effort to bring oil company investments into the nation<em>, </em>Ecuador's minister of hydrocarbons announced 2.8 million hectares (7 million acres) of land constituting primary rainforest would be auctioned off for oil concessions.</p><p>In 2019, Nenquimo and other Waorani leaders filed a lawsuit against three government ministries in Ecuador for falsely claiming they had consent from the Waorani to sell their lands at auction. She also bolstered Indigenous community independence by installing solar and rainwater catchment systems in villages and supporting cottage industries such as chocolate production. Nenquimo helped secure funds for Indigenous filmmakers to tell their stories and played a lead role in a community mapping project charting the Waoroni territory around 16 communities.</p><p>In April 2019, Nenquimo and the Waorani won the court case against the Ecuadoran ministries, and the ruling was upheld in the court of appeals, safeguarding 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction. This case set an important legal precedent for Indigenous rights in Ecuador.</p><p>Nenquimo was named one of <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/09/times-list-of-100-most-influential-people-in-2020-includes-indigenous-waorani-leader/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people of 2020</a>, and continues to work as a leader of her people and the environmental movement in Ecuador.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d65efe06ca7f2b92ef7e1feb233c9c55"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBb-UETVbGA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p><em>Nemonte Nenquimo filed a lawsuit against the Ecuadoran government and successfully </em><em>safeguarded 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction.</em><em> </em></p><p>Nenquimo, 33, is an Indigenous Waorani woman from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. In 2015, she co-founded an Indigenous-led coalition called the <a href="https://www.alianzaceibo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ceibo Alliance</a> and was elected president of an organization that represents the Waorani of Ecuador's Pastaza province.</p><p>Ecuador is among the most biodiverse places in the world, but its forests and people have been increasingly threatened by logging, road construction, oil exploration and other extractive industries. In 2018, in an effort to bring oil company investments into the nation<em>, </em>Ecuador's minister of hydrocarbons announced 2.8 million hectares (7 million acres) of land constituting primary rainforest would be auctioned off for oil concessions.</p><p>In 2019, Nenquimo and other Waorani leaders filed a lawsuit against three government ministries in Ecuador for falsely claiming they had consent from the Waorani to sell their lands at auction. She also bolstered Indigenous community independence by installing solar and rainwater catchment systems in villages and supporting cottage industries such as chocolate production. Nenquimo helped secure funds for Indigenous filmmakers to tell their stories and played a lead role in a community mapping project charting the Waoroni territory around 16 communities.</p><p>In April 2019, Nenquimo and the Waorani won the court case against the Ecuadoran ministries, and the ruling was upheld in the court of appeals, safeguarding 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction. This case set an important legal precedent for Indigenous rights in Ecuador.</p><p>Nenquimo was named one of <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/09/times-list-of-100-most-influential-people-in-2020-includes-indigenous-waorani-leader/" target="_blank"><em>Time </em>magazine's list of 100 most influential people of 2020</a>, and continues to work as a leader of her people and the environmental movement in Ecuador.</p>
Leydy Pech, Mexico
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzQwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzkzOTYzOH0.uHlN2FQoJJ_KFJWTn4oL__lDyjA0-HDnxewBhwgQRVg/img.jpg?width=980" id="9ab07" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccc347126d4ce9ddbb3b9c1b4673391b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Leydy Pech. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Leydy Pech, a Mayan beekeeper, spearheaded a coalition that prevented Monsanto from planting genetically modified "Roundup ready" soybeans in seven states in southern Mexico.</em></p><p>Pech, a 55-year-old Indigenous woman from the state of Campeche in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, works with a rare, stingless, native bee species (<em>Melipona beecheii</em>) that has been cultivated by the Mayans since pre-Columbian times. Beekeeping is a key part of Mayan culture, and quite important economically. In Campeche, an estimated 25,000 families, many Indigenous, rely on the honey trade for their livelihoods, and Mexico is the sixth-largest producer of honey worldwide.</p><p>In 2012, after failing to consult with local and Indigenous communities, the Mexican government granted Monsanto permission to plant genetically modified soybeans in seven Mexican states, including Campeche. Pech formed a coalition of NGOs, beekeepers and activists who filed a lawsuit against the Mexican government. Her coalition advocated for research into the effects of the GM plots, resulting in evidence that GM soy pollen was present in local honey, and that glyphosate, a chemical best known from the widely used pesticide Roundup, was found in the water supply and urine of people in Pech's hometown of Hopelchén.</p><p>In 2015, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled unanimously that Indigenous communities must be consulted before the planting of GM soy. Monsanto's permits were canceled in Campeche and Yucatán states. Further organizing by Pech led to Mexico's Food and Agricultural Service revoking Monsanto's permits to grow GM soy in seven states.</p>
Lucie Pinson, France
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzQxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzE0NTU1NX0.OutmX3sfl4pMaoYssTQ4zk7Y14_hans7-Z-0B0xsjfM/img.jpg?width=980" id="4bcd7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bff14750dc0a70fc79e9484ea2bdbd4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Lucie Pinson. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Lucie Pinson used a variety of methods to pressure banks and insurers to cease support of coal development. Now, 17 insurers and 22 global banks have pledged to no longer fund coal projects.</em></p><p>Nearly half of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, as well many other harmful toxins, come from the burning coal. Yet new coal projects are still popping up, all of them reliant on financing from banks and investors. France's three largest banks gave out more than $32 billion in loans to coal companies between 2007 and 2013.</p><p>Lucie Pinson, a 36-year-old French climate activist, used a multifaceted approach to persuade French banks to stop investing in coal. As a campaigner for the <a href="http://www.sunrisemovement.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sunrise Movement,</a> she and her team threatened the banks' reputations through media campaigns and handed out flyers to bank customers. Pinson cultivated relationships with journalists, making clear to them the links between French finance and coal through documentation. She also worked from within, purchasing shares in the banks so she could attend shareholder meetings and develop relationships with professionals within the banks.</p><p>Her work was fruitful. By 2017, none of the French banks were financing new coal projects. With that done, she focused on insurers of banks with similar tactics. Now, 17 insurers and 22 global banks have ceased support of coal development. Pinson is now working to stop all financial institutions from investing in coal.</p>
Paul Sein Twa, Myanmar
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzQxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDAyNjU0MH0.DHrKykngmcJyJ5rn4r91ANH7FmQ7Us6ZMEOis8yAzGY/img.jpg?width=980" id="8fa36" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0e703d62288df00931cd678c861c6e0b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Paul Sein Twa. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Paul Sein Twa worked to establish a 546,000-hectare (1.35-million-acre) peace park to safeguard biodiversity and culture in the Salween River Basin in Myanmar, the first in a conflict zone.</em></p><p>Paul Sein Twa, 47, is a member of the Karen Indigenous group in Myanmar. The Karen sought independence from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) after World War II, leading to what has been described as the world's longest ongoing civil war, displacing hundreds of thousands to camps along the Thai border.</p><p>The Salween River Basin, home to the Karen people, holds the longest dam-free river in Asia. This basin, largely undeveloped due to decades of conflict, is a biodiversity hotspot with large, intact teak forests home to iconic species such as tigers, clouded leopards, gibbons, sun bears, Asiatic black bears, and Sunda pangolins. Agribusiness, extractive industries, deforestation, and mining are on the rise in the region, and in 1998, a mega dam was proposed within the Karen territory in the Salween River Basin.</p><p>Sein Twa began exploring community-driven approaches to conservation and decided to work proactively to protect Karen territory by advocating for the creation of a transboundary protected area, also known as a peace park. He worked with NGOs, government and Karen civil society to rally support and to educate people from 348 villages about the process of forming the park. He also worked with the forest department in Karen state to transition forestry practices back to Indigenous methods and to map the territory to show Karen ownership of land.</p><p>The idea of the park gained widespread support, and in December of 2018, the 546,000-hectare Salween Peace Park was formed. It includes 27 community forests and three wildlife sanctuaries. It is the first peace park to be established in a conflict zone.</p><p>Sein Twa continues to work with communities in the still-volatile region to develop plans for land management, document changes in biodiversity, and resist development.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/11/meet-the-2020-goldman-environmental-prize-winners/" target="_blank">Mongabay</a>.</em></p><div><strong><div><strong><strong><div><strong><div><strong><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div></strong></div></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div></strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div>From Your Site Articles
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A pair of bears perch atop Brooks Falls in Alaska's Katmai National Park, about 100 miles from the proposed Pebble Mine site. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Environmental campaigners stressed the need for the incoming Biden White House to put in place permanent protections for Alaska's Bristol Bay after the Trump administration on Wednesday denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine that threatened "lasting harm to this phenomenally productive ecosystem" and death to the area's Indigenous culture.
