Letters to Share, Nov-Dec 2014

Dear Editor,

I appreciated the recent article about indigenous peoples. This is an area where environmental justice and social justice meet, as these are the cultures who have a better sense of how to live in harmony with the land.

I want to draw attention to a local (to me) indigenous concern of the Winnemem Wintu, near present-day Redding, California. This is a group of people doing a great job of keeping their culture’s vitality alive, with the inspiring leadership of Chief Caleen Sisk. The first time I heard her speak at a forestry panel, I was floored by the wisdom she brings.

Currently the Winnemem are struggling with a proposed raise to Shasta Dam, which would flood most of the remainder of their sacred sites (most of their sites were already flooded without compensation during the initial dam construction). They are asking for support in the form of calling on representatives to oppose this dam and support more sustainable solutions to California’s water crisis. You can find more information about this, as well as Wintu efforts to restore salmon, and the other Good Work they are doing at winnememwintu.us/.

Thank you,

Meagan Fischer
Chico, CA