Expanding activism beyond electoral politics, ft. Nick Estes
How do we reclaim our power in community?
Dear Green Dreamer,
How do people with shared yearnings for systemic change end up with such different perspectives on how that translates into political action?
In my conversation with second-time guest Nick Estes, we sit with the uneasy reality of not feeling seen nor validated by electoral politics — and look to the peripheries for inspiration.
Thank you for all that you continue to do,
with care, kamea
“We need to reclaim our power and understand that these movements are cyclical and generational and that we have to build power over time.” – Nick Estes
What does it mean to expand political action beyond the voting booth? What are some ways that colonialism and imperialism persist today? And what is the relationship between building community locally and confronting issues abroad that we may be entangled in?
In this honest, hard-hitting dialogue, second-time guest Nick Estes returns to invite us to think critically beyond the suffocating cycles of electoral politics.
Join us as we learn from having to sit with grim realities — and look to the peripheries for alternative sources of inspiration.
View the episode transcript and references here, and dive into the extended version of this conversation via our Patreon here.
“What I think is more powerful and more impactful is if we look at the material impact that Indigenous-led movements had on the carbon output or the carbon emissions of Canada and the United States.
There was a study… that found that Indigenous-led movements are currently challenging a quarter of carbon emissions from both Canada and the United States. That's a pretty substantial impact.”
Nick Estes is a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. An organizer with The Red Nation, Nick is a historian, journalist, and author of Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance (Verso, 2019).
Listen to our first interview with Nick on “Decolonial histories and The Red Deal” here.
What inspirations or curiosities are still lingering with you from this episode?
Green Dreamer Planners
P.S., If you are looking for mindfully made planners for the new season, we welcome you to check out our Green Dreamer Planners, which feature gratitude lists, intentions-setting invitations, and socio-environmental awareness dates, and which are made with 100% recycled paper, with recycled cotton, washable cloth covers!
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