Over the last year, at least three Water Defenders of the Yaqui Tribal Nation in Northern Mexico have been murdered or disappeared due to their spirited efforts to prevent the ongoing theft of water by the Sonoran Government which is devastating their community’s health, livelihoods and ecosystems. The murder of Luis Urbano Dominguez Mendoza and Agustin […]
As record heatwaves have swept the Pacific Northwest this Summer, Branch Out has been on the ground in Central Oregon involved in drought and wildfire resistance projects for both immediate relief and long-term resilience in the face of future disasters. Following the guidance of our Elders, we will be making biochar to convert flammable brush […]
Scientists are now warning that the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is on the verge of reaching an irreversible tipping point, which would have staggeringly catastrophic impacts for the region and the planet. This deforestation follows an economic scheme, in which Indigenous Sovereignty is denied, Land is seized, Forest is destroyed, and large corporations profit […]
Introduction In Part One of Growing Sovereignty, I drew upon conversations I had with four individuals Indigenous to various areas across Turtle Island. During these discussions, I felt very grateful to be given the opportunity to not only learn from them but to also be in a unique position to amplify their voices while simultaneously […]
What is an Earthship? At the corner of 41st Street and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia, Rashida Ali-Campbell is pioneering the world’s first urban Earthship. An Earthship is a type of sustainable housing structure first developed in Taos, New Mexico by architect Michael Reynolds. The autonomous, off-grid house takes care of human’s six basic needs […]
Introduction A teenage member of the Yanomami Indigenous Nation, from deep in the Amazon rainforest, died of COVID-19 this week. Many news outlets reported that this demonstrates how widespread the Coronavirus has become, but few have connected the dots from this tragic death to the forces of capitalism, the Brazilian government’s genocidal policy and attitude toward Indigenous […]
This story has been updated as of October 25, 2019. The Permian Highway Pipeline is slated to run 430 miles through Texas, but a coalition of environmental organizations, local governments and private landowners are standing in the way to protect their land, water and future. In 1996 Richard Kinder left his job as President and […]