In today’s episode, we hear from Lauren Monroe Jr., Amskapi Piikani, of the Blackfeet Nation. Lauren serves as Vice Chairman of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council. He is also an artist, a film director, and worked for Blackfeet Nation Fish and Wildlife Department.
Lauren speaks with us about his own connection to the land, the critical nature of having Blackfeet leadership in regional land management, including the stewardship of the Badger-Two Medicine. Lauren also shares the hope he holds for his community, seeing them move forward in ways that carry on traditional connections and life ways, for the health of people and the land.
This episode is part of the Life in the Land project, which is a series of films and podcasts produced by Stories for Action, which hears from folks that interact with the complexities of Montana's landscapes, speaking to the value of locally-led work and the holistic approaches needed for the health of communities and the ecosystems they're a part of. View the whole project at LifeintheLand.org
This episode is Co-Produced by Lailani Upham (Amskapi Piikani, Aaniiih, Nakoda, Dakota) of Iron Shield Creative, which holds a mission to foster the natural world and draw human connection through Indigenous perspective storytelling.
LINKS:
Back story and updates on the stewardship of the Badger-Two Medicine area, from the Blackfeet Nation: https://blackfeetnation.com/badger-two-medicine/
Article on Blackfeet stewardship of Badger-Two Medicine, from US News, September 2021: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2021-09-18/blackfeet-continue-work-to-defend-badger-two-medicine
Iinnii Initiative's Facebook Page
Iinii Initiative: The Return of the Buffalo, short film on the program: https://youtu.be/6LJfPMoGMAg
"Blackfeet Nation Taking Back the Food System", article from NRDC on one of many Blackfeet-led initiatives to reconnect to traditional lifeways: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/blackfeet-nation-taking-back-food-system
The Blackfeet Climate Change Adaptation Plan, a Blackfeet-led, holistic plan to guide many aspects of community and ecosystem health in a changing climate: https://blackfeetclimatechange.com/our-environment/climate-change-adaptation-plan/
Creative Indigenous Collective, is a collective of Native American artists, which Lauren co-founded and is a member of. They're Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeIndigenousCollective
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Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction