Hill Heat

• Noon Welcome & Opening Remarks
  Tim Johnson (Mohawk), associate director for museum programs, National Museum of the American Indian
• 12:10 p.m. Opening Prayer
  Rico Newman (Piscataway–Conoy Indians)
• 12:30 p.m. Introductions and Framing Statement
  José Barreiro (Taino), assistant director for research, Department of Museum Programs, National Museum of the American Indian
• 12:45 p.m. Original Instructions: A Call to Consciousness
  Oren Lyons (Onondaga), Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan Onondaga, Haudenosaunee Grand Council of Chiefs; emeritus SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and director of Native American Studies within the Department of American Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo.
• 1:30 p.m. Scale of the Climate Problem and the Road Ahead
  Anthony Socci, senior science and communication fellow, Policy Office of the American Meteorological Society’s policy office in Washington, D.C.
• 2:10 p.m. Commitment to Solutions: Partnerships from Indian Country
  Daniel Wildcat (Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma), director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies (HERS) Center, and director of the American Indian Studies Program, Haskell Indian Nations University
• 2:50 p.m. Air Quality in the Four Corners Region of the U.S.
  Nasbah Ben (Navajo), graduate student at the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas
• 3:25 p.m. Environmental Justice
  Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabekwe [Ojibwe], enrolled member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg), rural development economist, executive director of Honor the Earth, a national Native American Foundation, and the White Earth Land Recovery Project on the White Earth Reservation
• 4:10 p.m. Moderated Panel Discussion with Presenters
  José Barreiro, moderator
• 4:55 p.m. Closing Comments and Remarks
  Tim Johnson

Speakers

• Tim Johnson (Mohawk) As associate director for museum programs at NMAI, Tim Johnson manages a department that encompasses all aspects of the visitor experience, from exhibitions, education, publications, symposia, and lectures to cultural and performing arts programs.

Previously, Johnson served as executive editor of Indian Country Today, where, over the course of six years, he led the remodeling of the publication into the nation’s leading American Indian newspaper, noted for its original reporting, analysis, and commentary on matters of American Indian policy and its steadfast defense of American Indian economic interests.

• Rico Newman (Piscataway–Conoy Indians) Rico Newman is an Elder’s Council member of the Choptico Band of Piscataway–Conoy Indians, located in southern Maryland. He has been appointed by the Tribal Band Chairpersons to represent the tribe on major issues to the public and the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs. He is also active in the tribe’s language revitalization program and in teaching Piscataway–Conoy traditional arts. Newman works in NMAI’s Cultural Resources Center as a cultural information specialist.

• José Barreiro (Taino) José Barreiro serves as NMAI’s assistant director for research. A scholar of American Indian policy and the contemporary Native experience, Barreiro is a pioneering figure in Native American journalism and publishing. He helped establish the American Indian Program at Cornell University, serving as associate director and editor-in-chief of Akwe:kon Press and the journal Native Americas throughout the 1980s and ’90s. In 2000 he joined the staff of Indian Country Today as senior editor. He continues to serve as a member of the editorial board of Kacike: The Journal of Caribbean Amerindian History and Anthropology.

Barreiro’s publications include Native American Expressive Culture (1994), a special edition of the Akwe:kon Journal produced for the opening of NMAI’s George Gustav Heye Center in New York; the novel The Indian Chronicles (1993); and such scholarly books as View from the Shore: American Indian Perspectives on the Quincentenary (1990); Indian Roots of American Democracy (1992); Chiapas: Challenging History (1994); Panchito: Cacique de Montaña (2001); and, most recently, America Is Indian Country (2005), which he edited with Tim Johnson. A member of the Taino Nation of the Antilles, Barreiro received his Ph.D. in American Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

• Oren Lyons (Onondaga) Oren Lyons was born in 1930 and raised in the traditional lifeways of the Haudenosaunee on the Seneca and Onondaga reservations in northern New York State. After serving in the army, Lyons graduated in 1958 from the Syracuse University College of Fine Arts. He then pursued a career in commercial art in New York City. A noted American Indian artist, he has exhibited his paintings widely.

