All My Relations Podcast Healing The Land IS Healing Ourselves
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May 27, 2020 In this engaging discussion, Kim Smith, a Diné community organizer and activist, shares her profound insights on the connection between land healing and personal well-being. She recounts her over 1200-mile journey to the sacred mountains, emphasizing community-led restoration efforts. Kim highlights the impact of extractive industries on health within Navajo communities, advocating for environmental justice. Through her initiatives, she illustrates the power of storytelling and collective action in reclaiming ancestral ties and nurturing a sustainable future.
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The 'National Sacrifice Zone' Legacy
- Northern Navajo was designated a "national sacrifice zone," inviting decades of coal, gas, and industrial harms.
- That policy context explains entrenched pollution and why local communities face deep health and economic entanglement with industry.
Use Ceremony And Diet For Healing
- Practice self-care, sobriety, ceremony, and food sovereignty to rebuild bodily and community health.
- Relearn ancestral foodways, forage locally, and limit processed foods to restore resilience and reduce disease triggers.
Turning A Dump Into A Ceremonial Garden
- Kim led a community cleanup of a half-acre illegal dump, rescuing materials and planting sunflowers to detoxify soil.
- They plan a fossil-fuel-free ceremonial house built by hand to honor ancestors and heal the watershed.