SAVE THE DATE: Protecting Mother Earth Conference June 28-July1 - Pacific Northwest

14.4.18

The Indigenous Environmental Network will once again present The PROTECTING MOTHER EARTH Gathering.

This year’s conference will be hosted by the LSqualli-Absch, the Nisqually People (People of the River, People of the Grass) and held within the territories of the Nisqually Nation, near Olympia, Washington – Co-hosted by Indigenous Climate Action, a coalition of Indigenous Peoples representing different organizations and communities whom have a shared vision and mission to provide Indigenous leaders with knowledge about climate change and climate policy.


The PME conference will be a convergence of US and Canadian Indigenous grassroots, frontline communities and Native Nations –First Nations (Tribal governmental leaders-Chief an Council) to articulate the political moment for building strategic opposition, shifting power, strengthening the popular momentum (from Standing Rock) and confronting the challenges of a new U.S. administration that is weakening protection mechanisms of mining, sacred sites-national monuments and fast-tracking dirty energy development in “Indian Country”. As exemplified by the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. administration rejected the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes’ request to have a full environmental impact study before any final decision is made to drill under the Missouri River. The U.S. administration blatantly disregarded tribal sovereignty.

The PME convergence will also strengthen the Indigenous Rising movement to influence and build power with broader environmental-climate-social justice allies on intersectional issues. Rapid response efforts will be a long term organizing strategy for political, social, cultural and economic power building. From an indigenous organizing perspective, it is generally known that Indigenous peoples in the US do not have sufficient political power for change, thus, justifying a need for multi-sectoral collaborative campaigns and alliance building.



The Protecting Mother Earth (PME) conference 2018 is being held in the Nisqually Nation territory, near Olympia, Washington. The four day outdoor conference will be held at a location known as Franks Landing. The Nisqually are known as the southern Coast Salish people.

The conference is a call to action for Indigenous peoples of North America to build narrative and action leading to a response to the protection of Native rights, treaties and the protection of the sacredness of Mother Earth and Father Sky.