Dear Relatives,
 

In the north of Turtle Island, springtime is evident with the budding of trees and wildflowers. Winter’s ice recedes. In Eastern Oklahoma, a bounty of tender wild onions have been foraged, cooked with eggs, and served with brown beans, fried potatoes and frybread for spring fundraiser dinners in many of our tribal communities. In Minnesota and Eastern Canada, bright green, coiled, fiddlehead ferns begin to pop through the warming, wet April soil to be gathered by our Woodland Indigenous relatives who consider them a delicious delicacy. All across Indian Country, forests begin to awaken, streams and other waterways thaw. As Mother Earth sheds her blankets of ice, youth and elders alike string up anything from bamboo poles to flashy fishing rods and reels and head for their favorite bodies of fresh water, visions of spring’s first tasty meal of bass, trout, catfish, or walleye – small fry or whoppers –  fried up in a cast iron skillet, grilled or smoked. Without the life force of water, none of this scenario is possible – there is no budding of trees or blooming of wildflowers. No wild onions or fiddlehead ferns, no forests or blankets of snow and ice, no favorite fishing or swimming holes. Nothing is possible on Mother Earth without water.


Water is Life. Indeed, life on Mother Earth (and quite possibly throughout the universe) IS water. Then why does it seem that society, especially Western society which more and more views water as a financial commodity to exploit and waste, is incapable of connecting the dots between the future of all life on Mother Earth and perhaps our most essential of life-giving and sustaining elements?


According to the US Geological Survey, the body weight of some earthly organisms contains up to 90 percent water. The main component of a healthy cell, our human adult bodies are up to 60 percent water though some of our organs, like the lungs, contain as much as 83 percent water. Our skin is composed of 64 percent H2O, and our kidneys 79 percent. Our pliable bone structure: 31 percent water.


As a percentage, human babies and kids hold more water than adults; at birth, about 78 percent. At their first birthday, a human baby’s water content drops to about 65 percent. Surprisingly, female bodies have less water than a man’s. Even so, the lean body weight of adult dogs and cats is about 70 percent water with many tissues containing as much as 90 percent to properly function. A dairy cow’s body ranges from 56 percent to 81 percent water and its milk, about 87 percent.


To put those statistics in perspective, it should also be acknowledged that about three-fourths of Mother Earth’s surface, or 71 percent, is covered by water that flows through her veins– vessels of rivers and smaller streams, or is stored in lakes and oceans. Of all her water, a whopping 97 percent is salt water and therefore, still undrinkable. Only three percent of Earth’s water is consumable freshwater, of which a great portion is frozen in glaciers and ice caps. Some freshwater is beneath our feet as groundwater and an even smaller amount is found in lakes, rivers, and wetlands where a great many of us will spend our impending summer as swimmers, boaters, kayakers, campers, and so-called sun worshippers. With that said, perhaps we are in need of a reality check of our priorities. The United Nations, a few Indigenous communities, federally recognized Tribal Nations and Indigenous organizations like IEN have been attempting to do just that. 


First declared by the United Nations in 1993, World Water Day is held annually on March 22 to highlight the importance of fresh water. The observance is focused each year on themes related to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene and is congruent with the targets of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. Past themes were “Valuing Water,” “Why waste water?” and “Leaving no one behind.” The day is celebrated around the world with events as diverse as the places and cultures who observe it. Events can be musical, theatrical or political lobbying in nature, and might even include fundraising campaigns for water projects. The UN World Water Development Report is released each year around World Water Day.


You too can celebrate World Water Day (WWD), on any day not just the day designated, by hosting an event, encouraging your tribal, state and local government officials to declare WWD in your area, or take your children to the water to swim, to fish or to just sit and relax. Make it a family tradition and keep it going for longer than just one day. WWD should be every day. Whatever you do and whomever you celebrate with, talk about the water and the issues affecting it—especially with your children—because the future of water is their future.


We know; Water is sacred. Water is life.
Our relationship to water and the natural world must be examined and evaluated, for our own well-being. For our children and grandchildren. For the future of all life. To that end, March 2025, IEN leadership and staff continued their efforts to advocate for the protection of Mother Earth and all living beings.



Indigenous Water Ethics and Indigenous Sovereignty Advocacy


At the Indigenous Environmental Network, advocating for the protection of our waters has always been integral to our work. IEN Indigenous Sovereignty Advocate Michael Lane (Menominee) and IEN Indigenous Water Ethics Organizer Mona Polacca (Tewa, Hopi, Havasupai) traveled to Little Current, Ontario, Canada, March 18-19, 2025, to participate in the First Annual Water Consortium, a Great Lakes Gathering, for the sake of the water. The event was put on by the Anishinabek Nation, also known as the Union of Ontario Indians, which represents 39 member First Nations in the province of Ontario, Canada. Michael and Mona provided their expertise about Indigenous Law and Water Ethics.


