Food Aid <--> Local Agriculture

"Food aid has hurt local agriculture" - former USDA sec Ann Veneman on KQED's Forum today. Time to restore and reclaim those traditional farming practices . . .

The program showed the bipartisan nature of international food/health issue. Although a Bush appointee, virtually everything she mentioned were things all people could agree on. And, given the polarized conversation that passes for politics, she most certainly did not sound Republican.

Multimedia: Advancing the Cause of Justice

Tomorrow (or today, depending on your time zone) the National Congress of American Indians will deliver the State of the Nations address to highlight the collective successes and challenges of communities across the land.  

http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=65512

And Native America Calling has had several good call topics recently, on indigenous advocates for climate change action, indigenous beliefs and rights among world religions,  women entrepreneurs on the reservation, and even safe places for Native youth from our friends at Native Movement

And for real motivation to keep working on all these community struggles, try the music of Blackfire! 

Rebuilding Haiti from the Roots Up

Check this Living On Earth podcast about Haiti and environmental regeneration.  We have seen a lot of aid that has been hindered to getting to people.  We think our real task is to build capacity and infrastructure, share information and low-impact technology, to help empower Haitians to help themselves. 

Traditional Knowledge and Appropriate Technology Roundup

You can listen to Luis Macas Ambuludi, discussing Latin American indigenous issues here .  This podcast is provided by Seventh Generation, among many others in their Native Pulse media offerings .

And check out the Appropedia for an array of information on low-footprint, high impact technologies. 

NTEC sums up why traditional knowledge and appropriate technology is important in our current reality: 

    "[For Natives] culture, history, identity, spirituality and governance are inextricably intertwined with their lands, waters and living beings to whom they are related and with whom they maintain right relationships. Climate change is affecting ecosystems, the distribution of culturally-important species, and the scarcity of water.  . . .  Maintaining and using traditional knowledge is essential for successful tribal adaptation to climate change. Traditional knowledge is linked to ecosystems and central to their identity and existence. It must be used on a basis of equal standing with science in alleviating adverse climate impacts on tribal trust resources." 

Generating Movement and Action

Movement Generation notes that the "building ecological literacy within our movements has become a central priority – a vision for a healthy planet rooted in the needs and voices of poor people, indigenous people, and communities of color is a strategic necessity."

To build additional ecological literacy yourself, try:

- Ecological Knowledge Database from U. Mich - Dayton

- Seed Saving online forum, courtesy of Seed Savers

- Low Income Home Energy Assistance resources to get your home weatherized

Culture and Landscape

Miwok landscape management was recently featured by TribalP2 http://www.tribalp2.org/resources/in-depth_resources/ecological_management.php

On the food security and appropriate technology fronts, check out our calendar of upcoming events.  We are anticipating trips to the Lakota, the Nahuat, and multiple workshops in our local community over the next several months -- all highlighting how to best integrate ourselves with the landscape, wherever we are.

Copenhagen