Jewell James and Kurt Russo of the Lummi Nation’s Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office share their work on the healing Totem Pole Journeys and how tribes and faith communities can form powerful coalitions in the time ahead. Sponsored by the QUUF Social Justice Steering Team and the Native People’s Connections Action Group.

Click here to listen to the sermon from the first service.

Click here to listen to the introduction, presentation and sermon from the second service.

Biographies of speakers:

Jewell James is a member of the Lummi Nation and Director of the Lummi Nation’s Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office. He has been fighting for indigenous rights and the environment in the local to international arenas since 1976. A master carver, his totem pole journeys across North America have helped to unify and inspire tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and the faith-based community in their efforts to stop the expansion of fossil fuel development and exports. Click here to learn more about the Totem Pole Journeys.

Kurt Russo has worked with Jewell James since 1980 on treaty rights, protection of sacred sites, coalition building, cross-cultural conflict resolution and land acquisition. He currently works in the Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office of the Lummi Nation on the issue of fossil fuel exports. He is the Executive Director of the Native American Land Conservancy, and is a Research Fellow at the California Center for Native Nations (University of California).