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Dear Relatives,
Much like the abundance and new growth the Spring season brings, the Indigenous Environmental Network has been growing and building! This past May, our team and network have come together in a variety of capacities to network, movement build, empower one another, strategize, and organize.
Events
May 4-6, 2023: IEN Carbon Trading and False Solutions Training for Trainers
The Indigenous Environmental Network hosted a three-day training on climate false solutions and carbon trading, with participants joining from various territories across Turtle Island and Australia.
Participants gained a deeper understanding of how colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism are leading the charge in climate change negotiations on the local, state, federal, and global arena, even heavily influencing Tribal Governments, Indigenous Peoples Organizations and Indigenous “progressive status-quo” leadership. This training demonstrated how these colonial approaches are targeting Indigenous Peoples ways of being, signs of co-opting Traditional Indigenous Knowledge, and of course, the commodification of air, lands and waters. The training provided a space for Indigenous Peoples to build upon their knowledge and to teach information about climate false solutions, specifically related to carbon trading.
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May 5-7, 2023: Reclaiming Indigenous Matriarchy Gathering
The Indigenous Environmental Network convened Indigenous women and femmes in our network across Turtle Island, Guatemala, and Brazil for a three-day gathering focusing on the intersectionality of MMIW/R, extractive industries, and the challenges Indigenous women and femmes face in their communities and movements.
This convening deepened participants' knowledge and understanding of the connection between Matriarchy and environmental justice, the relationship between violence against the earth, and violence against women/femmes' bodies. Presentations and discussions on MMIW, extractivism, man camps, colonization, patriarchy, and capitalism were shared.
2023, Photo credit: Ne-Dah-Ness Greene
On May 5th, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, IEN co-organized alongside the local grassroots group, MMIW 218 to host an MMIW/R walk and action in downtown Bemidji, MN. Several hundred local community members attended.
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Ponca Corn Planting
IEN attended the 10th Annual Sacred Ponca Corn Planting, on Ponca Nation land and the Tanderup Farm in the pathway of the defunct Keystone XL pipeline. A tree was planted in honor of our late Joye Braun who fought against KXL pipeline. Joye was IEN’s former National Pipelines Organizer and was a well-known Water Protector and Pipeline Fighter.
2022 Harvest of Sacred Ponca Corn above, Photo: Eric Galushi
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Community Spotlight
IEN’s Keep It In The Ground Program recently reconvened monthly community calls with the objective to bring together grassroots communities within our network on Turtle Island who are fighting against the extraction of Mother Earth’s most vital resources. IEN recognizes the need for an Indigenous space to commune and build power in the current climate, energy, and environmental justice crises. These community calls provide a space for Indigenous, grassroots, and frontline groups to foster new connections, build solidarity, strategize, and organize.
Board Member Spotlight
IEN Board Member Sayokla Kindness (Oneida) was awarded Eighth Generation’s Inspired Natives Awards! Sayokla’s artistry combines activism and art. Elevating Indigenous resistance through her beadwork and beading designs, colors, and themes that support and uphold Indigenous Peoples’ rights and our sovereignty. Click here to learn more.
Staff Spotlight
The Indigenous Environmental Network has grown our team this year to 23 staff, all working across various Indigenous territories and waterways! Meet some of the newest and recently promoted members of our team!
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In the News
May 10, 2023: IEN joined 290 Indigenous Peoples, frontline communities, environmental justice, and other organizations representing tens of millions of people, to raise our concerns and opposition to Biden’s permitting reform.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/Letter-from-290-Frontline-Communities-Organizations-on-Permitting-Reform.pdf
May 15, 2023: The California Senate approved a resolution formally endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty proposal. The resolution calls upon President Biden to support Pacific nation states seeking a negotiating mandate for a new treaty to manage a global phase out of coal, oil and gas production.
The SJR2 resolution was introduced by California Senate Majority Whip Senator Lena A Gonzalez, and co-sponsored by Indigenous Environmental Network and Stand.Earth. With a majority of 27 votes, the Senate approval is a major step toward the State of California joining 85 other subnational governments and cities who have formally endorsed the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal. https://fossilfueltreaty.org/california-senate
May 30, 2023: IEN and our allies submitted another letter to Biden, calling for a CO2 Pipeline Moratorium now!
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CCS-Pipeline-Moratorium-Org-Letter-to-Biden-.pdf
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There's always more to read, view, and learn - follow us on social media and the web:
Established in 1990, The Indigenous Environmental Network is an international environmental justice nonprofit that works with tribal grassroots organizations to build the capacity of Indigenous communities. I EN’s activities include empowering Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, the health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.
Thank you as always for sharing our newsletters and our social media whenever possible.
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