An Elected Chief from the James Bay Region recently addressed an audience in Ottawa, Ontario. Their presentation posed a fundamental question for Indigenous communities.

The Chief explored

An Elected Chief from the James Bay Region recently addressed an audience in Ottawa, Ontario. Their presentation posed a fundamental question for Indigenous communities.

The Chief explored "Who Were We Before the Colonial Concepts of Rights and Recognition?" This inquiry delves into pre-colonial Indigenous identity and self-understanding, challenging contemporary frameworks.

Terisa Siagatonu, a queer Samoan spoken word artist, educator,

Terisa Siagatonu, a queer Samoan spoken word artist, educator, and activist from the Bay Area, shares her powerful poem on climate change and climate justice. A UC Santa Cruz graduate, she has performed on stages from Boston’s Cutler Majestic Theatre to the Oakland PRIDE Festival.

Currently, Terisa directs PIER (Pacific Islander Education and Retention) at UCLA. This vital project combats low matriculation rates of Pacific Islander students into higher education by offering tutoring, mentorship, and advising to high school students in Los Angeles.

Her work, rooted in devotion to her Pacific Islander community, empowers youth through spoken word and college access, fostering self-empowerment and sustainable community impact.

Black communities have a long, complex relationship with American soil, marked by systemic racism and dispossession. This history directly connects to current "food apartheid" and the rise of the

Black communities have a long, complex relationship with American soil, marked by systemic racism and dispossession. This history directly connects to current "food apartheid" and the rise of the Black farming movement, worker cooperatives, and sustainable practices aimed at ensuring healthy, local food access for all.

The San Francisco Foundation and The Commonwealth Club of California hosted a discussion on November 8, 2021, exploring these critical issues. Doria Robinson, Executive Director of Urban Tilth, and Andrea Talley, Worker-Owner of Mandela Grocery Cooperative, shared insights. Noted author Natalie Baszile moderated the conversation.

The Commonwealth Club, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, makes programs like this possible. Learn more and become a member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership.

A recent convergence united diverse global women leaders to strategize solutions for an equitable and Just Transition—including food sovereignty, gender-responsive climate policies, regenerative

A recent convergence united diverse global women leaders to strategize solutions for an equitable and Just Transition—including food sovereignty, gender-responsive climate policies, regenerative economics, Indigenous rights, and phasing out fossil fuels.

We extend our gratitude to the many amazing speakers, such as President Whitney Gravelle, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Neema Namadamu, Tzeporah Berman, Ruth Nyambura, Dr. Crystal A Cavalier, Dipti Bhatnagar, Dr. Tammy Greer, and Osprey Orielle Lake, who shared their expertise from various regions and fields.

"How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis" was a fundraiser for Sogorea Te' Land Trust and launched Osprey Orielle Lake's book, "The Story is in Our Bones." The event

"How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis" was a fundraiser for Sogorea Te' Land Trust and launched Osprey Orielle Lake's book, "The Story is in Our Bones." The event gathered movement leaders to address humanity's critical choice point: transforming dominant worldviews, which fuel social and ecological crises, into a paradigm of respect, restoration, and justice for an equitable world.

Speakers shared powerful stories demonstrating a possible world, urging solidarity and action. All book proceeds supported Sogorea Te' Land Trust, an Indigenous women-led organization returning land to Indigenous people. Learn more: Book: ospreyoriellelake.earth, Land Trust: sogoreate-landtrust.org, WECAN: wecaninternational.org.

Indigenous women leaders will discuss the impacts of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the climate crisis on their communities. They will showcase their solutions, traditional knowledge systems,

Indigenous women leaders will discuss the impacts of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the climate crisis on their communities. They will showcase their solutions, traditional knowledge systems, and efforts to uphold Indigenous rights while advancing policies for care and climate justice.

This UNPFII side event features two panels of global Indigenous women. Panel One includes Ruth Łchav’aya K’isen Miller, Yasso Kanti Bhattachan, Claire Charlo, and Xiye Bastida. Panel Two features Josefina Tunki, President Whitney Gravelle, Michelle Woodhouse, and Majo Andrade Cerda. Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, will moderate.

Join us for a program with Oglala Lakota leader Jim Warne, co-presented by the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter. Warne, an award-winning filmmaker, discusses Native American history and

Join us for a program with Oglala Lakota leader Jim Warne, co-presented by the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter. Warne, an award-winning filmmaker, discusses Native American history and building relationships for climate progress.

Warne notes many Americans lack accurate Native American history knowledge, often receiving a narrow perspective despite over 550 tribes and 200 languages. He emphasizes historical inaccuracies contribute to an "ignorance by design," hindering understanding.

Explore more programs and support The Commonwealth Club. Subscribe for videos: YouTube, see upcoming events: Events, or become a member: Membership. Watch & Listen: Watch & Listen.

Join Jim Warne of the Oglala Lakota Nation in a program co-presented with the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter. Warne, a motivational speaker and award-winning documentary creator,

Join Jim Warne of the Oglala Lakota Nation in a program co-presented with the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter. Warne, a motivational speaker and award-winning documentary creator, discusses Native American history and fostering relationships for effective climate progress.

Warne highlights a critical gap in American education regarding diverse Native American histories, noting that many outside the U.S. are better informed. He stresses the importance of accurate historical teaching to overcome ignorance and intolerance.

For more information and to connect with the Commonwealth Club, visit their events page, YouTube channel, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Consider membership or donating.

Environmental justice advocates, including The Climate Reality Project, emphasize the urgent needs of communities of color. Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice's "We Can't Breathe"

Environmental justice advocates, including The Climate Reality Project, emphasize the urgent needs of communities of color. Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice's "We Can't Breathe" campaign addresses severe environmental injustice in San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP), a low-income community. Residents suffer high rates of asthma and cancer due to radioactive and toxic contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund site.

BVHP, one of San Francisco's lowest-lying areas, faces extreme vulnerability to rising sea levels, threatening to flood hazardous waste. Despite these risks, luxury homes are being built near, and thousands more planned for, the contaminated Shipyard Superfund Site, amidst allegations of cleanup fraud. A protest will highlight these critical concerns.

Isha Clarke, a 16-year-old Oakland activist, co-founded Youth vs. Apocalypse to protest a controversial coal terminal planned for an underserved community. Her early activism highlighted

Isha Clarke, a 16-year-old Oakland activist, co-founded Youth vs. Apocalypse to protest a controversial coal terminal planned for an underserved community. Her early activism highlighted environmental racism and the critical need for environmental justice.

Now a leader, Isha and Youth vs. Apocalypse gained national attention confronting Senator Dianne Feinstein about the Green New Deal in a viral video. They continue advocating for radical climate action centered on frontline communities, organizing major events like the Bay Area Youth Climate Strike and actions at the California Democratic Convention. Isha champions a movement that amplifies the voices of youth and marginalized communities.

Learn more: Brower Youth Awards
Film by Storyline Media