Since returning to western New York in 1970 and joining the faculty of SUNY Buffalo, Chief Lyons has been a leading advocate for American Indian causes. Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, and a member of the Council of Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee, he is respected internationally as an eloquent spokesperson. In 1982, he helped to establish the Working Group on Indigenous Populations within the United Nations and has taken part in meetings of the U.N. Human Rights Commission. He also serves on the executive committee of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival, and is a principal figure in the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders, grassroots leadership council of the major Indian nations of North America.

Chief Lyons has authored or edited numerous books including Native People Address the United Nations (1994); Voice of Indigenous Peoples (1992); and Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations, and the U.S. Constitution (1992).

• Anthony Socci Anthony Socci, Ph.D., is a senior science and communication fellow with the American Meteorological Society’s policy office in Washington, D.C. His interests include improving the communication of science via the mass media. He also hosts a public, monthly series on environmental science and policy issues on Capitol Hill and has co-hosted a series of workshops on improving the communication of science.

From 1994 to 2000, Socci served as associate executive director of the coordination office of the multiagency U.S. Global Change Research Program, where he was active in planning and coordinating the government’s nearly $2 billion annual investment in research on the causes and impacts of global- and regional-scale environmental changes. In this capacity, he routinely interacted with diverse interests, including the executive branch and congressional offices, on climate science.

From 2000 to 2005, Socci was a senior climate science advisor for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office of atmospheric programs, with responsibility for strategic planning, advising, and communication of climate and climate-related science.

• Dan Wildcat (Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma) Daniel R. Wildcat is director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center and of the American Indian Studies Program at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1994 Wildcat helped form a partnership with the Hazardous Substance Research Center at Kansas State University to create the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center as a nonprofit Native American initiative to facilitate technology transfer to tribal governments and Native communities, transfer of accurate environmental information to tribes, and research opportunities for tribal college faculty and students throughout the United States.

In 1996 Dr. Wildcat helped plan and organize an American Indian educational program to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day. As a part of the program, he moderated a live, nationally broadcast dialogue in Washington, D.C., between traditional American Indian elders and American Indian scientists and engineers about the way we must live if we are to ensure a healthy planet for our children. Wildcat also helped plan and design a four-part video series entitled All Things Are Connected: The Circle of Life (1997), which dealt with land, air, water, and biological issues related to environmental science and policy challenges facing Native nations. His recent activities have revolved around forming the American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group, a network of individuals and organizations working on climate change issues.

Wildcat received B.A. and M.A. degrees in sociology from the University of Kansas and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He is the author or editor of several books, including Power and Place: Indian Education in America (2001), with Vine Deloria, Jr.; Destroying Dogma: Vine Deloria’s Legacy on Intellectual America (2006), with Steve Pavlik; and Red Alert: Saving the Earth with Indigenous Knowledge (forthcoming).

• Nasbah Ben (Navajo) Nasbah Ben is a proud member of the Diné Nation. She is of the Red Streak Running into the Charcoal Clan, born for the Mexican Clan; her maternal grandfather is the Bitter Water Clan and paternal grandfather is Big Water Clan. A graduate student in the Center for Indigenous Nations Studies at the University of Kansas, Ben has a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from Northern Arizona University. Her research encompasses air quality and climate change issues among indigenous populations. She is currently working for the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, assisting in the development of the American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group.

• Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabekwe [Ojibwe], enrolled member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg) Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist who has spent many years working on energy policy and energy self-sufficiency issues in Native America. The author of five books, she is the executive director of Honor the Earth, a national Native American foundation, and founding director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota.

LaDuke is a graduate of Harvard University, with graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in rural development from Antioch University. Twice a U.S. vice presidential candidate, serving as Ralph Nader’s running mate and representing the Green Party in 1996 and 2000, LaDuke lives and works on the White Earth Reservation.

