Indigenous Climate/Earth and Resistance Matters -- February 2026
Dear Community,
Please NOTE: Jan. 31st Sat. Protests under Resistance Matters.
As I read through emails to prepare this newsletter, the distasteful impacts of the dominator worldview of current national administration arise in contrast to the sweetness of the living connections within the Indigenous worldview of interconnected responsibility. Please foster and stay in touch every day with your sources of support for living the worldview of respect and care for All Life.
Warmly, Bonnie Sundance
Indigenous Matters
February 7, Sat. 1:30-3pm MT, A Return to the Earth, Module 3: COLONIZATION Register and info
February 21, Sat. 1:30-3pm MT, A Return to the Earth, Module 4: DECOLONIZATION Register and info.
Feb 15, Sun. 4-6 pm ET (3-5pm CT; 2-4pm MT; 1-3pm PT). Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples.
A workshop to experience the history of the colonization of Turtle Island (the United States), told through the words of Indigenous leaders, European/American leaders, and Western historians. Through experiential exercises and small group discussions we are invited to consider how we can build relationships with Indigenous peoples based on truth, respect, justice, and our shared humanity.
Appropriate for high school students and adults. Register
from 7 Pre-Colonial Spiritual Principles for our times ...by Four Arrows from Wahinkpe Topa's Substack
by Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), aka Don Trent Jacobs, Ph.D., Ed.D.
6. Generosity, Courage and Fearless Engagement
Generosity, the highest expression of courage, moves courage into other virtues as well, including honesty, humility, fortitude, patience and gratitude. Courage becomes fearlessness engagement once a decision to act is made. It guides actions with a trust in the universe.
and from post: "From Panopticon to Kinship"
Indigenous teachings warn against this loss of our inner authority. When people forget their relational responsibilities to ancestors, to future generations, to the more-than-human world and to one another, we become easier to control. Fear replaces conscience.
from his substack post Reclaiming Our Ecological Identity
Indigenous and Western Scientific Perspectives on Humanity’s Egalitarian Nature-Based Past
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg) describes how Indigenous governance systems embody “radical resurgence” rooted in relational accountability to all beings, not hierarchical authority over them (Simpson, 2017).
Similar consensus-based decision-making has been documented in honeybees (Seeley, 2010), African buffalo (Prins, 1996), and numerous other species. These findings demonstrate that egalitarian decision-making represents an adaptive strategy selected by evolution itself.
Good news about the work of Tipi Raisers Gen 7 Youth Program for the Pine Ridge Reservation Read more.
A special message from Nick Tilsen, Lakota, of NDN Collective in Mni Luzahan (Rapid City). "Don't let the things being done to discourage you, get to you. We each have a role, a right, and a responsibliity to improve the quality of life and make our world safe [for one another]." Jan. 29, 2026 livestream.
Book: Federal Anti-Indian Law: The Legal Entrapment of Indigenous Peoples • Praeger (2022) — by Peter d'Errico, Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies University of Massachusetts / Amherst
"...presents a close reading of foundational legal cases and raises the possibility of revoking the doctrine of domination [aka Doctrine of Discovery]. .... argues that the U.S. government's assertion of absolute prerogative and unlimited authority over Native peoples and their lands is actually a suspension of law." Read more.
from First Nations Development Insititute located in Longmont:
For over a decade, the Tule River Indian Tribe has worked diligently to bring back beavers to their ancestral lands. Over 80% of the tribe’s drinking water supply comes from the Tule River watershed, and beavers now fill a critical role in the ecology and stewardship of the tribe’s land. Beavers build dams that retain water on the landscape, which extends seasonal flows, and they increase summer baseflows, which improves drought and wildfire resilience. This month, Upworthy features how the beavers are not a new partner to the tribe. In fact, beaver pictographs, which are estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old, can be seen at “Painted Rock” next to the South Fork Tule River.
Climate / Earth Matters
Feb 1 Sun. 1:30 pm Symposium on Spirituality & the Environment This year’s theme, “Climate Grief, Spiritual Resilience, and Hope,” reflects the reality that climate change is no longer distant—it is shaping our lives and our hearts. Together, we’ll explore where grounding, wisdom, and hope can be found in this moment.