<div id="da98c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="478a197b7c59c92787c92bec92f1ac39"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331662923710693376" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Bristol Bay forever, Pebble mine never. #NoPebbleMine #SaveBristolBay https://t.co/CBQ9zuy8A5</div> — Save Bristol Bay (@Save Bristol Bay)<a href="https://twitter.com/SaveBristolBay/statuses/1331662923710693376">1606328156.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In its record of decision on the long-fought industrial gold and copper mining project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cited "Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act," the <em>Anchorage Daily News</em> <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2020/11/25/trump-administration-denies-permit-for-pebble-mine/" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p><p>"USACE determined that the applicant's plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest."</p><p>The decision was hailed by a chorus of conservation groups. "Sometimes a project is so bad, so indefensible, that the politics fall to the wayside and we get the right decision," said SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol. "That is what happened today."</p><p>"The Pebble Mine was always the wrong mine in the wrong place," said Adam Kolton, executive director of Alaska Wilderness League. "The fact that President Trump resurrected and promoted it prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ultimately denying the permit isn't worth dwelling on," he said, referring to the president's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/10/gold-over-life-literally-how-trump-forced-reversal-mining-project-epa-scientists" target="_blank">intervention</a> in the matter.</p>
<p>"What matters today," Kolton continued, "is that the world's most productive salmon fisheries are safer and the tribes, fishermen, and communities that depend on a healthy Bristol Bay can breathe a sigh of relief."</p><p>World Wildlife Fund previously released a video explaining "why the proposed mine doesn't stand up to a fact check." The group described Bristol Bay as "the lifeblood that sustains every species calling the region home," including harbor seals, hundreds of bird species, and brown bear. The watershed is also critically important to tribes and the salmon upon which they've relied for millennium. Bristol Bay also hosts the planet's most productive salmon fishery.</p><p>With such impacts at stake, Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the rejection "a huge victory for wild salmon, the Iliamna, lake seal, and other imperiled wildlife that call this spectacular place home."</p><p>The administration's rejection follows the September <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/22/secretly-recorded-pebble-tapes-mining-execs-reveal-true-scope-200-year-project" target="_blank">release</a> of secret recordings between Tom Collier, CEO of Pebble Limited Partnership, and Ronald Thiessen, president and CEO of Northern Dynasty Minerals, which owns Pebble, that revealed the goal was not a 20-year project the 20-year operation publicly promised by the developers, but instead to create a project of "unstoppable" growth with a timeline of possibly 200 years. The executives instead were looking at "unstoppable" growth and a timeline of possibly 200 years.</p>
<p>The recordings elicited concern from the House Transportation Committee chair Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.), who <a href="https://transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/tandi-chairs-press-pebble-limited-partnership-and-army-corps-for-records-after-secret-pebble-tapes-reveal-companys-contradictory-claims-about-the-mine-projects-size-and-duration" target="_blank">wrote</a> last week to Pebble Limited Partnership and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.</p><p>"From the private discussions revealed by the 'Pebble Tapes,' it seems as though Pebble was dealing with two sets of facts," wrote DeFazio and Napolitano,"one to lure potential investors to the Pebble project and one to alleviate fears of Alaskan Natives, the U.S. Congress, and federal agencies of potential adverse environmental impacts from the mine."</p><p>In his statement on Wednesday, Kolton added, "The credit for this victory belongs not to any politician but to Alaskans and Bristol Bay's Indigenous peoples, as well as to hunters, anglers, and wildlife enthusiasts from all across the country who spoke out in opposition to this dangerous and ill-conceived project. We can be thankful that their voices were heard, that science counted, and that people prevailed over short-term profiteering."</p><p>Bonnie Gestring, Northwest Program director at Earthworks, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/11/25/earthworks-statement-denial-pebble-mine" target="_blank">accused</a> Pebble of having "tried every trick in the book to push this project through, but the crystal clear science prevailed."</p>
<p>President-elect Joe Biden, for his part, has <a href="https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/statement-by-vice-president-joe-biden-on-bristol-bay-1a83d60a2986" target="_blank">promised</a> to reject the Pebble Mine.</p><p>Gestring urged the incoming administration to "take the next step and use the Clean Water Act to place permanent limits on mining in Bristol Bay to protect the salmon fishery and the communities that depend on it."</p><p>Her demand was echoed by Joel Reynolds, senior attorney with the Nature Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).</p><p>"The next step is for the Environmental Protection Agency to use section 404c of the Clean Water Act to permanently protect this national treasure from large scale mining for all time," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/11/25/major-reversal-trump-administration-denies-permit-pebble-" target="_blank">said</a> Reynolds.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/victory-tribes-waterways-and-planet-pebble-mine-denied-permit" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p><a href="https://commons.commondreams.org/t/victory-for-tribes-waterways-and-planet-as-pebble-mine-denied-permit/84496" target="_blank"></a>From Your Site Articles
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Biden Urged to 'Honor Indigenous Sovereignty and Immediately Halt' Fossil Fuel Pipelines
26 November
Popular
Protestors walk past an image of a Native American woman during a march to "Count Every Vote, Protect Every Person" after the U.S. presidential Election in Seattle, Washington on November 4. Jason Redmond / AFP / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A leading environmental advocacy group marked Native American Heritage Month on Wednesday by urging President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Kamala Harris, and the entire incoming administration "to honor Indigenous sovereignty and immediately halt the Keystone XL, Dakota Access, and Line 3 pipelines."
