Religion and Ecology Summit 2021

Indigenous Lifeways, Cosmologies, & Ecology:

Connecting to the Past, Restor(y)ing the Present and Future

In partnership with local advisors and with the support of Fetzer Institute, Kalliopeia Foundation, and other anonymous donors, ESR presents a 5-day online summit to explore the restoration work of Indigenous communities in the Bay Area territories.  Indigenous approaches to biocultural stewardship and sacred sites offer insight to the inquiry of Religion and Ecology, which explores how spiritual beliefs and practices affect the natural world. Other presentations will address environmental justice and the broader context of Religion & Ecology.

This year's presenters offer diverse perspectives on the theme, bridging worldviews and pedagogies to enrich our exploration of Religion & Ecology through the interconnected areas of food sovereignty, stewardship of ancestral lands, policy, and protection of sacred sites. Confirmed speakers include Gregg Castro, Melissa K. Nelson, Professor Seth Davis, Chairman Val Lopez, Beth Rose Middleton Manning, Tatjana Kochetkova, John Clammer, Natasha Deganello Giraudie, Michael "Pom" Preston, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Paloma Pavel, Carl Anthony, and others.

Schedule of presentations:

• Monday, March 15, 4 PM – 6 PM PST:

Connecting to the past: the Indigenous peoples of the San Francisco Bay Area

• Tuesday, March 16, 4 PM – 6 PM PST:

Legal and policy contexts for stewarding Indigenous land and sacred sites

• Wednesday, March 17, 4 PM – 6 PM PST:

Healing land and people: responding to contemporary challenges via food sovereignty, coalition Building, and Indigenous knowledge

• Thursday, March 18, 4 PM – 6 PM PST:

Sacred sites and Traditional Ecological Knowledge around the world

• Friday, March 19, 4 PM – 6 PM PST: 

Closing: Religion & ecology, Indigenous knowledge, and social justice

Questions may be emailed to the organizing committee at esr@ciis.edu or sgiarratana@ciis.edu.