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Allen Ewing-Merrill, Executive Director of The BTS Center, as our guest speaker. He will guide us in naming and understanding the emotional and spiritual impacts of the climate crisis—from anxiety and grief to moral injury—while also inviting us into practices of gratitude, wonder, and hope that foster resilience. Location: Congregation Har HaShem, 3950 Baseline Road, Boulder
Feb. 5 Thurs. 6 pm MT . “Thriving in an Age of Disasters: How to build emotional resilience and take action”
Sponsored by Grist and Project Drawdown. and the Climate Mental Health Network. Details and registration
Feb. 28 Sat. 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Falling in Love with the Future with Jeff Wagner of Groundwork--This class is full, click here to be put on the waitlist. Description.
Important to know/ to do about NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) in Boulder, CO
Please read about its importance to us all and how to respond.
[Thanks to this alert from Rising Voices Relations ]
Info from article by Carlos Martinez Jan 27, 2026
[Helps to understand the important interconnections in the way NCAR currently operates.
There are 5 areas covered about what Americans would lose if NCAR's work is redistributed.]
1. Air Travel and turbulence tracking .
2. Food Security: NCAR scientists are working with universities in Kansas and Nebraska and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop CropSmart, a next-generation system that aggregates weather forecasts, crop data, soil conditions, and other inputs into actionable, decision-ready information for farmers, agribusinesses, and agricultural officials. Early projections ... suggest that if advanced decision support systems like this were adopted on even half of irrigated farms in a state like Nebraska, farmers could save up to 1 billion cubic meters of water and $100 million in irrigation energy costs annually while also cutting about a million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
3. The U.S. military depends on weather and climate intelligence to operate safely, effectively, and strategically. From flight operations and naval deployments to training exercises .... When forecasts are wrong or incomplete, missions can be delayed, equipment can be damaged, and personnel and our national defense are put at risk.
5. NCAR was never designed to serve a select few. It was built with public investment to serve the nation as a whole. NCAR embraced the idea that understanding the Earth system—its atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice—requires collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and generations, not isolated efforts working in parallel.
That collaborative model is embedded in how NCAR operates. It is stewarded by a consortium of more than 120 colleges and universities across the United States, .... This structure allows knowledge, tools, and expertise to flow across the country, connecting large research universities with smaller institutions, federal agencies with academic scientists, and fundamental research with real-world applications for the public and private sectors. The result is a shared national capability that no single institution could sustain on its own.
What we need to do now on behalf of NCAR:
1st. the National Science Foundation [NSF} is requesting feedback regarding its intent to restructure NCAR. Respond, and inform NSF about the value and benefits of all of NCAR, not only its constituent parts. Readers can submit comments through 13 March.
Direct responses to NSF_NCAR@nsf.gov
2nd, Congress ultimately holds the authority to fund and protect NCAR, and lawmakers need to hear clearly that dismantling it would put the health, safety, and financial stability of Americans at risk. By October 2026, Congress will address the funding of NSF for next year; we must actively and consistently reach out to our congressional representatives now and throughout the year.
From Bonnie: If you aren't on the email lists of at least 2 environmental organizations, please subscribe to one or two of them to stay up to date, to learn, contribute financially and hear messages such as this one from 350.org
From 350.org ( 350 is the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere which is SAFE and we are now at 428 ppm )
"This is the final decisive decade to limit global heating to safe levels — and the decade is half over.
Ending the climate crisis means confronting the power and privilege driving it — the wealthiest individuals and corporations that keep the world hooked on fossil fuels.
Taxing the richest is not radical. It’s fair and logical. Just a 5% wealth tax on billionaires and fossil fuel corporations could generate hundreds of billions of dollars each year to support the affordable, renewable energy transition at home and in countries least responsible for the climate crisis."
from Daily CO2 "A reminder that our world is pushing the planet's thermostat beyond safe levels of 350 ppm CO2, and that more people are needed to combine our ingenuity and resources to keep the present overshoot brief."
Green Faith's Campaign: Covenant for our Future. a response to the current national administration / moral crisis.
From the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative:
18 nations are now participating in diplomatic dialogues regarding the legal and financial pathways for a just transition via a Fossil Fuel Treaty.
Join the endorsement: here.
Colombia and The Netherlands will co-host the First International Conference for the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels. This historic event will take place in April in Santa Marta, Colombia - a site chosen because of its location in the heart of coal extraction. Learn More:
As we enter 2026, the need to address the interconnected, destructive nature of our political, economic and military systems is ever more apparent. Moving away from fossil fuels is not just about climate change. It is about peace and security, the ability to seek healthy and meaningful lives and livelihoods. Human rights. Indigenous rights. The rights of our children and future generations to exist. To thrive.
