The past few months have been tumultuous and unprecedented. COVID-19, wildfires, and the associated impacts felt around the world are tragic and profound. In the US, the racist murder of George Floyd has ignited a powerful movement for change. Mountain Sentinels stands in support of Black Lives Matters. We are reading books, such as Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi, donating, learning, listening, dialoging, standing as allies. What is the Black experience in the mountains of the US? For one perspective, please check out this short film, This Land.
We have also been talking about decolonization and marginalization in the mountains. This is the subject of our upcoming October 23 Virtual Coffee. We hope you will join us. Another book on our reading list is An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.
In this time of COVID-19, we are witnessing people flocking to the mountains and seeking refuge there – what are the implications of these movements into the mountains? And what opportunities does this moment of crisis provide to ‘build back better’, to change course and choose a more just and sustainable world? We hope to explore this with you all over the next year.
We are exited to welcome our first cohort of Fellows from around the world – they are doing essential work in the mountains. We will share more information about them in our next newsletter and you will hear from them over the next months. Stay tuned!
We recognize the unimaginable suffering that is occurring worldwide, and offer our sympathies to those in despair. We also offer hope and a conviction that we can reach across the mountain ranges of the world and together create a colorfully woven tapestry of knowledges, skills, and experiences to reimagine our shared future and then rise to do the collaborative and creative work to see that vision unfold.