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">That call from 350.org U.S. communications director Thanu Yakupitiyage for Indigenous <a href="https://landback.org/" target="_blank">#LandBack</a> came just ahead of Thanksgiving in the U.S. and as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate communities across the country — with more than 12.7 million COVID-19 cases and over 261,000 deaths nationwide as of Wednesday afternoon.</span></p>
<p>"As we embark on a just recovery from the compound crises of climate disasters, racist police brutality, economic injustice, and Covid-19, we are in a pivotal moment of reckoning that requires us to ground in the history of the United States as a country built on stolen Indigenous land by stolen Black and African labor," Yakupitiyage said.</p><p>"As we act to stop state-sanctioned violence against Black and Brown communities," she continued, "we also acknowledge the decades and centuries of white supremacy, colonialism, and capitalism that continue to have devastating and genocidal impacts on the lives, livelihoods, and traditions of Native and Indigenous communities across the United States, North America, and around the world."</p><p>The activist drew attention to three controversial pipelines against which Indigenous people <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/brutal-memories-standing-rock-stop-line-3-campaigners-wary-rule-barring" target="_blank">have led</a> the opposition, highlighting some of the destructive impacts that such projects have on Native communities and lands, in addition to the climate effects.</p><p>"Fossil fuel executives and racist climate criminals continue to assault treaty rights and Indigenous sovereignty, attempting to ram toxic and unnecessary pipelines like Keystone XL, Dakota Access, and Line 3 through sacred Indigenous land and waters, while perpetuating threats and violence against Indigenous womxn, girls, and two-spirit people," said Yakupitiyage.</p>
<div id="ef565" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9cdfa0e287c7703a509672ed361c63a4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331660175024001025" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We are seeing day in and day out black and brown organizers across Minnesota gather to resist the Line 3 pipeline t… https://t.co/FDHSaEDRpJ</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1331660175024001025">1606327501.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"Transformative climate solutions to truly tackle the root of climate change require systemic action to decolonize from the very systems that have created the crisis in the first place," she added. "Our leap toward a just recovery must start with honoring treaties with sovereign Indigenous nations and returning land back to Native peoples. The time is now for meaningful care and repair."</p><p>For months, 350.org has spearheaded global calls for a just recovery from the pandemic — <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/30/ahead-may-day-500-groups-worldwide-demand-just-and-visionary-recovery-covid-19" target="_blank">demanding</a> that policymakers prioritize human health, provide economic relief directly to the people, help workers and communities rather than corporate executives, work to create resilience for future crises, and build solidarity across borders.</p><p>Yakupitiyage's comments centering Indigenous communities in relation to a just recovery come as Biden is facing calls from Native Americans and climate campaigners to consider appointing Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), a member of Pueblo of Laguna, as his interior secretary. Two years ago, she and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) became the first two Native American women elected to Congress.</p>
<div id="defe7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f8197a96f6d6b3f20364ebc2044701d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1329136271717851136" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">When we say #landback, it means fundamentally undoing the harm that has been done to Indian Ppl...appointing an Ind… https://t.co/I7y4j0MvdU</div> — NDN Collective (@NDN Collective)<a href="https://twitter.com/ndncollective/statuses/1329136271717851136">1605725755.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Broadly, Biden is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/20/new-no-corporate-cabinet-campaign-pushes-biden-pick-people-who-will-advance-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">facing</a> pressure from progressives — and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/new-poll-shows-68-americans-want-senators-block-any-corporate-biden-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">public opinion</a> — to stock the next administration, including his Cabinet, with people committed to serving in the public interest rather than corporate insiders. Earlier this month, the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats launched a campaign that includes Cabinet suggestions; Haaland is among them.</p><p>"A visionary secretary of the interior has enormous latitude to crack down on giveaways to fossil fuel corporations, like permits to drill for oil on public lands and in public waters. With a progressive leader at the helm, we can make real progress," the groups explain on the campaign website.</p><p>"As the first Native American to hold this position, Rep. Deb Haaland would usher in a new era of Indigenous authority over stolen land," they added. "She is a fierce ally of our movement who has fought for renewable energy job creation in the House as vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands."</p>
<div id="5b957" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="519eba91a8fc7d7ef319cba86cf1960f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331383407255969792" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Secretary of the Interior oversees the management and conservation of federal lands.
Who better to head the de… https://t.co/f1IJwNd1Bt</div> — Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@Sunrise Movement 🌅)<a href="https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/statuses/1331383407255969792">1606261514.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Haaland <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/23/937756927/rep-haaland-cabinet-pick-would-mean-a-lot-to-indian-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discussed</a> the potential nomination on NPR this week, telling Rachel Martin, "First of all, it would mean a lot to Indian Country."</p><p>"When Sharice [Davids] and I got sworn in, everybody was so happy," said the congresswoman. "It means a lot to a group of people who have been here since time immemorial to know that they're truly being represented. I think it would really change the way people see our federal government."</p><p>"Being able to listen," Haaland added, "being able to move issues forward, bringing people to the table — I think that would make a huge difference."</p><p>From Arizona to Wisconsin, reporters have highlighted in the messy aftermath of Election Day that Native voters were key contributors to Biden's victory over President Donald Trump, who has yet to formally concede even though the transition process is already underway.</p>
<div id="cedbb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fd66c0f753f0ad581dcb839602f0738c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1329876320470360068" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW from me for @CBSNews: Native American turnout in Arizona surged this year. Biden won Arizona by nearly 12,000 v… https://t.co/sMmk2La1nw</div> — Grace Segers (@Grace Segers)<a href="https://twitter.com/Grace_Segers/statuses/1329876320470360068">1605902197.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="e082d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8f5d07fe514d9d2156acd08cd74909c3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330489726516793348" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">When we talk about the rural vote, remember that it is incredibly diverse, and that Democrats can and must recogniz… https://t.co/TNDWMHgT0L</div> — John Nichols (@John Nichols)<a href="https://twitter.com/NicholsUprising/statuses/1330489726516793348">1606048444.0</a></blockquote></div><p>After election-callers and major news networks named Biden the winner, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez <a href="https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/the-native-vote-turned-out-so-today-it-s-celebration-F77qX2eKZ0mGV-SJhcxz9g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released</a> a statement noting the significance of the Native vote.</p><p>"The First Americans of this country, including a large majority of Navajo voters, had a major impact in the outcome of the presidential election in several swing states — that needs to be recognized and acknowledged by all," he said. "Both campaigns fought hard for Native American votes, particularly Navajo votes, and that's truly a reflection of the growing influence and power of tribal nations across the country."</p><p>Nez, who met with Biden and Harris to discuss tribal policy, added that "the Navajo Nation now looks forward to working together with the Biden-Harris administration to put that plan into action."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/biden-urged-honor-indigenous-sovereignty-and-immediately-halt-fossil-fuel-pipelines" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Returning the ‘Three Sisters’ – Corn, Beans and Squash – to Native American Farms Nourishes People, Land and Cultures
26 November
Food
Marilyn Angel Wynn / Getty Images
By Christina Gish Hill
Historians know that turkey and corn were part of the first Thanksgiving, when Wampanoag peoples shared a harvest meal with the pilgrims of Plymouth plantation in Massachusetts. And traditional Native American farming practices tell us that squash and beans likely were part of that 1621 dinner too.
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For centuries before Europeans reached North America, many Native Americans grew these foods together in one plot, along with the less familiar sunflower. They called the plants sisters to reflect how they thrived when they were cultivated together.
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Today
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/04/native-americans-stories-california" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three-quarters of Native Americans live off of reservations</a>, mainly in urban areas. And nationwide, many Native American communities <a href="https://civileats.com/2019/07/24/indigenous-food-security-is-dependent-on-food-sovereignty/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lack access to healthy food</a>. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yCZ-SMUAAAAJ&hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scholar of Indigenous studies</a> focusing on Native relationships with the land, I began to wonder why Native farming practices had declined and what benefits could emerge from bringing them back.
