NMIPL IN THE NEWS

Indigenous Women Urge Biden to Restore Protection to Bears Ears

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We are among the Women of Bears Ears — Indigenous women who support our families and communities in the protections of ancestral lands. We come from Diné, Nuche, Pueblo and other allied Native Nations. From these Southwestern lands, twin buttes rise; they are known as Bears Ears.

In an opinion piece written for The New York Times on April 25, four members of  the organization Women of Bears Ears (Elouise Wilson, Mary R. Benally, Ahjani Yepa and Cynthia Wilson) made a compelling case to restore federal protections for the entire Bears Ears area. 

In 2016, then President Barack Obama had designated the area as a natural monument, creating protections for this area sacred to native peoples.  A year later, Obama’s successor, then President Donald Trump reduced the Bears National Monument by 85 percent, in order to open significant parts of the areato fossil fuel development and other uses.

So what will President Joe Biden do?  He has asked Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo,  to examine the decision by the Trump administration. She recently traveled to the area to meet with those who live near the Bears Ears area.

NM-IPL has also been involved in this issue. Our organization helped organize faith leaders for a prayer and action pilgrimage to Bears Ears in 2017 before Trump’s adverse actions..

Haaland decision is pending.  We’ll keep you posted.

 

 

 

Earth Day Sermon: Gratitude for the Gifts of Mother Earth

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Emily Syal, a young adult advisor to the board and coordinator of several NM-IPL campaigns, offered an Earth Day sermon at Las Placitas Presbyterian Church in Placitas on Sunday, April 25.

“Through breaking open our hearts in grief with another and humbling ourselves through a practice of gratitude for the abundant gifts of Mother Earth, we begin to lay down or let go of our egos. Instead of our own individual pursuits guiding our actions, we become transformed to live into the fullness of our hearts – now open, connected, and humbled in deep love for all our brothers and sisters of creation.

One of my favorite fictional characters, Shug Avery, in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple describes this way of love best when she says, “I knew that if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed.” This way of loving becomes then a way of living that is for the flourishing of the Whole Earth Community.”

Video: Energy Efficiency is Trendy Too!

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The Green Team Gathering in April 2021 featured Bruce Hunn, who talked about the ins and outs of his ministry of doing energy audits and upgrade recommendations for congregations in North Carolina and here in New Mexico.

Carlsbad Current Argus. Sep. 3, 2020 New Mexico finalizes oil and gas wastewater regulations, lawmakers hear testimony (Rev. Nick King Quoted)

Las Cruces Sun-News,  Aug. 19, 2020, Report on solving climate crisis brings hope (Co-authored by Michael Sells, Clara Sims and Edith Yanez)

Santa Fe New Mexican, Aug. 15, 2020 Vote your values this November  (Commentary by Larry Rasmussen and Tabitha Arnold)