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Dear Relatives,
As August’s days come to an end, in the northern regions of Turtle Island, children are returning to school, and dusk coming earlier each day signals the end of summer, and fall is just a few weeks away. For IEN staff and board, the first four days of August took us to the ancestral homelands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) for the 18th Protecting Mother Earth gathering. Hundreds of domestic and international supporters, allies, and frontline communities joined us from far and wide.
The four-day gathering began in the predawn twilight, August 1, 2024, as parents with sleepy-eyed toddlers, elders, and youth from all walks of life formed a circle in an open meadow along the Oconaluftee River on the edge of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian reservation. We were all there to witness the traditional lighting of a sacred fire. The passing of the sacred fire from community to community to connect each of the previous PMEs was continued at the sunrise ceremony that kicked off this PME. IEN Executive Director, Tom Goldtooth, and EBCI, IEN staff member, and founder of the local host organization Eastern Cherokee Organization (ECO) Mary Crowe, spoke about the history of the site and the purpose of the gathering. As the speakers talked, two large elk descended from the nearby mountainside, stood for several minutes, and quietly observed the ceremony.
At the edge of the open meadow were tents, and pavilions, and where services were set up for the four days of workshops, plenaries, entertainment, and dining, 100 or more camps were set up for hundreds of feet along the river and under the shade of a variety of trees that make up the temperate rainforest canopy surrounding Qualla Boundary. Dotted in among the rainbow of modern-day camping tents and several tipis were peaceful spaces where all aspects of wellness and healing - Body, Mind, and Spirit - were the priority. Near the edge of the river, constructed by local Eastern Band men, sat an “osi” or “asi” in the language of the EBCI, commonly known as a sweat lodge. Prayers and purification were offered each evening. Chosen Firekeepers lit, nurtured, and maintained a sacred fire throughout the gathering for this lodge.
Five hundred yards to the west, perched atop a slight outcropping above the rambling river, rested a screen-walled cabana, open between sunrise and sundown for appointed sessions of therapeutic massage and other holistic wellness practices were offered to the gathering’s more than 1,400 registered participants.
Moving west, around the PME grounds, sits a modest sage green, 3-bedroom, cozy ranch-style house that served as a daycare facility for attendee’s children up to 12 years of age. Teri Johnson, one of the founding organizers of the PME, and her daughter Kori, who was but a baby herself at the first gathering, lovingly entertained, educated, and ensured nearly 50 children with the help of several community volunteers, including parents when they weren’t engaging in roundtables, workshops, or volunteering in other areas of service to the spirit of the event.
Across the way from daycare, further to the west of the circular campground, was the site of what might have been the hottest topic of this PME Gathering: the kitchen, where some of the best traditional dishes of the EBCI were planned, prepared, and served up by local chef, culture bearer and traditionalist Tyson Sampson. Sampson, local elders like Gramma Amy Walker, and Cherokee community members began preparations for traditionally harvesting and preserving wild greens, 13 kinds of wild mushrooms, chestnuts, and berries last fall. In the spring, at the site of the Cherokee Peoples’ Mother Town, known as (ADD LINK for full piece here:) Kituwah (Ga-doo-wah), EBCI community members planted vegetables that included 300 pounds of potatoes harvested just days before the start of the PME. With the help of 200 non-Indigenous, trained volunteers, meals with hearty entrees like elk meatloaf and an array of vegetarian dishes were served three times daily. One of the local favorites is a traditionally prepared chestnut bread prepared by wrapping the bean mixture in hickory leaves. This bread has an exceptionally mild, sweet, and nutty flavor – and is a favorite staple at local celebrations and gatherings, especially liked by visiting tribes. On the final day, a creamy fresh Pumpkin cake with a pudding-like consistency was declared, by all lucky enough to taste it before it disappeared, to be the best pumpkin they had ever tasted. Approximately 1,000 people were fed on the first day.
During the four days, participants gathered inside several large, air-conditioned event tents or under open-air arbors between meals. August in the Smoky Mountains can be pretty warm. But for most of us, we find ourselves experiencing weather patterns of hotter and drier summers. A balance of mild temperatures and rainfall has been the reason this inland temperate rainforest has provided the Cherokee Peoples with all they needed to thrive for thousands of years. This summer, we have reached new record highs, and the early afternoons were uncomfortable and reminded everyone of the threats from climate change to prevent and adapt to.
The largest of the event shelters, at 4,000 square feet, was filled to capacity each morning for the opening plenary session. IEN leadership, local EBCI, and ECO hosts opened the first morning's plenary, welcoming participants from as far away as the Arctic Circle, Guam, and the Philippines and south to Colombia and Brazil. Local leaders discussed highlights of environmental justice issues in the region. Click here to read more and watch this plenary.
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Returning to our daily IEN schedules and work, looking toward September and into fall 2024, an IEN delegation of staff, leadership, and network community representatives will attend international meetings related to changes in biodiversity, climate change, and the accumulation of toxic substances, especially in the north.
The related meetings include the Arctic Circle Assembly, Oct. 17-19, in Reykjavik, Iceland; the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), in Cali, Colombia, Oct. 21 - Nov. 1, and; the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 11-22.
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Havasupai Tribe Flash Flood Donation Request
August 26, 2024 The Havasupai Tribe is appreciative of the many generous offers to assist our tribal members following the effects of last week's flash flood. Please deliver donations to the GRAND CANYON CAVERNS INN FRONT DESK, Mile Marker 115, Peach Springs, Arizona, 86434. Click here for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Apache Stronghold Prayer Journey
July 13- September 11, 2024
More info and content to share: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/7j6GjdXFfhDCv7gK/
Apache Stronghold is carrying a petition to the Supreme Court to stop a mine on their tribe’s sacred land. The prayer journey will pass through other tribal communities threatened by resource extraction while trying to stop a mine that claims it could satisfy a quarter of the U.S. demand for copper. Apache Stronghold is a community organization working in unity to battle continued colonization, defends sacred sites like Oak Flat and others, and is dedicated to building a better community through neighborhood programs and civic engagement. Follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram.
6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal during NYC Climate Week
Join us as Rights of Nature kicks off Climate Week in New York City to end the era of fossil fuels! An expert panel will address global cases where the fossil fuel industry has violated Nature’s rights, harmed human rights and environmental defenders, and pushed the planet towards catastrophe. Cases will cover false climate solutions, pipeline projects, oil spills, and sacrifice zones. IEN Executive Director, Tom Goldtooth will join other experts as a judge for this historic tribunal.
Details:
Campaign Updates
Summer of Heat on Wall Street!
The Summer of Heat has become a serious problem for Citi. All summer long executives have had to contend with scientists, grandparents, migrants, meddling kids, orcas, and everyday working people who are willing to be arrested demanding Citi stop funding fossil fuels.
The wave of civil disobedience that has been crashing to Citi’s world headquarters is incredible, but it is not enough. The key to moving Citi is to not be a singular problem; it is to create a cascade of crises in their company to which there is only one solution: stop funding fossil fuels. The next crisis Citi will face is a backlash from some of their biggest clients. Click here for more information.
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IEN Staff & Management
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