Winona LaDuke, renowned environmentalist, will speak at the Vashon Theater about her experiences, life and work at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 11.
The event was originally scheduled for February but was postponed due to weather.
Organized by a team of community members, the event will feature live music by island jazz band Some’tet and Native American violinist Swil Kanim, as well as opening ceremonies by Puyallup tribal leaders. Proceeds from the event will support Honor The Earth’s Line 3 pipeline expansion challenge and the Puyallup Water Warriors.
A press release for the event said it is LaDuke’s mission to “Keep it in the Ground.” Her activism also promotes wild rice and hemp farming as environmentally sustainable sources of economic resilience for rural and Indigenous communities. She is a graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities and has lived and worked on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota for many years.
LaDuke was a two-time vice presidential candidate with Ralph Nader for the Green Party. She co-founded the nonprofit Honor The Earth in 1993 to fight oil pipeline projects, protect tribal lands and advance the rights of indigenous people. The organization was involved in several rallying protests against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipeline projects and has also taken other major actions to protect water and promote sustainability.
Patrick Christie, one of the event organizers and a professor at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, said he feels it is important that people recognize the work of LaDuke and Honor the Earth as directly relevant to life in the Pacific Northwest and on Vashon.
“Climate change respects no borders. Seemingly, neither do fossil fuel and pipeline companies. They certainly don’t respect the boundaries of Indigenous lands, rights or sovereignty,” Christie said in an email.
He added that LaDuke is helping to create a movement benefiting both local non-profits such as the Backbone Campaign and local Indigenous organizations — namely the Puyallup tribal council and Water Warriors — who are working to resist projects such as the proposed Tacoma fracked liquefied natural gas facility.
“While some are arguing that liquefied gas is a bridge fuel, fracking releases methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, and the Puyallup maintain that the facility is on their lands and that they have been inadequately consulted,” he wrote. “It’s a true honor to host a global leader [such as LaDuke] and it will be an evening to learn, to be inspired, and to plan the next steps of collaboration.”
All tickets purchased for attendance to the previous speaking engagement will be valid for the upcoming talk.
Tickets for general admission and for joining a catered reception with LaDuke at Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe can be purchased online. Islanders are invited to continue the discussion on Facebook after Winona LaDuke’s talk.
— Paul Rowley