Moreover, Mona Polacca and IEN are co-publishing a second edition of the “Indigenous Message On Water,” a multilingual digital archive of Indigenous perspectives on water to guide multidisciplinary conversations on health, education, policy, water ethics and creativity. The second edition will expand the project to a sustainable online platform with print versions available on demand. Contributions in the second edition will celebrate and feature Indigenous art and literature about water, exploring various perspectives on the following: Water and health; Indigenous environmental stewardship and water protection; Historical and contemporary Indigenous experiences with water rights and access; Indigenous water ethics; Indigenous practices and traditions related to water; Indigenous beliefs about water; Indigenous calls for action on water; and so much more. Stay tuned for this upcoming launch of Indigenous Message On Water 2.0!


IEN Teaching Garden


In early March the Waabooz Workshop was held at the Railriver Folk School in Bemidji, MN, IEN’s headquarters. The cultural event brought together community members to learn traditional trapping, harvesting, and skinning techniques for the waabooz (Anishinaabe word for “snowshoe hare”). The workshop was led by Leech Lake knowledge holders, Jeff Harper and Josh Red Day, who shared their expertise with attendees. Due to the challenging winter conditions over the past two years, snowshoe hare populations have been dwindling. As a result, only one hare was available for the workshop. Despite this limitation, the event was a meaningful and educational experience for all involved. Participants gathered to observe and discuss traditional practices while also addressing the environmental changes affecting waabooz populations.


A central part of the workshop was the discussion surrounding the decline in snowshoe hare numbers. Many attendees reflected on how previous generations were able to harvest many hares, whereas today, they are increasingly difficult to find. The primary reasons identified for this decline included habitat loss due to timber harvesting and unusual winter weather patterns in recent years. This discussion emphasized the importance of environmental stewardship and cultural preservation.


In addition to the hands-on demonstration, participants enjoyed a meal prepared by IEN’s Michelle Marion (Anishinaabe, Akimel O’otham), who made delicious wild rice and chicken stew. The meal provided an opportunity for attendees to break into smaller groups, sharing personal stories and Traditional Knowledge about waabooz. The gathering fostered a strong sense of community, reinforcing the cultural significance of the snowshoe hare and the need to protect its habitat. Overall, the Waabooz Workshop was a successful and enriching event. It provided a space for community members to learn, share, and discuss important cultural and environmental issues. The event highlighted the resilience of Traditional Indigenous knowledge and the importance of preserving traditions for future generations. As snowshoe hare populations continue to decline, workshops like this serve as crucial reminders of the need to balance cultural heritage with environmental stewardship.


Climate Justice Program


During the last days of February to early March, IEN Carbon Pricing Educator Thomas Joseph Tsewenaldin (Hupa, Karuk, Paiute-Shoshone) and IEN Ring of Fire cohort members spoke on an expert panel on carbon markets and false solutions being proposed in the Pacific Northwest to a room with overflow crowd. A day before the panel ROF cohorts hosted a dinner of like-minded organizations to come to discuss strategies to inform and educate about false solution projects being proposed in the Pacific Northwest. Attendees expressed keen interest and had great tribal participation as well.  


A week later, Tsewenaldin attended the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Oregon. He was invited by Althea Wolf to tour the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) where he provided carbon market training to the staff. Wolf expressed concerns of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent regarding carbon injections on the Colombia River. He reviewed the CTUIR Climate Adaptation Plane. The CTUIR remained committed in its refusal to participate in the proposed carbon capture and storage land use project. While there, he visited the group’s small bio-digester, designed to power a small house with the use of food waste. He also participated in traditional food harvesting.    


Tsewenaldin continued his education and community outreach efforts by providing online carbon market training for the international organization, Climate Justice Resilience Fund, again with Ring of Fire Cohort Carole Montour of Indigenous Climate Action, Isaka Elvis Oliveira, Huni Kui youth representative from Brazil, and of course moderated by our very own, Paganga Pungowiyi (Sivuqaq Yupik), IEN Climate Geoengineering Organizer. Panels like these are critical in our efforts to educate allied groups about carbon market projects and harmful false solutions. 