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<p>To answer these questions, I am working with <a href="https://www.agron.iastate.edu/people/marshall-mcdaniel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">agronomist Marshall McDaniel</a>, <a href="https://www.hort.iastate.edu/directory/ajay-nair/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">horticulturalist Ajay Nair</a>, <a href="https://www.globe.iastate.edu/staff/donna-winham/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nutritionist Donna Winham</a> and Native gardening projects in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Our research project, "Reuniting the Three Sisters," explores what it means to be a responsible caretaker of the land from the perspective of peoples who have been balancing agricultural production with sustainability for hundreds of years.</p>
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Abundant Harvests
<p>Historically, Native people throughout the Americas bred indigenous plant varieties specific to the growing conditions of their homelands. They selected seeds for many different traits, such as <a href="https://emergencemagazine.org/story/corn-tastes-better/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flavor, texture and color</a>.</p><p>Native growers knew that planting corn, beans, squash and sunflowers together produced mutual benefits. Corn stalks created a trellis for beans to climb, and beans' twining vines secured the corn in high winds. They also certainly observed that corn and bean plants growing together tended to be healthier than when raised separately. Today we know the reason: Bacteria living on bean plant roots pull nitrogen – an essential plant nutrient – from the air and <a href="http://www.tilthalliance.org/learn/resources-1/almanac/october/octobermngg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">convert it to a form that both beans and corn can use</a>.</p><p>Squash plants contributed by shading the ground with their broad leaves, preventing weeds from growing and retaining water in the soil. Heritage squash varieties also had spines that discouraged deer and raccoons from visiting the garden for a snack. And sunflowers planted around the edges of the garden created a natural fence, protecting other plants from wind and animals and attracting pollinators.</p><p>Interplanting these agricultural sisters produced bountiful harvests that sustained large Native communities and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/eam.2015.0016" target="_blank">spurred fruitful trade economies</a>. The first Europeans who reached the Americas were shocked at the abundant food crops they found. My research is exploring how, 200 years ago, Native American agriculturalists around the Great Lakes and along the Missouri and Red rivers fed fur traders with their diverse vegetable products.</p><div id="b473d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="02bce33cbe23b74661e1a9279fef31bc"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
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Displaced From the Land
<p>As Euro-Americans settled permanently on the most fertile North American lands and acquired seeds that Native growers had carefully bred, they imposed policies that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/87.2.550" target="_blank">made Native farming practices impossible</a>. In 1830 President Andrew Jackson signed the <a href="https://guides.loc.gov/indian-removal-act" target="_blank">Indian Removal Act</a>, which made it official U.S. policy to force Native peoples from their home locations, pushing them onto subpar lands.</p><p>On reservations, U.S. government officials discouraged Native women from cultivating anything larger than small garden plots and pressured Native men to practice Euro-American style monoculture. Allotment policies assigned small plots to nuclear families, further limiting Native Americans' access to land and preventing them from using communal farming practices.</p><p>Native children were forced to attend boarding schools, where they had no opportunity to <a href="https://doi.org/10.5749/jamerindieduc.57.1.0145" target="_blank">learn Native agriculture techniques or preservation and preparation of Indigenous foods</a>. Instead they were forced to eat Western foods, turning their palates away from their traditional preferences. Taken together, these policies <a href="https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-0802-7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">almost entirely eradicated three sisters agriculture</a> from Native communities in the Midwest by the 1930s.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgyNzYyMi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzM2MjkwOX0.kTWQ0TwFFU0ZF3yKNzQn9zq_ouX0TpVY2oZUE-XvPbM/img.png?width=980" id="a58aa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d5f239c5d47ebaf3157af1fe8bb54ba" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region pre-European settlement. Milwaukee Public Museum / CC BY-ND
Reviving Native Agriculture
<p>Today Native people all over the U.S. are working diligently to <a href="https://www.oupress.com/books/15107980/indigenous-food-sovereignty-in-the-united-sta" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reclaim Indigenous varieties of corn, beans, squash, sunflowers and other crops</a>. This effort is important for many reasons.</p><p>Improving Native people's access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods will help lower rates of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aian-diabetes/index.html" target="_blank">diabetes</a> and <a href="https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/native-american/obesity" target="_blank">obesity</a>, which affect Native Americans at disproportionately high rates. Sharing traditional knowledge about agriculture is a way for elders to pass cultural information along to younger generations. Indigenous growing techniques also protect the lands that Native nations now inhabit, and can potentially benefit the wider ecosystems around them.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="82270cf0c87ca398f9818159ccc7e015"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IooHPLjXi2g?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>But Native communities often lack access to resources such as farming equipment, soil testing, fertilizer and pest prevention techniques. This is what inspired Iowa State University's Three Sisters Gardening Project. We work collaboratively with Native farmers at <a href="https://gardenwarriorsgoodseeds.com/2015/01/19/tsyunhehkw-oneida-nation-wisconsin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tsyunhehkw</a>, a community agriculture program, and the <a href="https://www.wisconsinlife.org/story/the-lands-we-share-laura-manthe-the-oneida-white-corn-growers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ohelaku Corn Growers Co-Op</a> on the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin; the <a href="http://72.15.165.18/index.php/en/nebraska-indian-community-college/about-nicc-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nebraska Indian College</a>, which serves the Omaha and Santee Sioux in Nebraska; and <a href="https://dreamofwildhealth.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dream of Wild Health</a>, a nonprofit organization that works to reconnect the Native American community in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, with traditional Native plants and their culinary, medicinal and spiritual uses.</p><p>We are growing three sisters research plots at ISU's Horticulture Farm and in each of these communities. Our project also runs workshops on topics of interests to Native gardeners, encourages local soil health testing and grows rare seeds to <a href="https://doi.org/10.17953/aicrj.41.3.hill" target="_blank">rematriate them</a>, or return them to their home communities.<br></p><p>The monocropping industrial agricultural systems that produce much of the U.S. food supply <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-agriculture-needs-a-21st-century-new-deal-112757" target="_blank">harms the environment, rural communities and human health and safety in many ways</a>. By growing corn, beans and squash in research plots, we are helping to quantify how intercropping <a href="https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.7.1.2016.721" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">benefits both plants and soil</a>.</p><p>By documenting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2016.1227750" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">limited nutritional offerings at reservation grocery stores</a>, we are demonstrating the need for Indigenous gardens in Native communities. By interviewing Native growers and elders knowledgeable about foodways, we are illuminating how healing Indigenous gardening practices can be for Native communities and people – their bodies, minds and spirits.</p><p>Our Native collaborators are benefiting from the project through rematriation of rare seeds grown in ISU plots, workshops on topics they select and the new relationships they are building with Native gardeners across the Midwest. As researchers, we are learning about what it means to work collaboratively and to conduct research that respects protocols our Native collaborators value, such as treating seeds, plants and soil in a culturally appropriate manner. By listening with humility, we are working to build a network where we can all learn from one another.</p><p><em>Christina Gish Hill is an associate professor of Anthropology at Iowa State University.</em></p><p><em>Disclosure statement: Christina Gish Hill receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/returning-the-three-sisters-corn-beans-and-squash-to-native-american-farms-nourishes-people-land-and-cultures-149230/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. </em><br></p>
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Flint corn is an example of pre-contact food. Elenathewise / Getty Images
By Ashia Aubourg
As Thanksgiving approaches, some Indigenous organizations and activists caution against perpetuating further injustices towards Native communities. Indigenous activist Mariah Gladstone, for example, encourages eaters to celebrate the harvest time in ways that do not involve stereotypes and pilgrim stories.