If you are feeling anxious about the state of the world, you are not alone. This anxiety is a sign our humanity is intact. That we are reacting naturally to an irrational world.
Now is the time to turn our angst into passion, energy, voice. To further knit our collective, global efforts into a constant drumbeat that refuses to be ignored. To stand together and overcome injustices. To put care over cruelty and courage over comfort.
Continuous Learning in these times: consider courses which expand us beyond the dominant reality of capitalism and other isms
--Feb 9 Mon. online Introduction to a concept and an upcoming course through the Starhouse with Lila Tresemer on educating our Divine Feminine for these times: "Sacred Feminine Quantum Journey — From Root to Crown" This Intro is worth attending for itself as well. Lila presents the premise and the pattern to get a better sense of how this 8 mos. exploration will unfold. When we work in the quantum field, we do not change history—we free it, allowing past, present, and future to come into presence. Register for Intro
--Zen Peacemakers – Cultivating Compassionate Action for a Connected World-- awesome offerings
--See my website for more of them, including a daily recommended Nature Practice with Natasha (free access)
Petition to Oppose Imposition of Deep Seabed Mining in US territories
Please visit our resource document for more information and why it is important.
Food. “We all eat. Let’s use the power of food to confront climate change” at:
"...what if more activist groups, chefs, food businesses, food media networks, climate change communicators and eaters see it as an opportunity to raise awareness and action on climate change...[by focus on what is happening to specific food crops we depend upon, like wheat and meat].
Nature-inspired designs
What do wind turbines, glue, and concrete have in common? Check 50 Biomimicry designs
__________________________< s o n g from my musician friend, Laurie Dameron>__________________________
give a listen in between reading the news and your feelings—
“There’s always a rainbow …..and love out there.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
To protect cliff nesting birds of prey,
On the Boulder Ranger District, the closures include popular rock climbing spots at Eagle Rock, Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, Black Widow Slab and Vampire Rock in Boulder Canyon. The closures for Black Widow Slab and Vampire Rock will begin March 1, 2026. These areas are located along Colorado Highway 119, approximately 1.5 miles east of Boulder Falls. Effective through July 31, 2026, the closures protect long-established cliff nesting raptor territories.
Resistance Matters -- 13 items (note you can skim using bold print)
Song: "I know we've been prepared for these times" (play it while you read!)
Jan. 30 Fri. National SHUTDOWN: NO WORK. NO SCHOOL. NO SHOPPING. STOP FUNDING ICE
"We Belong to Each Other-- kinship over colonialism" substack by Kaitlin Curtice (an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, Kaitlin writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives.) Jan. 28
f you have children in school, she offers a simple text letter to the school about your child participating with you in the national walkout protest against ICE. "We believe participating in this action on Friday is one thing we can do to practice kinship and solidarity with those around us in a dangerous time for our country. "
Jan. 31 Sat Two protests:at Broadway and Canyon
11 am-12 pm (ongoing) with Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center on our various concerns
1pm to 2:30 pm Say No to ICE [Immigrant Customs Enforcement] with Forever Indivisible Boulder and various organizations.
Jan. 31 Sat. 10 am - Noon The Interfaith Immigration Network (IIN) silent meditation/prayer session at GEO ICE detention center, 3130 Oakland St. in Aurora This week, our regular silent meditation/prayer session at the GEO ICE detention center, will be dedicated to remembering all of the victims of ICE brutality. It will be, not a protest, but silent, peaceful, compassionate interfaith witness to lives lost to ICE violence. Please bring a placard with the name of someone who has been hurt by ICE. There will be a short reading, followed by 20 minutes of sitting meditation, 10 minutes of walking meditation and a final 20 minutes of sitting. We encourage everyone to bring a chair or blanket to sit on. No need to sign up; just come join us! (Please do not share this on social media.)
Feb 5 Thurs. 12:15 pm to 1:00 on Key Lime charters Airline transporting of ICE deportees: rally at CU before, then attend Regents' 1 pm meeting to cancel CU's contract with airline Key Lime. 4001 Discovery Drive by Foothills Pkwy
Regents meeting begins at 1 pm ... and is open to public.
NOTE their suggestion to CALL CU President Solomon 303 860 5600 to express concerns and CALL Key Lime CEO 303-768 9626
[This info from a KGNU.org Connections Show on Jan. 30 -- hear archived show.]