Indigenous Just Transition Program


IEN Indigenous Just Transition Organizer Mary Crowe (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) attended the Southeastern Indigenous Environmental Coalition Conference in Wentworth, NC March 7-8, 2025. Hosted by 7 Directions of Service Organization at the Rockingham Community College, Crowe spoke on a panel to discuss Traditional Knowledge and distributed IJT poster brochures to the crowd.


In the latter half of Crowe joined IEN Policy Analyst Jordan Harmon (Muscogee Creek Nation) to participate in a meeting of Black and Indigenous climate justice advocates in Jackson, MS, to strategize ways to develop a Black and Indigenous solidarity movement in the face of rising fascism. Cooperation Jackson hosted the meeting, which included members of the Climate Justice Alliance Black Caucus, IEN staff members, and other Indigenous climate justice advocates. Other IEN staff members in attendance were IEN Executive Director Tom Goldtooth (Diné/Dakota), Mary Crowe’s daughter, and IEN long-time supporter and friend, Lou Montelongo (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.) Also in attendance were Jonathon Freeman from Native Roots Network, Jimbo Simmons (Choctaw), Earl Chiefie Mills (Mashpee Wampanoag), and Kaleb Proctor (United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee) who joined via Zoom. The group toured the Cooperation Jackson Center, community gardens, and community housing. Cooperation Jackson Executive Director Kali Akuno led attendees on a civil rights tour of the area, including the site of the Medgar Evers assassination and the site of the FBI raid and shootout of the Republic of New Afrika. The group of attendees plans to meet again via Zoom in April to discuss formalizing the coalition, creating a draft statement of shared values and objectives and creating working committees.



VERDICT IN ENERGY TRANSFER V. GREENPEACE: A THREAT TO INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, FREEDOM OF SPEECH
 

On March 19, 2025, a North Dakota jury ruled in favor of Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), in its lawsuit against Greenpeace, ordering the environmental organization to pay over $660 million in damages. This verdict is a dangerous escalation in corporate attacks on land and water defenders, aiming to silence those who challenge fossil fuel projects that threaten our communities and the planet.
 

The Indigenous Environmental Network condemns this ruling as an affront to our collective rights to protest, speak out, and defend the sacred. This case is part of a broader strategy to criminalize resistance and weaken movements for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice. The spirit of Standing Rock cannot be erased by lawsuits or scare tactics. We stand in solidarity with all those who continue to protect the land and water for future generations.
 

Despite this verdict, the movement will not be silenced. We will continue to organize, resist, and fight for the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of our Mother Earth. Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant and stand together against corporate greed and legal intimidation.
 

Click here to read: IEN’s statement in response to the trial verdict and more. : [link removed] Country and Beyond....
 
Earthjustice Responds to Trump Minerals Executive Order
The executive order aims to provide funding and loans for projects as well as accelerate permitting processes under the guise of the Defense Production Act.
 

President Trump signed an executive order today invoking emergency powers to increase domestic mining and processing of minerals : [link removed] those by foreign owned mining companies. It covers critical minerals, copper, gold, and others as determined by the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council. The executive order aims to provide funding and loans for projects as well as accelerate permitting processes under the guise of the Defense Production Act. Click here to read more. : [link removed]
 
 
Administration Rolls Back Executive Order on Tribal Sovereignty and Self-Governance 
Former Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community) weighed in on Trump's revoking of Biden's executive order to Native News Online on Saturday morning:
 

"This Executive Order was intended to reduce government interference with how Tribes spend their money, and to ensure that federal agencies are actually meeting their legal obligations for Tribes. It made the government more efficient for Indian people. Rolling back this Executive Order increases federal interference with local actions." Click here to read more : [link removed].
 

Nesvik failed Wyoming wildlife; is the nation next?
Former wildlife boss Nesvik sails through hearing to lead Fish and Wildlife Service
Nesvik touts his record as a success, but we see abject failure. Every decision has been meant to cater to outfitters who sell trophies and ranchers who graze livestock on public lands. Everyone else — those who love Wyoming’s wildlife and wild lands, hunters, anglers, hikers — has paid a price. It’s no model for wildlife nationwide. Click here to read more. : [link removed]! - what better time to share this Newswire with a friend or family member. They can subscribe to receive their own copy every month. You can also "Forward to a Friend : [link removed]" and let them know to look for the "Subscribe : [link removed]" link in the footer.
 

You can always share these on your social media timelines by copy/paste the URL when you read using "View as Web Page : [link removed]" in the header and footer of every edition.
 
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 As always, you make it possible for us to do what we do by sharing our newsletters, webpages, and social media posts - keep up the good ways of being and we'll see you on the trail!

IEN Staff & Management



The Indigenous Environmental Network - PO Box 485 - Bemidji - MN - 56619

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