Winona LaDuke, an American environmental activist, economist, executive director of Honor the Earth and writer, known for her writing about tribal land claims and preservation, gave a thought provoking speech about Grassroots Strategies to Mitigate Global Climate Change and how we should proceed at the University of California Santa Cruz in Kresge College Town Hall on January 25th, 2018. We were fortunate to have Dr Rebecca Rosser, Director of the American Indian Resource Center at UC Santa Cruz, introduce the event. Dr. Rosser’s current work focuses on raising awareness about the experiences of Native American students in the university setting, with particular attention to the stereotypical expectations surrounding Native identity. 

Winona LaDuke began by addressing the Dakota Access Pipeline and how it negatively affects native lands. LaDuke lives on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, which is located on the Gaawaawiye Gamaag, The Round Lake.  She spoke about being a water protector. To introduce the topic of how we can protect the environment, she pulled up an acrylic art piece and described how “we are all on the same boat.” When it comes to protecting our waters,“it is quite possible that the solutions to the problems that were created are not part of the same paradigm that created them.” The community must come together if we want to rid of the Dakota Access Pipeline and save our waters from being contaminated from harmful toxins.

“Regenerative Economies [are a means] in which we will make America great again,” said LaDuke to an audience of over 250. 

Unique varieties of corn (such as purple, yellow and red varieties) and rice are a way in which native communities have been able to flourish within their community.  Besides the fact that native women get to play an intricate role in contributing to crop development (farming crops and cooking), Native American populations are tied to the lands they reside on.

LaDuke spoke about the importance of having biodiversity of cattle, crops and humans because biodiversity is what makes our earth unique. If we strip land from the plants and animals to flourish and implement pipelines for selfish human desires, we will destroy our environment.

“I’ve spent five years fighting pipelines,” said LaDuke.  

She protested to stop the Sandpiper Pipeline and won against Enbridge Pipeline Inc. on August 2nd, 2016. Although the cancellation of this pipeline was a victory, Enbridge immediately announced how they purchased 38% of the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Winona LaDuke is well known for her political advocacy work with Standing Rock when she fought against the Dakota Access Pipeline. She spoke about how the militarized police force under the Obama Administration attended the Standing Rock protests and carried mine resistant armored personnel carriers (MRAP), which are capable of driving through buildings.

“Fracking is the bottom of the barrel.”

“You might as well bust up the bottom of the barrel when you have nothing else better to do,” said LaDuke. She described that instead of justifying oil companies, we should worry about women being sex trafficked and the Neo-Nazis purchasing land in North Dakota.

LaDuke explained  how important it is for people to become part of the divestment movement; people throughout the University of California should be part of the divestment movement or the Fossil Free UC Movement.

Furthermore, LaDuke’s speech encouraged members of the Santa Cruz community to seek activist opportunities and create a discussion on how they can implement change in the community they call home.

All day on January 26th, 2018, Common Ground hosted the Next Economy World Cafe to reflect on Winona LaDuke’s speech. Students discussed concepts such as how the Current model of economy is based on exploitation and extraction.

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