From the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska with Love we say “No New Leases” in our Oceans and public lands
Why a photo of the hummingbird? Because they are breathtaking creatures full of spectacular beauty and messengers of peace, love, and wonder. They allow us to still our hearts and breath in the miracle of life. They also happen to migrate thousands of miles from areas in the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Alaska! The myriad of ways in which we are connected are too many to name. But let’s start with love and beauty.
I’ve never spent much time in the Gulf of Mexico, but I will share with you that Hurricane Katrina and horrific events that unfolded in 2005 are forever etched into my heart and mind. I remember not being able to sleep for days as my body and spirit physically reacted to what was happening to our brothers and sisters on the ground. At that time one rarely heard the term Climate Justice, but it soon rose up among those of us on the front lines of climate change who recognized that it is often people of color and low-income communities bearing the brunt of the negative impacts of climate change.
Last year, I was fortunate to travel to COP21 in Paris with Esau Sinnok of Shishmaref, Allison Akootchook Warden of Kaktovik, Faith Gemmill-Fredson of Arctic Village, and together we stood with our sister Cheri Foytlin of Louisiana to demand climate justice and to raise awareness of how our communities are being impacted at an alarming rate and to protect our oceans and places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil development. More recently we stood with Cheri and others in front of the White House as part of the Keep It In The Ground campaign where we delivered a petition with over a million signatures saying we must keep all fossil fuels in the ground on our public lands and waters. This would be only one step in the right direction for our Nation. Another larger step would be to stop the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure such as the Dakota Access Pipeline which threatens the clean drinking water for millions of people. #NoDAPL We continue to send prayers and stand in solidarity with #StandingRock!
Our oceans are so vast, so truly awe-some, and they support the largest abundance of life on our Mother Earth! So how do we protect the Chukchi & Beaufort Seas and the Gulf of Mexico? One way is by standing in solidarity in saying #NoNewLeases in our public lands and waters. Throughout the month you can use social media — take a photo holding a #NoNewLeases sign and include the hastag #ActOnClimate. While this act might seem small, just like the hummingbird, you can make a big difference!
We send our relatives in the Gulf many blessings as they work hard to rebuild from recent flooding, as they continue to raise their voices, we hope they know they have so much love from those of us in the Arctic who face similar challenges. We are all connected. We stand united. Peace.