Taking part in the Documentary Film Screening and Discussion, Saturday, June 14

• Daphne Ross Daphne Ross is new to filmmaking. Her participation as co-producer, writer, and editor of Waterbuster is her first time behind the camera. Ross grew up in New York City, graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in cultural anthropology, and then went on to earn an M.S. in environmental studies. Her professional career includes many years as an environmental educator and activist with non-profit organizations such as the Hudson River sloop Clearwater. She has taught marine ecology and environmental ethics to a variety of age groups on tall ships throughout the United States. It was over sailboats that she met the producer/director of Waterbuster, J. Carlos Peinado. While living together on a 35-foot sloop in Ventura, California, the two decided to collaborate on a documentary film about Peinado’s family and community on the Fort Berthold Reservation of North Dakota. She and Peinado now live in Santa Fe, wondering where the ocean is.

• Travis Tom (Swinomish) Travis Tom, a junior at La Conner High School in La Conner, Washington, is Swinomish and Lummi and has lived on the Swinomish Reservation his entire life. After his older sister passed away four years ago, Tom started using drugs. He began working with Native Lens in 2004 as part of his plan to turn his life around. His first project was a public service announcement called Native Pride. Since then, he has played the main character and served as principal director of Fifteen and helped to write, narrate, interview subjects for, and shoot March Point. He enjoys all aspects of acting and filmmaking and hopes to continue doing both for the rest of his life.

• Tracy Rector (Seminole) Tracy Rector is earning her teacher certification and a Master’s Degree in Education from Antioch University’s First Peoples Program, specializing in Native American studies, traditional plant medicine, and documentary film. She hopes to bring traditional and contemporary education together in a foundation based in environmental stewardship, using film and nature as pathways for learning. In conjunction with the Seattle Art Museum, the Northwest Folklife Council has recognized her Teachings of the Tree People curriculum as a Gold Standard model. Rector is currently developing curriculum for IslandWood, an environmental education center. Rector’s documentary work has been featured at National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. She is the co-founder of Longhouse Media/Native Lens and a proud mother of two boys.

Alcoa * Calpine Corporation * Environmental Defense Action Fund * Exelon Corporation * FPL Group * General Electric * Interfaith Power and Light Campaign * International Brotherhood of Boilermakers * Izaak Walton League of America * National Grid * National Parks Conservation Association * National Wildlife Federation * Natural Resources Defense Council * NRG Energy, Inc. * Pew Environment Group * PG&E Corporation * Public Service Enterprise Group * Trout Unlimited * UAM

Dear Senator:

The undersigned companies and organizations urge you to vote in favor of the Climate Security Act, S. 3036 (formerly S. 2191), which is expected to be considered by the full Senate beginning June 2. This is a very important vote on a bipartisan plan to address climate change. Prompt action on climate change is essential to protect America’s economy, security, quality of life and natural environment.

The Climate Security Act, as revised in the manager’s substitute amendment released last week, sets forth a sound overall framework for reducing America’s emissions of greenhouse gases. Most notably, it establishes an emissions cap that steadily reduces greenhouse gas emissions from current levels at a rate of about 1.8% annually. The bill creates a flexible cap-and-trade system to achieve these reductions at lower cost by tapping the power of free markets. It includes an unprecedented national investment in zero- and low-carbon technologies, and includes important policies to advance energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. The bill provides assistance to small energy consumers, including low-income families, to ease the transition to a low-carbon economy. And the bill protects American industry to ease the transition to a cleaner future.

We all support the framework and approach contained in the Climate Security Act. However, we also recognize that there is continued work to be done to refine the details of the legislation through the amendment process in the Senate and as a bill is taken up in the House. Some of the undersigned groups have already communicated with you on amendments and will continue to do so and others may do so later.

However, we think it is notable and a testament to the work of the bill’s sponsors and contributors that such a diverse group of interests are united on the following essential issue: A “yes” vote for the Climate Security Act represents historic leadership to advance bipartisan solutions to climate change; a “no” vote will slow progress and maintain the status quo, which only increases the risks of unavoidable consequences and potentially greater economic costs that could result from the need for even steeper reductions in the future. Sincerely,

Lee Califf Director, Government Affairs

Alcoa Yvonne A. McIntyre Vice President, Federal Legislative Affairs Calpine Corporation

Elizabeth Thompson Legislative Director Environmental Defense Action Fund

Betsy Moler Executive VP, Government and Enviro Affairs and Public Policy Exelon Corporation

Chris Bennett Executive Vice President FPL Group

Ann R. Klee Vice President Corporate Environmental Programs General Electric

The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham Founder and President The Regeneration Project Interfaith Power and Light Campaign

Newton B. Jones International President The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers

Scott Kovarovics Conservation Director Izaak Walton League of America

Thomas B. King Executive Director of Electricity Distribution and Generation National Grid

Mark Wenzler Director, Clean Air and Climate Programs National Parks Conservation Association

Jeremy Symons Executive Director, Global Warming Program National Wildlife Federation

David Hawkins Director of Climate Programs Natural Resources Defense Council

Steven Corneli Vice President Market and Climate Policy NRG Energy, Inc.

