JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

“The Condor and the Eagle” film screening and fundraiser for Tokitae Fund of Lummi Nation’s Lhaqtemish Foundation

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Join the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship and many other friends and allies as we come together virtually as people of faith and conscience to celebrate the Fall Equinox, watch this award-winning documentary, hear from the filmmakers & protagonists, and unite the faith community and allies in the movement for Indigenous rights and climate justice.
Even if you’ve already seen the film, join us again as we listen to the voices of Lummi Nation and Ponca Nations.
This day before the 50th Anniversary of Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut’s arrival at Miami Seaquarium.  Doug and Jewell James will speak to the heart in a significant way about bringing  Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (Tokitae) home.  This is not just about returning a whale to the wild.  It’s about recognizing and honoring Lummi “Schlangen” (life ways).  It’s about Truth and Reconciliation.  It’s about restoring and protecting the Salish Sea and all the lives that depend on Her.
 
And then, it’s about our future on this planet.
September 22nd • 6:30 pm
“Four Indigenous leaders embark on an extraordinary trans-continental adventure from the Canadian Boreal forests to deep into the heart of the Amazonian jungle to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of “Climate Justice”. The Condor & The Eagle documentary offers a glimpse into a developing spiritual renaissance as the film four protagonists learn from each other’s long legacy of resistance to colonialism and its extractive economy.”

Decolonizing Environmentalism

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The exclusion of Indigenous people and other non-White communities in environmental and conservation work is, unfortunately, nothing new. For centuries, conservation has been driven by Eurocentric, Judeo-Christian belief structures that emphasize a distinct separation of “Man” and “Nature” — an ideology that does not mesh well with many belief structures, including those belonging to Indigenous communities.

. . .

Today Braun’s life is just one example of the ideological exclusion of non-European thought as it relates to wildlife and the natural world. Nonsubscribers are barred from participation in the protection of the world and nonhuman lives they hold so dear, which inhibits their environmental stewardship. But around the world, and especially in the United States, we are witnessing a historical push toward the dismantling of imperialism, the decentralization of power, and the welcoming of non-White, non-European values into conservation.

Let’s Talk About Fossil Fuel Expansion in Tacoma: 350 Tacoma and Plans for More Crude Oil Tanks

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Did you know that Targa Resources, a fossil fuel pipeline, fuel storage and transportation company, runs crude oil storage and terminaling facilities in Tacoma? Those are the huge tanks you can see along the Hylebos Waterway near the Port (2628 Marine View Drive). A few years ago, Targa (now under the name SeaPort Sound) expanded their rail capacity (oil trains) for “increased efficiency.” Now they have requested to increase their crude oil and other fossil fuel storage capacity.

Is there any doubt that means more fossil fuel industry in Tacoma? And more risk for all of us if something goes wrong. And more impacts to the environment and climate change.

Read more here.

LUMMI FISHERMEN RETURN TO ANCESTRAL FISHING GROUNDS

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Lummi tribal fishermen harvested salmon from Whatcom Creek in August, for the first time in at least 100 years.

The chinook salmon were released as juveniles in 2017 from the Bellingham Technical College’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Science program’s hatchery, which works in partnership with tribal and state fisheries managers. When the chinook returned as adults, they congregated below the waterfalls in the creek beside the hatchery.

Whatcom Creek travels from Lake Whatcom through the city of Bellingham to Bellingham Bay, where a pulp and paper mill operated on the waterfront from 1926 to 2007.

“When they decided we could catch these fish for ceremonial and subsistence, my name came up, and they asked if I’d go fishing,” said Lummi fisherman Troy Olsen. “I said I’d love to do that.”

Read more here.

If you don’t know treaties and sovereignty, you don’t know history

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There’s a widespread notion that “tribal sovereignty” and “Indian treaties” are legal, historical, practical and correct terms. Actually, sovereignty is sovereignty, and treaties are treaties, nation to nation is between and among sovereigns; the use of “tribal” or “Indian” or any modifier is both misleading and belittling.

A two-year research project, Reclaiming Native Truth, released its final report in May on a number of topics, including sovereignty, and found**:** “Sovereignty was poorly understood across all stakeholder groups in our study — from elected officials and policymakers to influencers from other fields to the general public. There was added confusion about the concept of more than 600 sovereign nations within the United States and about how tribes can be both sovereign nations and ‘reliant on the government.’”

Read more here.