Environmental Justice

​Starter
Read the following quote from the weekend's reading assignment by Barry Lopez and then write about a place that holds significance to you and that you find beautiful or find peace within. It could be ANYWHERE! Inside or outside! A corner in your bedroom, or a mountain range.  A city alleyway or a highway corridor. Describe it in as much detail as you can and explain why you find it beautiful or why it is significant to you. 
​"In Spanish, la querencia refers to a place on the ground where one feels secure, a place from which one's strength of character is drawn. It comes from the verb querer, to desire....In Spain, querencia is most often used to describe the spot in the bullring where a wounded bull goes to father himself, the place he returns to after his painful encounters with the picadors and the banderilleros.  It is unfortunate that the word is compromised in this way, for the idea itself is quite beautiful-- a place in which we know exactly who we are." (14).

Today's Goals/Questions

• Understand the homework readings and contemplate the ways in which our connection to place drives us to want to protect land but then the bigger question about how do we, as a society, decided which lands are worthy of protection? How do we balance our need for energy with the health of people and places?

Class Biz

1. Chaco forms!
2. Homework for the week
3. Honors- get copies of Windfall and see the email I sent with reading schedule, etc...
4. Make-up assignment for Chaco and our agenda coming soon (tomorrow?)
5. Advisory Chaco prep: Bring gear to your advisory on Wednesday, label all group gear and food items during advisory! Food shoppers? Who are you? Meet Kurt Wed. am (exact time TBD).
   

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Discuss “Rediscovery of North America” and Chief Seattle’s Speech

• What is Lopez's thesis? 
• What are your answers to the other guiding questions?
• ​What were YOUR questions? 
• How does Chief Seattle's view of his ancestors affect his view of the land and treatment of it? How does this relate to sustainability? 
• What assumptions does Lopez argue guided Columbus and still affect Western society's view of the land today? (p. 11) 
• To what extent do you see these assumptions playing out TODAY? Do you see them as problematic as Lopez does?
• What does Lopez mean when he says, "we imposed, we didn't propose?" on the bottom of page 11 and top of 12?
• What does Lopez think "true wealth" is and how do we gain it? Do you agree? (page 12)
• What does querencia mean AND how his concept of true wealth relate to Lopez's points about querencia and "sense of place"?  (Let's read page 12 right hand column, and page 13)
• What ideology does Lopez challenge and what is his alternative proposal?? See bottom of page 15
• Lastly, what is Lopez's challenge to us? How does this relate to our JUSTICE project? To environmental ethics? To the issues you care about today?? (last paragraph, page 16)
• Think about these ideas as we go to Chaco. I challenge you all to try out Lopez's ways of looking at the land on our visit there. Try to cultivate a sense of place, to understand how the greater Chaco region could have been so sacred to the Ancestral Puebloans over 800 years ago, and why it remains sacred to this day.

Define Environmental Justice (see the slide on EJ for a basic definition)

Read and hashtag for Principles of EJ movement

1. With a partner, read through the principles and then choose 3 to summarize as succinctly as possible with a #hashtag.
2. Example:  #16) Environmental Justice calls for the education of present and future generations which emphasizes social and environmental issues, based on our experience and an appreciation of our diverse cultural perspectives.#EducateWithDiversePerspectives, #PresentandFuture #TeachtheYouth #AppreciateALLVoices

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Define Tribal Sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty in the United States is the concept of the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States.

Watch Beyond Standing Rock (1 hour and 11 minutes)

1. Ashley to give brief context on the film
2. Jot down notes on the following questions:

• ESSENTIAL QUESTION: *How do we balance energy needs with the rights of people to their health and homes and with the health of the environment???
• What are the  various arguments for and against the Dakota Access Pipeline?
• How do economic, social and environmental considerations come into play with the three issues presented in this film?
• ​What questions does this film raise for you?

After the film:

1. 5 minutes to capture ideas from the questions above
2. Whole Class Discussion 

Homework
All students: Begin the Chaco assignment by reading the summary of "The Players" on page 2 and at least 2 of the  three short articles on page 3. We'll have work time in class on Tuesday after the 50 minute film and all of Wednesday, too. 

Honors: Read intro of Windfall by Monday and part 1 of Windfall by next WED 10/30-- we’ll meet at lunch on Wed 10/30. See your email for the discussion questions/reading schedule/essay guidelines.