News from KGNU.org Jan 25
Protestors rallied on Wednesday at the site of a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in a defunct prison located in Hudson, Colorado, a small town in Weld county. Protestors then spoke for three hours during a public comment period at a town meeting in Hudson. ICE is moving forward with plans to utilize the prison site, rebranded as the Big Horn Correctional Facility.
The documents released from the ACLU show ICE signed a deal with prison contractor GEO group for $40 million for services rendered to renew and operate the Hudson facility.
In an interview with the Denver Post, ACLU legal director, Tim MacDonald, said ICE’s activity is alarming – and that the agency’s redactions of documentation and operational procedures are patterns of QUOTE, “…hiding what they’re doing.”
from Congressman Joe Neguse: from a Jan. 27 response to my email
"I am a son of refugees, and a first-generation American—and I share your outrage regarding the President’s draconian immigration policies, ... the unlawful and unconstitutional abuses by ICE in Minneapolis and beyond, their outright disregard for due process and constitutional requirements, and the targeting of Dreamers here in Colorado and across the country.
On January 22nd, I voted against appropriations funding for ICE and DHS, and led the fight against this measure in the House Committee on Rules. I am a proud cosponsor of the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act (H.R. 5973) and the Stop Inhumane Conditions in ICE Detention Act, and I have also signed on to H.Res.996, a resolution demanding the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for high crimes and misdemeanors.
NOTE: I include these because it is important we KNOW when our elected reps are standing up and also resisting.
from John Hickenlooper's Jan. 27 newsletter commented on recent Minneapolis ...
"...makes one thing painfully clear: the President needs to tell ICE and Border Patrol units to get the hell out of our communities – now.
Those aren’t just empty words. This time, we actually have the power to force change.
DHS and ICE rely on our taxpayer dollars to carry out this deportation operation that is terrorizing our communities.
This week, the Senate will vote on a government funding bill that would hand $64.4 billion to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including $10 billion for ICE. Republicans can’t pass it alone. They need at least seven Democratic votes.
I won’t be one of them. I refuse to fund the lawlessness.
Feb 25 Wed. Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice is happening in Washington D.C.
United Methodists and others are encouraged to attend in person, follow the event on social media (livestream details to follow), or hold simultaneous events in their own local communities on the same day.
The day will begin with worship, followed by a prayerful march to the U.S. Capitol. Members of Congress will join in lifting a faithful call for immigrant justice. The afternoon will include congressional visits for those who wish to participate.
This is an opportunity to show solidarity for immigrants and call on all of us to “welcome the stranger."
For more information: www.faithfulresistance.org In Person: Washington, D.C. Online: Livestream For both register:
ICE -- and who profits, and who to "call into participation" with humane caring values
Verizon is profiting from immigration detention and deportation through a 10-year, $176 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE. Through that contract, Verizon fuels raids, detention centers, and deportations at a moment when immigration enforcement is turning openly lethal. from National Campaign for Justice --Adalah Justice Project a Palestinian-led advocacy organization based in the U.S. that builds cross-movement coalitions to achieve collective liberation. "Freeing Palestine to Free us All"
Divest from Militarism, Invest in Life Honor their campaign to support Minnesotans: By targeting the institutions providing logistical support and cover for agencies like ICE and CBP, we can erode their power, take back our streets, and keep our people safe.
How do we know? Consider the source of intelligence, within oneself:
"Listening to Your Inner Wisdom" Aligning Your Life with Your Soul, a FREE event with THOMAS HÜBL
One hour webinar with Thomas Hubl, a highly respected international speaker about personal and collective healing
Find the stillness to tune in to your soul’s quiet guidance; Release shadow patterns that are holding you back;
See reality beyond the lens of projection; Align your life with your deepest purpose Register
Palestine: On limiting weapons to Israel: See Israel’s Proposal to End US Military Funding Is Actually Designed to Further Enmesh the US in Its Oppression of Palestinians See analysis by IMEU (Institute for Middle East Understanding)
from Executive Summary:
Disgusted by US complicity in delivering more than $30 billion in weapons to Israel to facilitate its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, a clear majority of all Americans–including super- majorities of Democrats–now oppose more US taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel. ...the emerging plan is to substitute formal military funding–known as Foreign Military Financing–with greater US taxpayer-funded co-development and co-production of weapons with Israel.
read more about the impacts of this plan.