On Friday, July 16, I along with other ESTHER members went to Marinette in support of the Coalition to Save the Menominee River. This event was inspiring and allowed me to hear the stories of those who are working diligently to protect the river.
The extractive industry is a threat to wildlife, the surrounding environment, and Native communities. The extractive industry brings violence to Native communities and exacerbates the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Being at this event, I heard from people who are working specifically on this issue and how I can get more involved. This is my biggest passion, and it felt reaffirming hearing from people who care just as much as I do.
If we are looking for ways to better protect the environment, we need to listen to Indigenous communities such as the Menominee. Indigenous communities have been protecting and healing the land for many years. Their relationship with the land provides the best template for how we can move forward and heal the land and ourselves.
It was such an honor to witness a water blessing done by five generations of Menominee women. They mentioned how in their community, women are the water protectors. Women have a sacred connection with the water as the womb holds life-giving water. That relationship with the water is so beautiful and is just one of the many reasons why the Menominee River needs to be protected.
From accessibility of public lands to health impacts of burning fossil fuels, examples of environmental injustice are deeply woven into each of the issues that we organize around. To examine these connections, many parts of the Sierra Club in Wisconsin are coming together to organize an Environmental Justice Event Series beginning in the fall of 2021.
We hope that these events can provide an opportunity to explore the inequities rooted within these issues and help shine a light on the critical environmental justice components that exist in our work. Register to receive the link to the Zoom event.
Sponsored by Grass Roots North Shore, Sierra Club Great Waters Group, Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, Fox Valley Sierra Group, First Unitarian Society of Madison, 350 Madison Climate Action Team, Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, ESTHER, Peace Action of Wisconsin, Nearby Nature Milwaukee, Sierra Club Wisconsin
Local Action. Real Power. Fighting for Climate Justice
Become part of the fight for climate justice in your community!
Join us for this webinar on December 15 to hear about work at the local policy level to bring about climate justice and how you can help. Recommendations of the Climate Change Task Force will be shared, local elected officials will share information on recent policy wins, and information will be provided on statewide efforts.
A group of concerned citizens dedicated to reversing the environmental decline of our planet and committed to addressing issues of injustice arising from climate change.
For a link to the Zoom meeting, or to be added to the task force mailing list, leave us a message at https://esther-foxvalley.org/ejtf
“Standing Together, Speaking Out for MMIWG2S, Land & Water” is the name for our upcoming 3rd annual vigil in Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton on February 14th. If you are interested in this hybrid (live and live-streamed) event, here is the ESTHER link: Standing Together, Speaking Out for MMIWG2S, Land & Water. The vigil is co-hosted by Kristin Welch’s Waking Women Healing Institute (WWHI) and ESTHER.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirits (MMIWG2S) is an epidemic across North America, which is known as Turtle Island to Indigenous people. Indigenous people want an end to molestation, rape, trafficking, and murder. American Indians and Alaskan Natives are 2.5x as likely to experience violent crimes and at least 2x more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimes compared to all other races. In the United States and Canada, an average of 40% of the women who were victims of sex trafficking identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native. About 85% of Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime and more than 55% of Indigenous women experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
First Congregational UCC, Appleton, an ESTHER member, invites you to
Save What You Love!
Zoom Webinar on Monday, February 14, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This one-hour webinar explains the likely environmental and social impact of the proposed rerouting of Enbridge Line 5 in the Upper Peninsula near Bad River and describes how to register your opinion with the Wisconsin DNR. The program features a professor of environmental sciences and geology from Lawrence University and an Indigenous activist and Ashland County Supervisor from the Bad River Reservation.
You will learn:
What is included and what was omitted in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed re-routing of Enbridge Line 5
What to highlight in written responses to the WI DNR within the public response period (closing on March 4, 2022)
Resources and toolkits for effective letters to the WI DNR and government leaders
No charge. All are welcome. Advance registration required:
ESTHER’s Envirnomental Justice Task Force is pleased to bring this study series to your attention. St. Bernard Parish is a partner with ESTHER in social justice work.
The St. Bernard Social Justice Committee of Appleton is pleased to present a Zoom study of climate change this Lent. We will be using the book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates, along with the Laudato Si encyclical and several other articles and sources. The program will be facilitated by Dr. Robert Hausserman. Meetings will be held on Tuesdays during Lent, from March 8 thru April 12 at 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Please join us in discussing this very important topic.
Water Celebration and Bridge Walk
On Friday, July 16, I along with other ESTHER members went to Marinette in support of the Coalition to Save the Menominee River. This event was inspiring and allowed me to hear the stories of those who are working diligently to protect the river.
This one-hour webinar explains the likely environmental and social impact of the proposed rerouting of Enbridge Line 5 in the Upper Peninsula near Bad River and describes how to register your opinion with the Wisconsin DNR. The program features a professor of environmental sciences and geology from Lawrence University and an Indigenous activist and Ashland County Supervisor from the Bad River Reservation.