<p>Critics of Thanksgiving often point to the familiar narrative of gathering between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag. They say that this story whitewashes the history of <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2019/11/27/thanksgiving-colonial-gap-heal/" target="_blank">settler colonialism</a> and the genocide of Native peoples, contributing to the <a href="https://www.powwows.com/issues-and-problems-facing-native-americans-today/" target="_blank">modern injustices</a> facing Native communities.</p><p>Many also argue that through these false narratives and accompanying actions, such as playing dress-up in inaccurate Native attire, the holiday perpetuates the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/thanksgiving-dont-celebrate-native-americans-controversial-why-history-pilgrims-a8636201.html" target="_blank">cultural appropriation</a> of Indigenous traditions and embraces <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sean-sherman-sioux-chef-thanksgiving_l_5f904626c5b686eaaa0d36fb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stereotypes</a> of Native peoples.</p><p>In response, many communities are calling for allies to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F2xOj_0IVTZCS0Dj-xdxcWKgvGRlN6qCrQLndpgyHqw/mobilebasic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unlearn</a> the harmful history of Thanksgiving. Others also choose to celebrate the holiday while rejecting the status quo by decolonizing or re-indigenizing Thanksgiving. <a href="https://www.wellforculture.com/ancestral-eating" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Re-indigenizing</a> can involve cooking a dish inspired by ancestral diets with pre-contact ingredients—foods that Native communities in North America had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIv4gxAMUPw&ab_channel=TheMontanaExperience%3AStoriesfromBigSkyCountry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">access to</a> before the arrival of colonizers—or even reconnecting with food's <a href="https://indigenousvalues.org/contributions/native-american-foods-medicines/?v=7516fd43adaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a>. Through this process, communities argue that they can take steps to honor indigenous peoples' traditional foodways.</p><p>In honor of this work, Food Tank is standing with and highlighting organizations renouncing the traditional story of Thanksgiving and honoring Indigenous communities.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>1. Cheyenne River Youth Project, Eagle Butte, South Dakota</strong></p><p>The Cheyenne River community faces high rates of <a href="https://www.lakotatimes.com/articles/cheyenne-river-receives-30600-pounds-of-food/" target="_blank">food insecurity</a> as a result of decades of inequities. Founded in 1988, the <a href="https://lakotayouth.org/about/mission-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cheyenne River Youth Project</a> addresses the community's need for more services that support children and their families. In previous years, the organization hosted a free dinner and celebration event called <a href="https://lakotayouth.org/2013/11/25th-anniversary-thanks-for-kids-dinner-scheduled-for-november-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thanks for Kids</a>, serving 250 community members. The Project grows most of the ingredients for these dinners on their local two-acre, pesticide-free Winyan Toka Win garden.</p><p><strong>2. First Nations Development Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico</strong></p><p>Founded in 1980, <a href="https://www.firstnations.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">First Nations Development Institute</a> works to improve economic conditions for Native Americans through direct financial grants, technical assistance, advocacy, and policy. First Nations publishes <a href="https://www.firstnations.org/news/understanding-thanksgiving-from-our-side-of-the-table/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">resources</a> challenging historical myths surrounding Thanksgiving and offers action steps to support Native communities. These action steps include: <a href="https://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learning about</a> and <a href="http://firstnations.org/grantee-directory/?_ga=2.138474106.851862621.1605209533-1503234898.1605209533" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supporting</a> food sovereignty and language preservation efforts by investing directly in Native-led initiatives, watching an informational <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjeKlog4QfE&t=37s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> that challenges misconceptions and stereotypes about Native peoples, and sharing stories about Native resilience.</p>
<p><strong>3. I-Collective, United States</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.icollectiveinc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">I-Collective</a> strives to create new narratives that emphasize Indigenous communities' resilience and contribution to gastronomy innovations, agriculture, the arts, and society. The group aims to revise Thanksgiving by raising awareness of colonialism's impact on the current fight for food sovereignty. I-Collective urges people to unlearn the history of <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F2xOj_0IVTZCS0Dj-xdxcWKgvGRlN6qCrQLndpgyHqw/mobilebasic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thankstaking</a>, offering a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F2xOj_0IVTZCS0Dj-xdxcWKgvGRlN6qCrQLndpgyHqw/mobilebasic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">collection of resources</a> to support education.</p><p><strong>4. Indigikitchen, Northwest Montana</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.indigikitchen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indigikitchen</a> is an online cooking show that hopes to inspire cooks to re-indigenize their diets. Founder Mariah Gladstone is recognized as a <a href="https://www.cnay.org/mariah-gladstone-releases-new-indigikitchen-video/" target="_blank">champion of change</a> by the Center for Native American Youth. In past years, the show has hosted <a href="https://www.indigikitchen.com/event/real-meals-decolonizing-thanksgiving/" target="_blank">cooking classes</a> focused on re-indigenizing Thanksgiving. According to Indigikitchen, re-indigenizing Thanksgiving involves rejecting the myths and stereotypes of Native peoples and cooking pre-contact foods.</p>
<p><strong>5. International Indigenous Youth Council, United States</strong></p><p>The <a href="https://indigenousyouth.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC)</a> creates safe spaces for youth through education, spiritual practices, and civic engagement. This year, IIYC is hosting a live discussion in collaboration with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wp4bl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">White People for Black Lives</a> on Thankstaking, aiming to provide an opportunity for viewers to engage more deeply with the history of Thanksgiving. IIYC believes that discussions such as this build knowledge and awareness and hopes to address the legacies of false history telling.</p><p><strong>6. Native Americans in Philanthropy, United States</strong></p><p><a href="https://nativephilanthropy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Native Americans in Philanthropy</a> promotes equitable and effective philanthropy in Native communities, such as COVID-19 emergency food supplies. Edgar Villanueva, Chair of the organization's Board of Directors, critiqued colonialist dynamics in philanthropy through his book <a href="https://www.decolonizingwealth.com/" target="_blank"><em>Decolonizing Wealth</em></a>. Villanueva has also <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2019/11/27/thanksgiving-colonial-gap-heal/" target="_blank">spoken out</a> about Thanksgiving, arguing that it is necessary to tell the true story of the holiday's past to avoid repeating the trauma Indigenous peoples have faced.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>7. NDN Collective, Rapid City, South Dakota</strong></p><p><a href="https://ndncollective.org/" target="_blank">NDN Collective</a> is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. NDN Collective works to achieve its mission through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change. In 2018, NDN published a <a href="https://ndncollective.org/decolonizing-thanksgiving-and-reviving-indigenous-relationships-to-food/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">piece</a> emphasizing the need to decolonize Thanksgiving and revive Indigenous relationships to food.</p><p><strong>8. Seeding Sovereignty, United States</strong></p><p><a href="https://seedingsovereignty.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Seeding Sovereignty</a> is an Indigenous-led collective that radicalizes and disrupts colonized spaces through land, body, food sovereignty work, community building, and cultural preservation. The collective educates their communities about Thanksgiving's history by reclaiming the holiday as <a href="https://seedingsovereignty.org/truthsgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Truthsgiving</a><u>.</u> They also amplify events conducted by Indigenous leaders from across the nation as they celebrate, educate, and honor the First Peoples of these lands for Truthsgiving 2020. Seeding Sovereignty asks that allies support Indigenous folks not only in November but every day of the year.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>9. Sioux Chef, Minneapolis, Minnesota</strong></p><p><a href="https://sioux-chef.com/about/" target="_blank">Sioux Chef</a> is committed to revitalizing Native American cuisine by reclaiming an influential culinary culture that is long-buried and often inaccessible. Many Indigenous people refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving in protest. But Sean Sherman, founder of the Sioux Chef, encourages those who participate in the holiday to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sean-sherman-sioux-chef-thanksgiving_l_5f904626c5b686eaaa0d36fb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rethink Thanksgiving</a> by acknowledging the true history, honoring the hardships of Native peoples, and creating a new celebration of the holiday.</p><p><strong>10. Toasted Sister Podcast, Albuquerque, New Mexico</strong></p><p>Founded in 2017, <a href="http://toastedsisterpodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toasted Sister Podcast</a> highlights Native chefs and eaters' stories about Indigenous cuisine, where it comes from, where it's headed, and how it connects Native peoples and their communities to traditions. Andi Murphy, the founder of Toasted Sister Podcast, hopes to use the platform to illuminate the false narrative around Thanksgiving and help others reject that story. The Toasted Sister Podcast also offers various Native food culture episodes and provides <a href="https://toastedsisterpodcast.com/native-owned-food-companies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">guides</a> to support the Native community.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/11/organizations-honoring-native-peoples-history-future-on-thanksgiving/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Largest Dam Removal Project in U.S. History Restarts With Interstate Partnership
18 November
Popular
The John C. Boyle Dam is one of four dams on the Klamath River to be removed. Bobjgalindo / CC BY-SA 3.0
In a historic move to resurrect the largest dam removal project in the U.S., Oregon, California, the Yurok Tribe and the Karuk Tribe signed an agreement on Tuesday to push forward on dam removal.
