In its first six months, Our Living Lands has covered everything from the impact of climate change on ice in the Arctic to Indigenous cultural burning practices in California. For this special episode, Host Antonia Gonzales spoke with Producer Daniel Spaulding about some of Our Living Lands' highlights over the last six months.
Covering the diversity of Indian Country
Across the country, Indigenous lands feature every type of climate, from the Everglades to the Alaskan Arctic. “Indian country is very diverse and not just in terms of languages and cultures, but also in the landscapes that we call home,” Spaulding said.
With those unique landscapes come unique climate impacts. Warming temperatures, for example, are already changing Indigenous life in the Alaskan Arctic. We have also covered the role that Indigenous cultural fire could play in the fight against climate-driven wildfires, highlighting work done by the Karuk Tribe and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.
The Importance of traditional knowledge
Indigenous knowledge has been a key theme in many of our stories, including an interview with Stella Sammaripa, a Nimíipuu language teacher, about her efforts to bring Dogbane back to Nez Perce lands and an interview with Cheyenne Kippenberger, a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, about the impact storms and rising tides are having on her homelands.
“Highlighting these stories is crucial because it reminds us that Indigenous people have always been the original stewards and caretakers of these lands,” Spaulding said. “The solutions to today's environmental impacts often lie in our traditional knowledge and teachings.”
Intersection of climate and other topics/themes
Climate change is a massive issue that intersects with different aspects of Indigenous life, including culture, politics, and history. Sometimes climate stories can take surprising forms, like an interview with Grist reporter Taylar Stagner about Indigenous heavy metal music as a response to climate change. “I think Indigenous people are angry for many good reasons,” Stagner said. “And we don't have too many places to show that or to feel those feelings.”
Health solutions in Indian Country
Health is another topic that intersects with many climate stories. Thanks to a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network and the Indigenous Journalists Association, Our Living Lands has covered a range of stories focusing on innovative solutions to Indigenous health inequities. Mountain West News Bureau Reporter Kaleb Roedel produced a two-part story focusing on the challenges of bringing electricity to homes on the Navajo Nation. As climate change drives hotter and hotter summers, refrigeration and air conditioning are more crucial than ever.
