Discover’s Day is celebrated by many Americans on October 12 each year, such as in Hawai’i in recognition of the Polynesian discovers of the Hawai’ian islands. In Berkeley, California, an “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” occurs, and in South Dakota “Native Americans Day” is celebrated. These are uplifting, meaningful and happy celebrations that affirm and bestow honor on indigenous peoples.
Columbus Day is, however, a different matter. Cristobal Colombo (Christopher Columbus), the purported discoverer of the “New World,” is not a hero to American Indians. Justifiably offended in honoring someone who personifies colonization and exploitation, they and many other indigenous people of the western hemisphere convene contra-celebrations on this day, such as “International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People” first observed on October 12, 1990 in Quito, Ecuador and having spread since to California and elsewhere. Columbus’ “discovery” of the “New World” (which was anything but new to the original inhabitants), marks the beginning of an extensive 500-year trail of tears. This is the other very sad and troubling “discovery.”
There is yet a different and much more hopeful “discovery” that holds promise for a much happier trail for all of us—indigenous knowledge for sustainability. Nineteenth century-born Oglala Lakota spiritual leader, Black Elk, had a vision that informed his advice to all who would listen. This wisdom keeper said that unless American Indians taught “wachi’chus” (white men) the indigenous knowledge and lifeways of caring for Mother Earth and each other, all would perish. While it has been some time since those prophetic words were shared, perhaps the time is ripe for change in embracing this wisdom.
At the 2009 White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, DC, November 2009, President Obama and several members of his cabinet, members of Congress, and other senior administration officials met with 386 tribal leaders (invited from all 564 federally recognized Indian tribes) to develop together the Obama Administration’s Indian policy agenda. Among the many progressive calls for constructive action, a review of U.S. policies towards the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was made. President Obama signed a memorandum at the conference that directed federal agencies to submit detailed plans of actions on how they intend to secure regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with tribal officials in the development of federal policies that have tribal implications (for details, see 2010 White House Tribal Nations Conference Progress Report , “Forging a Better Future Together” at: http://www.nihb.org/docs/06242010/wh%20tnc_progress_report%20june%202010.pdf).
At GEM, we cherish working side-by-side with many indigenous collaborators in Africa, Latin America, and tribal nations located within the USA on pressing natural resource management issues and opportunities. These include watershed management in the indigenous Zapotec region of the Sierra Norte, Oaxaca, Mexico; rural development with Bhil and other tribal people in India; sustainable agroforestry with Kamba tribal members in the Kitui District, Kenya as well as Mayan descendents in Guatemala and Incan descendants in Peru. Closer to home, GEM recently completed a carbon sequestration and valuation project in which Menominee as well as Zapotec natural resource professionals participated. Currently, GEM is partnering with the Oneida Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to showcase lessons learned about sustainability “Oneida-style.” Concurrently, GEM is preparing a K-16 report on IK-based education for sustainability throughout Indian Country and the USA. A sharing and learning circle hosted by GEM and the Johnson Foundation at the Wingspread Center in Racine, WI next spring will bring together American Indian tribal elders and natural resource managers to discover ways to mainstream indigenous knowledge for sustainability. Black Elk will surely be there in spirit to guide us onward together.
Happy pumpkins,
GEM Education Center Blog 