In Oklahoma, a fight is playing out that could finally recognize tribal sovereignty, especially over how to manage the environment. This could set a precedent for the rest of the country, and affect our climate. But the powers that be won’t let go easily.
In this episode we visit the plains of eastern Oklahoma. Joy Harjo, the United States poet laureate, reads her poem “Speaking Tree” and shares what happens when we lose touch with traditions that center care for the earth. Casey Camp-Horinek, a matriarch and drum keeper of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma, is an environmental activist fighting to free her community from the clutches of the oil and gas industry. She reminds us that we are all bound in responsibility to each other to care for this earth, and that Indigenous voices should be at the forefront of climate discussions and policy change.
You can listen here on Spotify, Apple or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
