He and tribal leader Arnold ultimately got the U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies to allow re-vegetation projects, ceremonial harvests and other gatherings on federal lands AND convinced 16 tribes to work together with the very government with which they shared a traumatic history. Now there is way more to the whole process than that one sentence (including a decade of patience, red tape, deep listening and negotiations). But the gist of it is just that - an unlikely collaboration amongst people on opposite sides of fences and of history. You can read more about some of their projects here. One of their projects which delights me is the revegetation of 92 acres of land over low level radioactive waste buried underground. During the ceremony, Arnold said: "If the land is sick and out of balance, so are we." And so the tribes and the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies came together to plant and heal the land. Using a mix of native and scientific methods, seeds and plants were place in the ground and the healing began. And much to the surprise of the U.S. Forest Service, the native methods of planting (in the spring) were more successful than the scientific method (plant in fall and winter). The insects have returned to where once nothing lived. The land and the people have begun to heal. Hope for the planet and hope for the people - a good news story during angsty times!
5 Comments
3/25/2019 02:21:27 am
Oh those beckoning pinks leading me further into the distance! Don't you just LOVE luscious oils! Actually I love the smell. Think it has to do with with some very early memories of my mother's paints.
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jen
3/25/2019 11:16:15 am
Carol! I do love the oils! But without the smell. :) It is sweet and wonderful that you have a scent memory to go with those paints. Love that. Odd places for sure! And in this case, making a world of difference in a different world. xo
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3/25/2019 07:04:39 am
Jen, your post is just the perfect way to start my day—love that you included your photo inspiration here; I never get tired of seeing snippets of process, not to mention your gorge-ous painting with its masterful use of values.
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jen
3/25/2019 11:18:08 am
Dotty! Thank you, friend! I often forget to include parts of the process. My intern keeps reminding me. :)
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