<p>The two states take on the liability of the project, along with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit in charge of the demolition, after the project stalled in July.</p><p>The dam removal project is essential to the tribes in the region — the Klamath River on the Oregon-California border — and will reopen hundreds of miles of river access to salmon that have been blocked for more than a century, in what is seen as one of the largest salmon restoration attempts in U.S. history. The removal would drain large reservoirs and reshape California's second-largest river.</p>
<p>The dams are not a part of the irrigation infrastructure in the region and are used only for power generation.</p><p>If U.S. regulators approve the plan, the project will remove four hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath River. Legal challenges have stymied the plans from coming to fruition, as environmentalists and tribes had hoped demolition would start by 2022.</p><p>"The Klamath River is a centerpiece of tribal community, culture and sustenance and a national ecological treasure," California governor Gavin Newsom said in a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/11/17/governor-newsom-oregon-governor-brown-tribal-leaders-and-klamath-dam-owner-announce-agreement-to-advance-historic-salmon-restoration-plan/?utm_source=California+Trout+List&utm_campaign=5380e844e9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_Trout_Clout_Klamath_MOU&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cf2a51cf18-5380e844e9-232605593&mc_cid=5380e844e9&mc_eid=eeeff31369" target="_blank">statement</a> about the partnership. "With this agreement, we are closer than ever to restoring access to 400 miles of salmon habitat which will be a boon to the local economy."</p><p>In July, the project <a href="https://apnews.com/article/123f20f9e4b8948cf7d948482a8eec1d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">was stalled</a> due to questions by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission concerning cost overruns and accidents, and if the Klamath River Renewal Corporation was in a fecund position to handle any upcoming issues.</p><p>However, the new state partnership adds an influx of $45 million to the project's $450 budget. The $45 million will be paid between Oregon, California, and the utility PacifiCorp as a contingency fund. PacifiCorp operates the dams and is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, one of billionaire Warren Buffett's companies.</p>
<p>Back in July the FERC found it necessary to keep PacifiCorp on the project as a co-licensee, although PacifiCorp was always in line to be removed from the deal, as it promised public utility commissions in Oregon and California, to better serve its ratepayers. If left on the deal as a co-licensee, by federal law PacifiCorp could end up paying itself to install fish ladders — concrete chutes in structures that fish pass through — to help the salmon migrate to spawning waters upstream.</p><p>In the new agreement, if approved by regulators, PacifiCorp would be removed as a co-licensee.</p><p>"As Yurok tribal people, it is our sacred duty to bring balance to the Klamath River," Yurok Tribe Chair Joseph James said in a <a href="http://www.klamathrenewal.org/bi-state-agreement-with-klamath-dam-owner-advances-historic-salmon-restoration-plan/?fbclid=IwAR0PixUu9UBM18PIx3FpPZOZJSo6XFNF2EZfydf1mTN7-k-j2AAO70XAN4A" target="_blank">KRRC statement</a>.</p><p>"At its heart, dam removal is about healing and restoration for the river, for the salmon, and for our people. We have never wavered from this obligation and we are pleased to see dam removal come closer to reality through this agreement. Reaching this important milestone would not be possible without the many tribal people who have dedicated their lives to restoring the river."</p>
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On September 4, 2019, a tree house with solar collectors has been rebuilt by the residents in the Hambach forest. Roland Weihrauch / picture alliance / Getty Images
By Jeannette Cwienk
Shubham Mani Tripathi, newspaper reporter, India: shot dead in June 2020 for exposing illegal sand mining. Maria Efigenia Vasquez Astudillo, radio reporter, Colombia: struck and killed by a projectile in October 2017 while covering clashes between the Indigenous community and local police. Joseph Oduha, journalist, South Sudan: fled the country in 2019 after imprisonment and torture for uncovering environmental destruction by international oil companies.
<p>These are just three of the individuals highlighted by Reporters without Borders (RSF). According to the press freedom group, at least 20 journalists have died over the past decade as a result of their reporting on cases of environmental destruction.</p>
Indigenous Communities Threatened
<p>Environmental journalists in Europe also face intimidation and harassment, said RSF spokesperson Christoph Dreyer, pointing to cases connected to the destruction of the Hambach Forest in northwestern Germany or unsustainable agriculture practices in Brittany, France. But most of these attacks, more than 65%, are recorded in Asia and the Americas.</p><p><span></span>"These cases exist in places where raw materials are being mined or where land is being seized for agriculture, in countries where the government is on the side of industry," said Dreyer.</p><p>It's in these areas, where Indigenous communities often live amid untapped natural resources and unspoiled forest, where local journalists are usually the first to report on the conflicts. Often, they're the only ones on the scene."</p><p>In some Latin American countries, the dominant traditional media are heavily controlled by the economic and political elites," said Dreyer. "They often hold back from critical reporting on environmental issues, because it clashes with their interests." As a result, when local media decide to take a closer look they're put under extreme pressure, he added.</p>Local Journalists Under Pressure
<p>The work of local journalists is extremely important for Indigenous communities, said Kathrin Wessendorf, head of the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). "Each Indigenous community has its own language, and only community reporters can report in that language," she told DW. "They also know how best to approach the community to spread the message."</p><p>Patricia Gualinga, who fights for Indigenous rights in Ecuador, told DW that large national media networks are often slow to report on environmental and human rights issues. "It's really very difficult to get coverage on TV. And if an issue isn't reported by the media, it doesn't exist," she said.</p><p>Gualinga belongs to the Sarayaku Indigenous group who, in 2002, sued the state of Ecuador at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for giving the go-ahead to oil drilling ventures on their land without consulting them. Numerous attempts to intimidate the group were made during the litigation process — especially against Gualinga, who represented the Sarayaku in court. But in 2012, judges ruled in their favor and awarded the community $1.3 million (€1.1 million) in damages.</p><p>Violence against environmental activists has increased significantly in recent years, as shown in <a href="https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/defending-tomorrow/" target="_blank">a report</a> released by the environmental and human rights organization Global Witness in July. According to Global Witness, 212 environmentalists were murdered worldwide in 2019 — the highest number the group has recorded in a single year.</p>
Media Coverage Provides Protection
<p>Journalism is needed to bring such crimes to light, said Wessendorf, adding that international media have a particularly important responsibility.</p><p>"Journalists can bring the human rights violations often associated with environmental destruction to the attention of the wider public," she said. "This, in turn, can lead to international solidarity and put pressure on governments or companies."</p><p>Media coverage of the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/amazon-rainforest-fire-deforestation-mining-slash-and-burn-brazil/a-54486689" target="_blank">widespread fires in the Amazon region</a> in 2019 and 2020, for example, brought the issue to a global audience, highlighting the destructive practice of slash-and-burn agriculture and the treatment of Indigenous peoples. This has led to support from many international campaigns.</p><p>"International solidarity is very important for the local population," said Gualinga. "When they realize they're no longer alone, that they're visible and supported by others, it also helps ease their fear."</p>
Documenting Violence and Intimidation Across Borders
<p>Gualinga and other media workers from Latin America discussed the role of journalism in the fight for environmental protection and human rights during a <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/gmf-digital-session-tierra-de-resistentes-defending-the-planet/a-55397748" target="_blank">a recent panel discussion</a>at DW's Global Media Forum. Also taking part was Andres Bermudez Lievano, a Colombian journalist and one of the editors of <a href="https://tierraderesistentes.com/en/" target="_blank"><em>Tierra de Resistentes ("Land of Resistants"</em>)</a>. The investigative data journalism project, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, was launched by Colombian Journalists' Association, Consejo de Redaccion, with the support of the DW Akademie.</p><p>In the project, journalists from 10 different countries documented the fates of hundreds of environmental activists in Latin America who have been threatened and killed for their work. Nearly 2,400 cases have been compiled to date, with some now taken up by UN organizations.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3b09babc35e312a3abf9c71bc089d4fa"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=376216886918307" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>"It was only with this transnational project that we were able to realize how big the problem of violence and intimidation really is, and that ethnic minorities are particularly affected," said Lievano.</p><p>What also became clear was how little authorities were doing to address the problem. Of all the documented cases, only 12% made it to court — and just 10 victims saw justice. Bermudez highlighted a particularly shocking detail: in more than half of the cases, authorities were informed ahead of time of planned efforts to silence environmentalists.</p>
<p>Protecting sources, therefore, is a top priority for the <em>Tierra de Resistentes</em> project, and the reporters are very careful in their work. "In certain regions, we report back to the editorial office every hour, so that everyone knows where we are and whether everything is okay," said Bermudez. "We announce our route ahead of time, detail who we're meeting with and if anything has changed."</p><p>Using international associations, networks and public visibility, journalists can continue to report on environmental efforts. Without them, warns Reporters Without Borders, these stories will go untold — and the environmental destruction will continue.</p><p><em>This article has been adapted from German.</em></p><p><em></em><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/environmental-justice-reporters-face-deadly-threats-intimidation/a-55593140" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2648953447#/" target="_self"></a></p>
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Indigenous and Climate Leaders Outraged Over Minnesota Permits for Line 3 Pipeline
13 November
Energy
Climate campaigners and Indigenous groups in Minnesota continue to fight against Enbridge's Line 3 Pipeline. honortheearth / Instagram
By Jessica Corbett
Environmental and Indigenous leaders on Thursday responded with alarm after Minnesota regulators approved key permits for Enbridge Energy's planned Line 3 Pipeline replacement, and called on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to block any construction for the Canadian company's long-delayed multibillion-dollar project.
