U.S : RED ROAD TO DC : it's time to "draw the line".

 

 

 

		August 9th 2021.                 Friend,       20,000 miles traveled. Seventeen blessing ceremonies. Coast to coast. The Red Road to DC drew lines of connection between communities leading efforts to protect sacred places, and drew a line in the sand against an understanding of development that threatens ancestral lands, waters, tribal sovereignty, and our collective future.   The totem pole journey concluded with presenting the 25-foot pole to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on the National Mall. The beautiful totem pole, carved by the House of Tears Carver of the Lummi Nation, is now on public display in front of the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC., and our exhibition, 'Kwel' Hoy : We Draw the Line' about the Lummi totem pole journeys is on view all Summer at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.             We couldn’t have done this alone. We thank all the organizing partners on this journey — House of Tears Carvers, Native Organizers Alliance, The Natural History Museum, Se'Si'Le, and IllumiNative, and all of the Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, groups, youth, and organizers along the way. We also thank you and all of our supporters, you were with us on this journey, every step. The Red Road to DC was historic, but the journey continues. Will you make a contribution today to help continue the struggle to protect sacred places?
		Totem pole journey exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Kwel' Hoy : We Draw the Line On display through September 9th in Washington DC, our exhibition about the Lummi totem pole journeys features large-scale graphics, videos, a to-scale representation of the Red Road to DC totem pole, and a collection of objects curated by communities leading efforts to protect sacred lands and waters from fossil fuel extraction and industrial development.  The exhibition, titled 'Kwel’ Hoy: We Draw the Line', is a collaboration between the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation and The Natural History Museum, a project of Not An Alternative, a nonprofit collective of artists, activists, and scholars. Moving the totem pole to Rawlins Park in front of the Department of the Interior On July 29, 2021, the Red Road totem pole carved by the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation concluded its cross-country journey in Washington, DC. The totem pole was on view in front of the museum on July 29–31, 2021. During the month of August it will be on display in front of the Department of the Interior, at Rawlins Park on E Street NW, between 18th and 19th streets.
		Witness to the Climate Crisis: It is Time to 'Draw the Line' Today, Monday, August 9th, is the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Also today, the United Nations released a scientific report on the climate emergency. Nations have delayed curbing their fossil-fuel emissions for so long that they can no longer stop global warming from intensifying over the next 30 years–but there is still a short window to prevent the most harrowing future, the report said.  In this post, Indigenous ethnobotanist and The Natural History Museum board member and collaborator Rosalyn LaPier (Blackfeet/Métis), Ph.D. shares her observations, as a traveler on the Red Road to DC journey, on how the climate emergency is impacting Indigenous sacred places, and the need for urgent action. "What stands out most from the journey for me is the visceral, first hand experience of climate chaos happening right now on Indigenous lands and Indigenous peoples’ collective cry for action. It is time to ‘draw the line.’" You can read Rosalyn's post here.  For the future, The Natural History Museum.

 

  

Thank you !

The Natural History Museum leverages the power of history, museums, monuments, and movements to change narratives, build alliances, educate the public and drive action for environmental and climate justice. Our programs are made possible thanks to support from the Chorus Foundation, Heinz Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Invoking the Pause, Overbrook Foundation, Resource Legacy Fund, 4Culture, and countless individuals.

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution today! Your support goes a long way.