President Biden has laid out a 10-year goal of conserving 30 percent of the U.S. by 2030, an inclusive and bold vision for safeguarding America’s lands, water, and wildlife that will support the efforts of people across the country, including rural communities, tribal nations, private landowners, and many others on the frontlines of conserving, stewarding, restoring, using, and enjoying nature.
The Northern Chumash Tribal Council applauds the Biden administration’s initial 30 by 30 analysis and commitment not only to conservation, but to cooperative protection of our lands and ocean. We thank President Biden and his administration for making conservation, protection, and the movement toward 30 by 30 a priority.
The president is walking the talk when it comes to prioritizing Indigenous leadership, rights, and knowledge in conservation. Each community of Indigenous people is the expert on the land and water where they live. This knowledge and history is critical to community-led conservation.
As the Chumash people know well, Indigenous communities have always been a part of the ecosystem, not apart from it, and our historical memories and knowledge are key to conservation moving forward. The Northern Chumash Tribal Council and the Indigenous Communities around the world are working to provide solutions to assist Grandmother Oceans in the ever-expanding troubling challenges that we face today.
We hold in our hearts deep reverence for Grandmother Ocean, Mother Earth, and all living things. Preservation of tribal spiritual and cultural resources is our heritage and responsibility. Successful implementation of 30 by 30 efforts and the expeditious designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would protect marine abundance and sacred cultural Chumash sites, strengthening Indigenous communities and serving as a model of environmental justice.
Violet Sage Walker
Northern Chumash Tribal Council spokesperson
Avila Beach
This article appears in Summer Guide 2021.
If Ms. Walker wants credibility on this or any issue, the Chumash Band of Indians must come clean with their gambling casino in the Santa Ynez valley. The casino is a huge environmental disaster, and its 10 story building is out-of-step with the once-bucolic SY Valley. Why the hypocrisy?
Moreover, the monopoly on gambling casinos must end, and ALL Californians should be able to operate casinos, why give a monopoly to the indians? Special-interest politics hurts all of us, and if the Chumash are going to claim to stand up for what’s right in our community, they must reveal and confront their own hypocritical practices.
As they used to say in the west, these people are ‘All hat and no cattle’.
The Northern Chumash Tribal Council is not the same as the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe. They are different entities.
@P.J. Webb: While they may be two different legal entities, this writer has made the sweeping claim that every indigenous community is necessarily an “expert on the land and water where they live”, and ” that indigenous leadership should be prioritized”. This suggests that the entire Chumash community is in agreement with her. However, the casino complex is the antithesis of the conservation movement.. Perhaps this writer is only speaking for herself, and not all native Americans.
I agree with Mr. John Donegan!
For too long, the Chumash have been excused for their disassociated community values, and now they have the gall to tell the rest of us that they deserve a disproportionate voice in our community’s land-use policies? Given me a break!
The problem with the whacky left is they attempt to portray a narrative victimology, thus convincing others that they deserve a special-interest deal from the taxpayers. It is time to end the Chumash gambling monopoly, and it is also time to challenge the Chumash to have their actions match their rhetoric.
If the Chumash want respect, they should behave respectfully.
The white supremacist rhetoric coming from the hate group that goes by the name of “Steve Edwards” should be disregarded.
New times owes it to us readers to investigate “Steve Edwards“.
The white supremacist hate Organization known as Steve Edwards is once again using New Times to mislead the public. As was pointed out earlier: The Northern Chumash Tribal Council is not the same as the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe. They are different entities.
The northern Chumash tribal Council has no connection to the casinos.
New times owes it to its readers to do an investigation on Steve Edwards.