<p>"Gov. Walz has apparently decided that if Washington won't lead on climate, Minnesota won't either," said Andy Pearson, MN350's Midwest tar sands coordinator, in a statement about the permits. "Make no mistake. "This decision is a sharp escalation against water protectors and climate science."</p><p>The Associated Press <a href="https://wtop.com/national/2020/11/minnesota-grants-key-permits-for-line-3-crude-oil-pipeline/" target="_blank">reported</a> that "the approvals from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources clear the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the remaining federal permits, which is expected to happen fairly quickly. The MPCA could then approve a final construction storm water permit that's meant to protect surface waters from pollutant runoff."</p><p>As Leo Golden, vice president of Line 3 execution, called it "a big day for Line 3 in Minnesota" and said that "these authorizations and approvals are an important step towards construction," Pearson and other <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/30/documents-show-police-using-private-security-firms-target-anti-pipeline-organizers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">critics</a> of the crude oil project reiterated their <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/#intro" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">opposition</a>, citing both treaty rights and climate science.</p>
<p>"Line 3 is facing multiple court challenges by Native nations, grassroots groups, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce," Pearson noted. "This decision means that Enbridge may launch construction while the overall need and legality of the pipeline are being fought in court, including by a state agency."</p><p>"There is a good chance that courts will find the pipeline was approved illegally," he said. "It's just common sense, then, to demand that the state immediately halt Enbridge's progress toward construction while those important legal challenges play out."</p>
<div id="9a7ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="956d3010cce9847c21f3033442e74ea3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326985189948420096" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We're beginning construction on an unnecessary, dangerous oil pipeline, in the middle of a climate crisis. In the m… https://t.co/1lpCIYHYrL</div> — Tim Schaefer (@Tim Schaefer)<a href="https://twitter.com/tharoldschaefer/statuses/1326985189948420096">1605212898.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In February 2019, Walz <a href="https://twitter.com/govtimwalz/status/1095374006071504896?lang=en" target="_blank">said publicly</a> that projects like Line 3 "don't just need a building permit to go forward, they also need a social permit." At the time, the governor was <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/12/what-dem-leadership-looks-minnesota-gov-praised-backing-fight-against-line-3-tar" target="_blank">praised</a> for "<a href="https://twitter.com/HonorTheEarth/status/1095329273932587008?s=20" target="_blank">working for the people first not a foreign pipeline company</a>" by deciding to renew a challenge launched by his predecessor against the project.</p><p>"It's clear now that Gov. Walz's wish for Line 3 to have 'a social permit' was all talk and no action," Pearson declared. "This is a deeply unpopular pipeline that is a disaster for our climate, and it will be fought every step of the way. The climate justice movement will still stop the pipeline, but the governor has made that unnecessarily harder."</p><p>The permits come less than a week after major news outlets called the presidential contest for President-elect Joe Biden. Though he has faced calls from campaigners to go even further, Biden has still put forth climate action plans that dramatically contrast with the pro-corporate polluter agenda of President Donald Trump.</p><p>"President Trump spent four years angling to protect the profits of Big Oil rather than protecting our planet," said Pearson. "Minnesota loudly rejected that kind of destructive leadership. The governor had all the legal tools he needed to stop this environmentally catastrophic pipeline. Why would he instead give Trump a parting gift like this in the last days of his term?"</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/12/nightmarish-indigenous-and-climate-leaders-outraged-over-minnesota-permits-line-3" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>
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LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, right, a Water Protector and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota and South Dakota, at a demonstration in New York City on April 23, 2019, to show solidarity with "Terra Livre," the national Indigenous mobilization in Brazil. ERIK MCGREGOR / LIGHTROCKET / GETTY IMAGES
By Rena Priest
Storytellers are the makers of culture and the shapers of consciousness. The word "author" is from the Latin word auctus, which translates literally to "one who causes to grow." As storytellers, we plant beliefs that blossom into the structure of the world. In these times, we need a new structure — a narrative built on climate justice.
<p>Think of all the books you've read, the movies you've seen, the male voices who've spoken to you from pages and screens. Think of times when athletes, celebrities, and fictional characters have been your heroes. Did they look like you?</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAfGMAuuwjc" target="_blank">Elvis Presley once said</a>, "When I was a child … I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times." He identified with heroes who looked like him. He grew up to be the King.</p><p>For millennia, storytellers have written about <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-lady-heros-journey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the hero's journey to celebrate men</a> (particularly men of means or athletic ability) and to uphold the status quo. They become heroes by vanquishing villains who are almost always Brown, foreign, or feminine. The fight for climate justice requires a shift away from stories that elevate the White, male warrior or protector. In these times, the war they are fighting is not against the forces of evil. These supposed heroes today are <a href="https://qz.com/quartzy/1624617/marvels-avengers-endgame-is-a-climate-change-movie-in-disguise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fighting against the forces of change</a> — much-needed change. Though the faces they're fighting are the same.</p>
<p>What if none of the heroes in books or movies ever looked like you? What if you always resembled the villain? What if you and everyone else in the world believed in that vision, so when you placed your Brown body in front of a wall of armored police, by default you became the villain and the police became the heroes? And when you cried out from your Brown face, "Water is life!" your message was not heard as a profound truth, but as defiant madness to be put down. When they tear gas you, turn fire hoses on you, and beat you on live TV, then take you to jail, society looks on and believes justice is being done. This is the tragedy we are living.</p><p>Climate protesters are collectively identified as agitators. At the same time, <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/05/the-myth-of-the-hero-cop-police-unions-have-spread-a-dangerous-message-about-americas-law-enforcement-officers.html" target="_blank">cops are seen as heroes</a> based solely on their chosen occupation. Changing the mythology requires changing how we identify a hero.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://progressive.org/dispatches/canadian-oil-companies-trample-rights/" target="_blank">Winona LaDuke said</a>, "Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you an activist, and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn't make a corporation a terrorist." You may have seen this quote before. It's made the rounds on the internet, but it bears repeating. Every advertiser knows the power of repetition. If you have the money or leverage, you can repeat your message a hundred times an hour. You can repeat it until everyone gets it and buys what you're selling.</p><p>As a culture, we need to learn to celebrate climate defenders as heroes. We need stories that reflect the Brown, foreign, and female among us in a positive light so that their strength is passed on to those who might be inspired to become real heroes. This is how climate defenders, as the heroes they are, will truly save the world.</p>
