November 28 on my 2019 calendar tells me so. Although, I prefer to refer to it as “Gratitude to our Native American Brothers and Sisters Day.”
And at this moment we can be grateful for Native people all over the world taking action to address our climate crisis.
In our own state capital, protectors of the Salish Sea have camped out on the traditional Sta’chas village site, now known as the Washington State Capitol, since Sept. 24. Several hundred Native Americans and supporters, as part of the Global Climate Strike, walked 46 miles, four days and four hours, from the Tacoma Liquefied Natural Gas construction site to request a meeting with Governor Inslee asking that he join in the worldwide movement of declarations of a climate emergency.
We can also be grateful for Port Townsend citizen Warren Shelly-Rose (of Eastern Cherokee descent), who walked and camped with these committed Native American leaders. All races need to hear and learn earthcare from the wisdom of Natives who have stewarded this land for centuries before Europeans arrived.
Warren has brought this request to Port Townsend City Council, “Let us declare a climate emergency and work to address the current climate crisis locally!”
Across the world, cities and countries are declaring a “Climate Emergency” and taking action to care for our precious Earth.
We can each take action individually. If you feel strongly that action is needed now to protect our Earth and our own lives, I invite you to take action in one of two ways: Call Gov. Inslee to support the Protectors of the Salish Sea’s encampment in Olympia. For more information: facebook.com/ProtectorsOfTheSalishSea
Join Warren (atharvan@gmail.com) and I (solriou@gmail.com) in asking Port Townsend City Council to make a “Declaration of Climate Emergency.”
In gratitude for democracy,
Sol Riou
Port Townsend