On April 22nd, the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes partnered with Salish & Kootenai College and University of Montana to host an Earth Day gathering. (You can read more about the event in the Char-kooska News article here.) Several Sierra Club members attended, including Yvonne Sorovacu, Len Broberg, and Susan Evans. Here are their reflections:
"The work of the CSKT Natural Resources Department has always interested and inspired me, so I was excited to spend Earth Day at an event put together by the department, UM and Salish Kootenai College.
"It was inspiring to hear about the work of a sovereign government agency near Missoula whose work is built on an understanding that our ability to thrive is inextricably linked to the health of our natural environment.
"It was a reminder of all the ways that local organizations and people are coming together to address the impact of climate change. It’s easy to feel a bit lost as one person trying to figure out how to take positive action on a global issue. The presentations and discussions at CSKT Earth Day reminded me that there is an ever growing network of people who clearly see how climate change is relevant to our daily lives and who are acting on that realization to protect the health of their communities. Some of our discussions were sobering, but seeing all the people who are quietly and steadily committed to finding meaningful solutions that help their neighbors made me feel hopeful.
"Developing genuine allyship means expanding our boundaries of 'community' in order to see and acknowledge that our well-being is collective and must be collectively nurtured. In this time of climate change, I’m thinking a lot about how to be a good ally to all my neighbors; human, animal, plant, et cetera. We have a lot to learn from the community on the Flathead reservation about what that looks like."
~Yvonne Sorovacu, Missoula
"The CSKT/SKC Earth Day was a definite highlight of an eventful Earth Day Week. It was so inspiring to hear of a government that is prioritizing addressing the causes and impacts of climate change in a place they have known for millennia.
"What struck me most was a comment by one of the event organizers, Gwen Lankford, who suggested that regeneration rather than sustainability should be the concept to guide restoring and maintaining our relationships within nature. Gwen pointed out that we sustain many things that are harmful (i.e., fossil fuels) but that regeneration is never a product of those processes. Instead our brother and sister animals and plants regenerate and restore us through a cycle of gratitude where if we offer gratitude to them, they will return that gratitude to us. It was a new way of thinking about it for me that I found very helpful: to understand and practice reciprocity within our relationships.
"The breadth and data-based focus of the CSKT work to address climate change was so impressive. To see so many old acquaintances and to meet other new staff and students doing that work was fulfilling and energizing. I highly recommend getting to a future CSKT Earth Day if you can. It is a wonderful opportunity to see community action on important issues.”
~Len Broberg, Missoula, Montana Chapter Chair
"Earth Day at the SKC campus was amazing.
"We were introduced to several people who are actively involved with creating a new normal.
"We were encouraged to create a balanced outlook, incorporating spiritual, physical, mental & emotional well-being.
"To create a new normal, we won’t have to give up our conveniences, just use less of whatever energy we’re currently using! We can imagine a different world, with electric vehicles, solar energy systems in our homes, or an air source heat pump for heating and cooling.
"Paraphrasing Mike Durglo: we don’t have to be a Democrat, an Independent, or a Republican. We can be human beings trying to make a difference."
~Susan Evans, Polson, Montana Chapter Board member