We Are Nature Rising is a new project under the fiscal sponsorship of Merrohawke Nature School and directed by Mark Morey. Our aim is to systemically address the intersection of issues that we believe challenge our ecological, cultural and spiritual well-being today: Indigenous Rights, Climate Change and Nature Disconnection. We believe now is the time to step up and actively develop an eco-social justice strategy at the national level.
The rise of Standing Rock brought long-term native struggles into the national consciousness and has lit a fire for action. As mentors to the next generation, we are also highly aware of the impact climate data and environmental chaos is having on the hope of future leaders.
We Are Nature Rising is our response to these times. We intend to integrate next generation leadership development, climate justice awareness and native reciprocity with an established North American network of nature connection communities that are already deeply engaged in long-term nature connection as a strategy for social change.
We are working towards:
- Increasing organizing competency and social impact in the next generation of leaders in the critical life-systems issues of soil, water, food, energy, health, traditional knowledge and climate.
- Forging a new future where settler culture honors, respects and responsibly co-exists with indigenous culture and the natural world.
- Elevating and providing platforms for the indigenous voice
- Providing resources and training for ongoing awareness of privilege, power, and systems of oppression and encouraging responsibility to do our part in decolonization
- Evolving the consciousness of giving from compartmentalized to systems thinking
- Establishing intergenerational partnerships between elders and next generation leaders
- Midwifing a new generation of hopeful and empowered leaders who experience the world as abundant, loving and worth inheriting
We believe effective eco-social change needs to be long-term, complex and regenerative while making an immediate impact on the well-being of communities. Our intent is to be native-centered, holistic, and stand for a future of thriving indigenous life-ways. Respect for–and societal integration of–indigenous core values will result in a healthy world for us all and will provide hope for the next generation of leaders shouldering the responsibility of stewarding healthy and regenerative culture.
We Are Nature Rising is a basket of seven nested stakeholder circles:
- Native Advisory Council
- Eco-social philanthropists
- Staff and Volunteers
- Native next generation leaders (20 – 30 yrs old)
- Non-Native next generation leaders (20 – 30 yrs old)
- Nature Connection Organizations
- Native Communities, Elders and Partner Organizations
If you think these issues are important and you align with our approach, please comment and share!