Phyllis Cuttino Director, US Global Warming Campaign Pew Environment Group

Melissa Lavinson Director, Federal Environmental Affairs and Corporate Responsibility PG&E Corporation

Eric Svenson VP of Environment, Health and Safety Public Service Enterprise Group

Steve Moyer Vice President for Government Affairs Trout Unlimited

William P. Hite General President United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada

The text of the radio address, as delivered, is below:

Good morning. I’m Senator Barbara Boxer from California and Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Next week, the Senate will begin debate on one of the most important issues of our time – global warming.

Senators have come together across party lines to write a law that will not only enable us to avoid the ravages of unchecked global warming, but will create millions of new jobs and put us on the path to energy independence. Other benefits of our legislation will be cleaner air, energy efficiency, relief for consumers and the alternative energy choices that American families deserve. And, by acting wisely, America will regain the leadership we have lost these past seven years.

There are some in the Senate who insist that global warming is nothing more than science fiction. These are the same kind of voices who said that the world was flat, cigarettes were safe and cars didn’t need airbags – long after the rest of us knew the truth.

The fact is that the overwhelming majority of scientists say that the earth is in peril if we don’t act now. They’ve told us clearly that more than 40 percent of God’s creatures could face extinction if we don’t act now. They’ve told us of more intense weather events if we don’t act now. Health experts have told us that infectious diseases will increase due to warmer waters. And military leaders have told us that unchecked global warming will lead to severe conflict and war as droughts, floods and rising sea levels create huge numbers of desperate refugees.

I hope you will help us convince the negative voices that we must act now to avert these dangers. Tell the Bush administration to help us, not fight us. Tell your Senators that action now will have positive results for our families and our nation. Tell those skeptics who say “wait for China and India to act” that the America we know and love doesn’t hide from a challenge and wait for others to lead.

Right now, many of our states, including my home state, are leading. They have the will. Our mayors are leading. They have the will. Religious leaders have urged us to act now as well. They reminded me of a wonderful quote that motivates me to work as hard as I can for as long as it takes to responsibly address global warming. These words stay with me: “When God created the first man, he took him around to all the trees in the Garden of Eden and said to him ‘see my handiwork, how beautiful and choice they are. Be careful not to ruin and destroy my world, for if you do ruin it, there is no one to repair it after you.’”

I truly hope that you will support our efforts on the Senate floor. Please join our fight, and thanks for listening.

• Tennessee (Republican Bob Corker)
• North Carolina (Republican Elizabeth Dole)
• West Virginia (Democrats Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller)
• Montana (Democrats Max Baucus and John Tester)

• Arkansas (Democrats Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor)
• Colorado (Republican Wayne Allard and Democrat Ken Salazar)
• Florida (Republican Mel Martinez)
• Indiana (Republican Richard Lugar and Democrat Evan Bayh)
• Missouri (Republican Kit Bond and Democrat Claire McCaskill
• Nebraska (Republican Chuck Hagel and Democrat Ben Nelson)
• New Hampshire (Republicans Judd Gregg and John Sununu)
• New Mexico (Republican Pete Domenici and Democrat Jeff Bingaman)
• North Carolina (Republican Richard Burr)
• North Dakota (Democrats Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan)
• Ohio (Republican George Voinovich and Democrat Sherrod Brown)
• Pennsylvania (Republican Arlen Specter and Democrat Robert Casey)
• Tennessee (Republicans Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker)
• Virginia (Democrat Jim Webb)

E&E News:

The Environmental Defense Fund ads also are running in the districts of several influential House members, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.), Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).