Guardians Gather in Hawai‘i
We gathered in Hawai‘i—25 sacred site guardians from around the world— three shaman from Mongolia and Russia, a throat singer from Kyrgyzstan, a Native American healer from California, a nomadic…
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Tools for Protecting Sacred Natural Sites
Our work at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu kicked off on September 1. We are focusing on building a Toolkit for indigenous communities to help protect sacred natural sites and…
Toolkit to Protect Sacred Sites from Mining: “No Go!”
As we begin the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, which opened on September 1, we are creating a Toolkit for indigenous communities to help them protect sacred natural sites and…
The Crystal Clear New Age Dilemma
How can well-meaning people reconnect to nature in an authentic way that does no harm to indigenous cultures and their sacred places? It may be one of the key questions of our time. At the very start…
The Ancestors Call from the Berkeley Shellmound
The first Ohlone skeleton disturbed by Berkeley construction workers on March 29 was alarming. But of course the work was allowed to continue because few pay attention and money talks. The second…
The Tempest Over Terry
I had the honor of screening films and guest lecturing twice with Terry Tempest Williams at her awesome “Arts, Advocacy and Landscape” class at the University of Utah. It is very sad that Terry’s…
Ohlone Burial Disturbed in Berkeley
It was a sad, sunless Sunday at the corner of 4th Street and Hearst. Few shoppers—or Berkeley residents for that matter—are aware that an ancient Ohlone village once graced this sprawling site around…
Feinstein Embarrassed on Shasta Dam
Secret negotiations are fascinating to behold, especially when the fate of a Native American tribe hangs in the balance, not to mention the California environment. The 2015 window is closing for…
Please Don’t Flood My Cathedral
I was having some fun last week writing a letter of protest to Senator Barbara Boxer with water scientist Peter Gleick and Winnemem Chief Caleen Sisk. Ideas and questions were flying back and forth…
Open Letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer
On October 29, 2015, the following letter was delivered to Senator Barbara Boxer. Led by Winnemem Wintu Chief Caleen Sisk, an array of notable allies ask Senator Boxer to amend the California…