In our season finale, we bring your attention to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), known to the Gwich’in Indian Nation as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” Hear the personal story of Bernadette Demientieff, a Gwich’in Steering Committee leader fighting to protect her Nation’s traditional lifeways.

The Gwich’in Indian Nation lives in 15 small villages scattered across northeast Alaska in the US to the northern Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada. The Arctic is their home. The coastal plain of the ANWR has been a location of intense controversy between environmentalists, Native tribes, and the oil and gas industry. The coastal plain is also the birthing and nursing grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd - the very heart of the Gwich’in people. The caribou provide food and nourishment for the Gwich’in who are deeply connected to them on a spiritual level.

If oil drilling goes forward in ANWR, the birthrate of the caribou could decrease by 40% - it would be a cultural genocide for Bernadette’s tribe.

In 1988, the Gwich’in Steering Committee was formed in response to threats of oil development in ANWR’s coastal plain. Time and time again, Bernadette has testified in front of US Congress, the United Nations, and public hearings. She has met with banks and insurance companies funding oil infrastructure, framing the drilling and desecration of sacred lands as a Human Rights issue. As the issue of oil extraction gains urgency in the US and around the world, more pressure is put on the oil-rich region of the Arctic.

Key Themes explored:

• How does ANWR benefit or suffer from its designation as public lands?
• What tensions lie between extractive industries and those who call the Arctic their home?
• What are the intersections between climate justice and racial justice in the Gwich’ins’ fight to protect their sacred lands?
• How does Indigenous spirituality inherently connect Native people to their land?
• How do Indigenous communities leverage the Rights of Nature to stop extractive practices?

Resources:

• Take action now with the Gwich’in Nation.
• Learn more about the Gwich’in Nation and Bernadette in this article in Mongabay: “Our identity is non-negotiable” and film by Patagonia: The Refuge | Fighting for a Way of Life
• Prism articles covering Rights of Nature: Indigenous activists look to Rights of Nature laws to stop fracking and ‘Rights of Nature’ laws can strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and provide a pathway to environmental justice, written by Ray Levy Uyeda
• Facts on oil consumption in the United States: Energy Information Administration

Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us.

If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

In this episode, we dive deep into the history of and activism for traditional Hawaiian farming with Josh Mori. Josh is the founder of Iwikua, an educational and cultural resource for sustainable food production, wellness, and community enhancement for West Kauaʻi.

Hawaii’s reliance on food imports began in the 1960s and has been further exacerbated by the locus for genetically modified (GMO) crop field trials. Kauaʻi in particular has been ground zero for GMO companies like Monsanto and BASF – serial violators of federal environmental laws. In recent years, local Hawaiians have been leading efforts based on old values and land practices to keep the islands healthy and the local population fed.

The controversies over the safety of growing and eating transgenic food are top of mind for Josh. His lived experience as an indigenous farmer resisting the agribusiness industry is a testament to his ancestral roots - shaped by a deep connection to the land, sea, and soil.

In this interview, he shares why teaching the next generation of local farmers how to cultivate the land to benefit West Kauaʻi goes beyond training and education – it’s personal.

This season, we’re honored to join forces with Prism - a nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color to go deep into the stories behind environmental racism. Our co-founder and host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter, Ray Levy Uyeda, examine how local Hawaiians are taking back food security and culture from American colonization, and the ongoing threats of climate change, militarism, and tourism.

Key Themes explored:

• What does the growing food justice movement look like in West Kauaʻi?
• What are the intersectional links between the agribusiness industry and Big Plastic?
• How do the historical impacts of colonization and militarism affect local Hawaiian culture and food systems?
• Why is tourism is a major threat to the cultural and political environment?

Tune in to the latest episode, Not my Mainland, to find out. This episode was generously sponsored by the Food and Farm Communications Fund.

Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us and continue the conversation by sharing this episode on Instagram and Twitter.

Resources:

• Prism article: Restoring Hawaiian fishponds revitalizes food systems and cultures, written by Ray Levy Uyeda
• Learn about Josh’s organization IWIKUA and how to get involved.
• Read more about Josh’s story in an interview for Feeding Hawai’i : Portraits of Resistance
• As discussed, 27% of Native Hawaiians report food insecurity and that number is likely higher. Check out Food Insecurity in Hawaiʻi: A Data Brief for more information.

If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

When it comes to the climate crisis, there is a stark divide between who is most affected due to the structural inequalities caused by the legacy of institutional racism. In “The First Responder”, we chat with David Heppard, the Executive Director of the Freedom Project Washington - a Seattle-based organization that works to dismantle the system of mass incarceration and heal its traumatic effects. Last year, the Freedom Project shifted its priorities to meet the community's immediate needs in the face of a devastating heat wave, with temperatures reaching a record of 115°F in June of 2021.

A recent study in Nature found that in nearly every major city in the U.S., people of color are exposed to more extreme urban heat than white people. Seattle’s neighborhoods nestled in abundant green space found reprieve from the intense heat. However, the communities of color closest to highways and industrial zones faced disproportionate health impacts and significant barriers to mental health care.

David's particular experiences, as a first responder in his community, is a powerful example of community investment and transformation. The Freedom Projects' counseling services and ability to provide water, fans, and space were instrumental in offering both mental and physical support during times of intense heat.

This season, we’re honored to join forces with Prism - a nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color to go deep into the stories behind environmental racism. Our co-founder and host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter, Ray Levy Uyeda, explore the historical significance of how neighborhoods have been shaped and built, to better understand the disparities that exist when it comes to extreme heat.

Key Themes explored:

What is the urban heat island effect and what does it have to do with systemic racism?

What is the link between redlining and environmental injustice?

Why do low-income BIPOC communities have more barriers to mental health care?

Why does the non-profit industrial complex incentivize top-down approaches to environmental and social issues?

Tune in to the latest episode, The First Responder, to find out.

Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us and continue the conversation by sharing this episode on Instagram and Twitter.

Resources:

• Prism article: Extreme heat increases the need for BIPOC mental health care written by Ray Levy Uyeda
• Support FreedomProjectWA.org and consider donating directly to their cause
• Disproportionate exposure to urban heat island intensity across major US cities in Nature
• Read more about David's story in the Seattle Met

If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.