Launching Off- Focus Roots Fellows get moving in Navajo Nation

Crossposted fromhttp://rethinkdinepower.wordpress.com/
by Erin Coffey and Amanda Hass
Project "Rethink Dine Power"
09 Focus Roots Fellows

Our mission:

1. Engage Diné youth in activism. Let them recognize and strengthen their voice in their community.
2. Create a renewable energy think tank that will create a game plan for the energy future of the Navajo Nation.

Why in the world did two white girls from the East Coast decide to do this?

Erin: I think what has led me to moving out here specifically for this project was because I really wanted to be able to create a space where diverse, indigenous communities can dictate what they want their energy and economy to look like not the large outside, U.S. corporations.

Amanda: Well, I think the dominant culture has been completely disregarding the planet and our need to live sustainably. By working with the community to increase the activism and provide real renewable energy solutions developed from the inside out, it will create the kind of change needed to keep future generations alive with all the beautiful traditions of our ancestors.

Story-telling Sessions • ReEnergize Art Project • After-school Project Planning • Movie Nights • Nature Hikes • Community Murals • Placemaking (painting street intersections)

A Renewable Energy Collective = students + field experts + local organizations + community members.  Aimed to create a realistic energy plan for the future of the Navajo Nation to be hosted by a member of the Navajo Nation Council for the creation of a bill to be passed.