<h2>The "Indian" Story</h2><p>Fifty years ago, <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/why-steven-spielberg-is-right-about-superhero-movies-being-the-new-western/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the taming of the Wild West</a> was among the most widely told stories on the planet. On any given weekend, a boy could turn on the TV and see his blue-eyed hero gun down Indians in the street. Classic movie networks rerun these stories in movie marathons so you can watch White men protecting their townsfolk from "savages" all day long. Repetition is how <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1484114/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the cowboy and Indian story</a> was sold to the generation of baby boomers who now govern.</p><p>Yes, it's fiction, but it's also the only representation of Indigenous identity that some people have encountered. Duncan McCue, creator of the journalist's guide to "Reporting in Indigenous Communities," was once told by a tribal elder that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/what-it-takes-for-aboriginal-people-to-make-the-news-1.2514466" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the only way an Indian would make news</a> "is if he or she were one of the 4Ds: drumming, dancing, drunk, or dead."</p><p>To correct this, and to better steward this planet on which we depend, we must tell stories that celebrate Indigenous world views and values. And then we must repeat them, not just during Indigenous history month, but all day, every day, all week, every week, all year round, every year for decades, until the oversold fallacy that nature must be subdued and "settled" is dispelled and replaced by the truth that nature must be restored and protected.</p>
<p>Elevating Indigenous voices addresses the climate crisis because <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/environment.html" target="_blank">Indigenous issues are environmental issues, which are human rights issues</a>. When tribes win fights against pipelines and coal trains, your rights to a healthy sustainable world are protected too. When the rights of nature are restored, your rights are restored too.</p><p>Scientists usually categorize Indigenous cultures as "hunter-gatherer" societies, but the truth is that before ecological disruption wrought by newcomers, we were more like permaculturists. The Earth cultivates a beautiful variety of sustenance. Before nature was "conquered," it provided a prosperous way of being, which required a civilized amount of effort together with a deep understanding of the behaviors of native flora and fauna. To be reliant on delicately balanced ecosystems requires an understanding that the consequences of disrupting the balance are hunger, or struggle, or death.</p>
<h2>Collective Heroes</h2><p>We fight to protect our treaties and the environment because <a href="https://www1.carleton.ca/fass/story/stories-are-for-thinking-the-art-and-research-of-professor-zoe-todd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our traditional stories tell us</a> that we are a part of the environment and that people exist within a finite set of circumstances. Part of maintaining those circumstances is celebrating the heroic sacrifices of the beautiful plants and animals that give themselves as food. Yes, salmon as a collective can be heroes, too. And why not? They embody all the characteristics that qualify a hero as worthy of celebration.</p><p>Adventurous and brave, they swim from the shallows of their natal rivers out into the perils of the open ocean where their bodies soak up the rich nutrients of the sea. Persistent, resilient, and strong, they swim upstream against swift currents for hundreds of miles to return home to spawn and complete the cycle of life. When they die, the marine-derived nutrients are transferred from their bodies to all the animals, insects, soil, and plants of their original forest home. In this way, their hero's journey powerfully transforms barren inland landscapes into lush ecosystems. They are a keystone species, meaning <a href="http://elwahfilm.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">without them, the whole system could collapse</a>.</p><p>How can storytellers shift global perspectives to make us love salmon and pollinators and clean water more than we love John Wayne or Tony Stark? Keystone species are the heroes we need and should turn to.</p><p>People say the youth will solve the climate problem. But if we let matters play out as we wait for our children to create a cultural shift, we are shirking our responsibility to their future. We are also ignoring the risk that climate disasters will become so normalized in their lives that they may not feel a need to take up the mantle of an unsung climate hero, especially when they have only upholders of the status quo as role models.</p><p>Renowned Nisqually hero <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihFWdpyUAaE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Billy Frank Jr. said</a>, "We have to work together, all of us. … In the status quo we don't have long. We have to somewhere make a transition."</p><p>Collectively, we can embody a new type of hero that challenges mainstream iconography. We can begin by embracing mythologies aimed at exalting environmental sustainability and social equality in order to have heroes who truly do save the planet.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2020/11/05/native-climate-heroes/" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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A boy and a man save chairs from a flooded house due to the heavy rains caused by Hurricane Eta, now degraded to a tropical storm, in Puerto Barrios, Izabal, north of Guatemala City on Nov. 5, 2020. JOHAN ORDONEZ / AFP via Getty Images
The storm formerly known as Hurricane Eta slowly dragged across Honduras Wednesday, dumping heavy rains across the region and prompting emergency flood and landslide warnings.
<p>A 15-year-old boy drowned in a rain-swollen river, bringing the storm's direct death toll to four. Hundreds of homes were destroyed by floodwaters in San Pedro Sula alone, according to the city's mayor. At least 38 Honduran communities have been cut off by washed-out roads, and five bridges in the country were wiped out by swollen rivers.</p>
<p>La Prensa Nicaragua also reported multiple <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-peoples">Indigenous</a> communities were forced to self-evacuate and were caught unaware after officials failed to warn them of Hurricane Eta's arrival. Some of those communities are the same that were violently attacked by settlers earlier this year. Eta, which is now a Tropical Depression but may strengthen to a Tropical Storm, is currently projected to hit Cuba and Florida, bringing heavy rains and flooding to the Southeast U.S.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-eta-nicaragua-mudslides-74c7bdeeef25ce2ef71c187c6d74a93d?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_pYbObA2uVl5i0vXtOvF1QeafLXl-gCXGqhPI3yfOlV0odxEZXrzFCVZBszNf3XI4OBahpFW5SpJ2ywF4y_hW_yq2kqw&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>, Eta left destruction across the city of Bilwi on the northern Nicaragua coast:</p><blockquote>"The debris teams are starting to work and we still can't give a sense of what happened," said Ivania Díaz, a local government official in Bilwi. "We have seen very humble homes completely destroyed."</blockquote><blockquote>South of Bilwi, closer to where Eta came ashore Tuesday, the seaside Miskito community of Wawa Bar was devastated. The military had evacuated the community before Eta hit, but what residents found Wednesday was distressing. Wind-twisted trees, shredded roofs and some structures damaged beyond recognition sat within view of the sea.</blockquote><blockquote>"There's nothing standing here," an unidentified resident told a local television station. "Wawa Bar is now a Miskito community where destruction reigns."</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-eta-nicaragua-mudslides-74c7bdeeef25ce2ef71c187c6d74a93d?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_pYbObA2uVl5i0vXtOvF1QeafLXl-gCXGqhPI3yfOlV0odxEZXrzFCVZBszNf3XI4OBahpFW5SpJ2ywF4y_hW_yq2kqw&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/1420188-410/honduras-evacuados-huracan-eta-tormenta-tropical-inundaciones?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4mCKgn7qcIic4GkE959RRzLQNb_8d3DXjBN1XurzgO4nh_Fa0kKXDnmemNhY72QauLKcXjzaDwrbVizLqGo-XpwrPXA&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Prensa HN</a> (es); Indigenous communities: <a href="https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2020/11/03/nacionales/2742210-bosawas-donde-nadie-les-aviso-que-los-golpearia-el-huracan-eta?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-848_Yhsc0z-DAcT3YRwdFNmnHDaId0SZwoTiZI9CG5HwGd_SPhhvs1dNIZ9YdMyKrM3PhLXlKFCpUdRNGA8YExl0AYnw&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Prensa NI</a> (es); Expected track: <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article246958282.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8cwrOFkepUVj012pL5S5HSj6lsNxIAWFLuF-2aYAPSfYJKemiuq6lRZEWhSZzVB2hHU50Nfcdw-IwSIeorQB2-ZaRUYw&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a>; Climate Signals background: Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-change-hurricanes?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_2-fnXiSrNy9ObPbm_Rhved25iNcI77PE607P3LsD99oAaLjVBlTJI8qHzVeHamvYBUZxUWvd5BXGnYWPCNy27Rvmpvw&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Hurricanes</a>, <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/events/atlantic-hurricane-season-2020?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=99106663&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9kP58_jHS155uCdvhQaQCc0m1P2svHVy7jPpXZa8R_BUnGjgzrs1j4csJwPC6_CIrp1MRZhQYxLaDzwZNXSUyftvjQuQ&utm_content=99106663&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2020 Atlantic hurricane season</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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