Architects of Abundance: Indigenous Regenerative Food Systems and the Excavation of Hidden History

Conversations on Climate Justice with Lyla June.

Colonization is an issue of climate justice. Contrary to popular belief, Indigenous Peoples leveraged immense influence on their surrounding lands, fires, and waters in ways that could heal our planet today. Whether it’s periodically burning grassland ecosystems with low severity fires to maintain habitat for deer, buffalo, antelope, etc, or building intertidal rock walls that catch sediment and warmer waters to expand clam habitat, native people have a number of innovative strategies for scaling habitat for edible plants and animals whom they often view as relatives.

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) as she translates this under-studied history to the contemporary world and highlights the connection between Indigenous land ethics, carbon sequestration, biodiversity augmentation, anthropogenic habitat expansion, and regional ecosystem connectivity. The success of these systems is believed to be due to their underlying value system of respect, reverence, responsibility and reciprocity.

Free and open to the public.

Register Here

FEATURING:

Dr. Lyla June Johnston 
Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organizer

Valentin Lopez
Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band

Brook M Thompson
Yurok Tribal Member and UCSC Environmental Studies PhD Student

Location: UCSC Merrill Cultural Center or via Zoom. This is a hybrid event, presented both in-person and virtually.

Parking: Available in Merrill Lot 119. Parking attendants will be onsite selling $5 permits.

Presented by: Institute for Social Transformation, American Indian Resource Center, and People of Color Sustainability Collective at UC Santa Cruz. This event is made possible with generous support from the Kamieniecki Lecture Fund Endowment.