When Fran Hunt retired in March as the first ever Senior Organizer for the Sierra Club in our area; we Range of Light members worried about who possibly could fill her very caring and exceedingly competent shoes. Fortunately, the national office has hired Kris Hohag, who from our recent interview, is more than ready to do that plus make some notable footprints of his own.
Kris Hohag, M.Ed. is an educator, artist and native of the Owens Valley. Raised in Bishop as a citizen of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, he is also a descendant of the Kuzdadika'a, the people of Mono Lake. A product of local public schooling and a Bishop Union High School graduate, after college Kris worked for many years as an educator in Bishop and has worked with nearly every tribal organization on the reservation serving Native people across such topics as education, economic development, language, culture, healthcare, and governance. He recently served as a delegate for his region on the Board of Directors for the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB), a healthcare and technical assistance organization serving rural tribal communities across the entire state of California. He has experience in local tribal government having served a two-year term on the Bishop Paiute Tribal Council.
In his new role, Kris’ priorities include preventing unsustainable development projects such as a potential open pit cyanide heap leach gold mine at Conglomerate Mesa in Southern Inyo. As a longtime protector of local lands and waters, he is fundamentally opposed to the irreparable damage caused by large-scale extractions and techniques that pervade the gold, lithium and water mining industries, just to name a few. To accomplish this, he plans to leverage the interconnections among the many groups that care about protecting the irreplaceable unique spaces that surround us in the Eastern Sierra. Kris stresses the importance of working proactively for things as well as being the voice against things for those who do not have a voice. Towards another priority, keeping our chapter sustainable into the future, Kris envisions engaging new members through initiatives and activities that are inclusive, appeal to diverse individuals, and are relevant to young people.
Among the many achievements listed in his resume, Kris is most proud of helping start the Bishop Tribal Youth Council and acquiring the funding that started the Bishop Tribal Community Radio Station, KBPT 96.1 LPFM. Both continue to flourish due to community buy-in. KBPT allows listeners within a 20-mile radius of Bishop to hear about culture, issues and news from an indigenous perspective. Listeners can tune in anywhere in the world online at www.kbptradio.com
Kris likes to read, hike, learn new things, hang out by the water, and introduce his 2-year old daughter to the outdoors. When asked about a favorite Eastern Sierra place he would share with a visitor, Kris suggested the Buttermilks; not for the rock climbing but for the expansive views of the valley. To see more beautiful scenery in a different way and to learn about our area’s history from an indigenous perspective he suggests guests visit www.oviwc.org/storymap.
A surprise Kris offered was that he writes a lot of poetry. We hope to share some of that in upcoming newsletters. Kris can be reached at kris.hohag@sierraclub.org