Bears Ears Heals at the Inter-Tribal Gathering 2018

This summer, I had the pleasure and honor to again join the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Gathering in southern Utah. The Gathering is an annual coming together of the five tribes who came together in an unprecedented and historic way to ask President Obama to protect and designate these beautiful and sacred lands as Bears Ears National Monument -- lands now under threat due to Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s de-designation of the monument. This year the gathering was held in the majestic meadow that expands out at 9,000 feet between the two buttes that make up the Bear's Ears.

This year, the theme of the Gathering was “Bears Ears Heals,” which was truly fitting. The Gathering, where hundreds of Native leaders and their allies come together in this sacred place to camp for three days, engage in cultural activities, honor the land, and just have fun together, was deeply restorative and inspiring. These past few months have been particularly rough -- watching our government put children and families in cages, sell off our most precious places to the fossil fuel industry, and nominate an extreme conservative for the highest court in the land. So I was thrilled when our partners as Utah Diné Bikéyah, the nonprofit, Native organization with which we work to protect Bears Ears, again invited us to join them for this wonderful weekend.
 

Lena learns traditional hand games from leaders at the Gathering. | Photo by Jimmy Williams.

The Sierra Club has had the privilege of working with and supporting Utah Diné Bikéyah and the five tribes (the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and Uintah Ouray Ute) who came together in an historic, unprecedented way to advocate for the protection of Bears Ears, since the organization’s founding. This year, we also supported the Lummi Nation of the Pacific Northwest -- with whom we’ve worked to stop coal and oil export terminals -- in bringing a totem pole to the Gathering, all the way from Washington State. This gorgeous display of solidarity, artistry, and perseverance (it’s no small feat to get a 700-pound totem pole 1,200 miles across country!) was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed.

Lummi artists, leaders, and brothers Doug and Jewel James carved the pole and delivered it to the Gathering, where they spoke about what drove them to make this happen. Jewel brought the crowd to tears, telling hundreds of Native leaders in the audience that the Lummi see their fight, and they are with them, and they are not alone in their quest for respect, sovereignty, and the protection of their sacred homelands. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time; thanks to Sierra Club organizers Alex Craven and Carly Ferro, we were able to join the totem pole on the last leg of its journey. We caravaned behind the totem pole as Doug and Jewel drove it into the Gathering, welcomed by cheering crowds. Finally, we were able to actually help lift it out of the truck and push it upwards to stand in the field. Physically working side by side with so many dedicated people to lift this beautiful, massive piece of art and physical demonstration of solidarity and hope -- I felt so proud, and so lucky, to be there, to feel hope and connection and inspiration.

Doug James, artist from the Lummi Nation, and Lena Moffitt.

Angelo Baca, cultural coordinator for Utah Diné Bikéyah, also gave a particularly moving speech on the first night of the gathering, in which he encouraged us all to stay strong in the face of tough times. He urged us to have faith, and not give up -- that tough times are when we need to fight harder than ever. He also highlighted the power of the land that we were on -- the gorgeous field of green grasses surrounded by red hills and blue skies - and said that this land is an amplifier. What we say and do here, the world will hear. His words gave me hope that those of us fighting for justice will persevere, that we have reserves of energy and faith that will keep us going, that we can bolster each other through solidarity and our belief in one another.

Over the weekend, we were also lucky enough to learn from and be fed by Chef Karlos Baca, owner/founder of Taste of Native Cuisine and cofounder of the I-Collective, and Cynthia Wilson, traditional foods program director for Utah Diné Bikéyah, who cooked many of the meals for the Gathering in the Indigenous Healing Kitchen at the camp (note, big thanks to Josh Nez, who also cooked for the entire camp the first night of the Gathering). Not only was the food amazing, but on Saturday afternoon, Karlos and Cynthia led us on a foraging walk (pictured below), telling us about the history of the plants around us, what we should and shouldn’t eat, and how we can expand our relationship with food to be much more holistic, recognizing where it comes from and the land that it grows on. Karlos shared that all the food he cooks in his kitchen is either foraged, cultivated through Indigenous farming techniques, or hunted. He talked about the ways in which food can control dialogue, and how we can rethink the way we approach what we consume -- ways that we could contribute to a healthier planet, healthier lives, and healthier society.

Lena and colleagues Rob Vessels and Alex Craven help lift the totem pole to standing | Photo by Jimmy Williams.

Angelo Baca, cultural coordinator for Utah Diné Bikéyah, also gave a particularly moving speech on the first night of the gathering, in which he encouraged us all to stay strong in the face of tough times. He urged us to have faith, and not give up -- that tough times are when we need to fight harder than ever. He also highlighted the power of the land that we were on -- the gorgeous field of green grasses surrounded by red hills and blue skies - and said that this land is an amplifier. What we say and do here, the world will hear. His words gave me hope that those of us fighting for justice will persevere, that we have reserves of energy and faith that will keep us going, that we can bolster each other through solidarity and our belief in one another.

Over the weekend, we were also lucky enough to learn from and be fed by Chef Karlos Baca, owner/founder of Taste of Native Cuisine and cofounder of the I-Collective, and Cynthia Wilson, traditional foods program director for Utah Diné Bikéyah, who cooked many of the meals for the Gathering in the Indigenous Healing Kitchen at the camp (note, big thanks to Josh Nez, who also cooked for the entire camp the first night of the Gathering). Not only was the food amazing, but on Saturday afternoon, Karlos and Cynthia led us on a foraging walk (pictured below), telling us about the history of the plants around us, what we should and shouldn’t eat, and how we can expand our relationship with food to be much more holistic, recognizing where it comes from and the land that it grows on. Karlos shared that all the food he cooks in his kitchen is either foraged, cultivated through Indigenous farming techniques, or hunted. He talked about the ways in which food can control dialogue, and how we can rethink the way we approach what we consume -- ways that we could contribute to a healthier planet, healthier lives, and healthier society.

I am proud that we were again able to lend support and help recruit volunteers for the Gathering -- but our partnerships go beyond that. Through time spent together at countless rallies, hearings, and events like the Gathering, where people really get to know each other, many of us have become friends. While at the Gathering, some of my Sierra Club colleagues and I were discussing how we can build strong, trust-based partnerships with our Native allies, and one of my wisest colleagues noted that it starts with kindness. Especially in these hard times, we have a chance to rebuild our faith in one another, growing our movement one connection at a time -- and it starts with respect and kindness. Thank you to my Sierra Club family for giving us the support to do this critically important work and showing how healing it truly can be. I have faith that if we stick together, ultimately, we will prevail.

Sierra Club staff and colleague Cassandra Begay at the Gathering.