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The Indigenous Rights of Nature Movement Panel

A "Community: Environment is Sacred" Event
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The Indigenous Rights of Nature Movement

Virtual Panel | Tuesday, April 20th | 6:00 pM CT

An in-depth panel discussion of Indigenous environmental leaders share their approaches to adopting the “Rights of Nature” into tribal governance for protecting Mother Earth and Indigenous rights will take place on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at 6 PM CT. The panel is presented in collaboration with Indigeneity — a Native-led program within Bioneers — dedicated to increasing the visibility of Indigenous knowledge and approaches to solving earth’s most pressing environmental and social issues. This panel event is free and open to the public with registration is required.

“We are grateful for Vision Maker’s shared mission to amplify the stories and voices of indigenous peoples for a better future.” – Cara Romero, Director, Indigeneity Program at Bioneers

About the "Rights of Nature"

(Description by Indigeneity)
“The idea that a feature of nature, like a river, is a living being is nothing new to Indigenous and other traditional peoples around the world. While the Western philosophical system is underpinned by the idea that humans are separate from nature and in dominion over it, Indigenous philosophical systems tend to conceive of humans as a part of nature, and in relationship with nature. It’s not surprising that Indigenous Peoples are at the forefront of a growing movement to acknowledge the legal ‘Rights of Nature.’ Rights of Nature is a growing global movement to transform Indigenous values into enforceable laws that can protect the planet for all life. Indigenous environmental leaders share their approaches to adopting Rights of Nature into tribal governance for protecting Mother Earth and Indigenous rights.”
Visit Bioneers Website

About Indigeneity

Indigeneity is a Native-led Program within Bioneers dedicated to increasing the visibility of Indigenous knowledge and approaches to solving earth’s most pressing environmental and social issues. We do this by bringing people together to learn from Indigenous knowledge-bearers, making original Indigenous-content media, fostering Native youth leadership, and developing learning materials. Indigenous perspectives have always been central to the Bioneers’ mission to highlight breakthrough solutions to restoring people and planet. Since our founding in 1990, Bioneers has been fundamentally shaped and guided by Indigenous knowledge, participants and partners. Indigenous Peoples are the “original Bioneers.”

Meet the Panel

Cara Romera headshot
Bioneers Indigeneity program

Moderator

Cara Romero (Chemehuevi)

Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program

Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) is the Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program and brings expertise in working directly with tribes, fundraising, grant-writing and cultural arts programming to Bioneers. Cara served as the first Executive Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center, and served on the Chemehuevi Tribal Council from 2007-2010. With multiple degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Fine Art Photography, Cara has won numerous awards for her photography.

Alexis Headshot
Bioneers Indigeneity program

panelist

Alexis Bunten (Aleut/Yup’ik)

Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program

Alexis Bunten (Aleut/Yup’ik) is the Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program and an accomplished researcher, writer, media-maker, and curriculum developer. After receiving a BA in Art History, Alexis returned to Alaska, where she worked at the Sealaska Heritage Institute, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center in cultural programming. Subsequently, Alexis earned a PhD in Cultural Anthropology, and has published widely about Indigenous and environmental issues in academic and mainstream media outlets.  Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and many others.

Movement Rights Website

panelist

Pennie Opal Plant (Yaqui, Choctaw, Cherokee (Undocumented))

Co-founder of Idle No More SF Bay and Movement Rights

Pennie Opal Plant is of Yaqui, Choctaw/Cherokee (undocumented), and European ancestry. She is a signatory on the Indigenous Women of the Americas Defending Mother Earth Treaty Compact of 2015, and is co-founder of Idle No More SF Bay and Movement Rights. Movement Rights has been working with tribes and communities to align human law with natural law since 2014. The founders of Movement Rights have been working within the Rights of Nature movement since 2010. Pennie has been educating, organizing, and speaking on behalf of Mother Earth and the sacred system of life for over 40 years.

Deon Ben headshot
Grand Canyon Trust Website

panelist

Deon Ben (Navajo)

Native American Program Director for the Grand Canyon Trust

Deon Ben is from the community of Tohatchi, New Mexico and a member of the Navajo Nation. Growing up on Navajo land, Deon experienced the perfect mesh of traditional knowledge and environmental education, which guided his toward current work on incorporating traditional ecological knowledge, animal husbandry, and grazing within tribal communities facing climate challenges. Deon is the Native American Program Director for the Grand Canyon Trust, managing its Colorado Plateau Intertribal Conversation (CPIC) Gathering. Through the CPIC intertribal gathering Deon is working with the CPIC’s twelve tribes to begin initiating their Rights of Nature dialogue on the Colorado Plateau, which will be tribally defined and tribally directed by CPIC members

France Blythe-Lewis
Contact Francene

Introduction

Francene Blythe-Lewis (Diné, Sisseton-Wahpeton, Eastern Cherokee)

Executive Director of Vision Maker Media

Francene Blythe-Lewis is the Executive Director of Vision Maker Media, and recently led programmatic strategic planning and grant-making opportunities as the Director of Programs at the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) from 2015-2020. There, she fostered and implemented successful grant programs for individual artists, community artist mentorships and community projects that centered around social issues and partnerships in and around Native communities.

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Walt Pourier

Vice Chair

Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.

Contact

lynn palmanteer-holder

Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs.  She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.