The Earth and Climate Action Ministry Team (ECAM) wants to spread the GREAT news about the potential benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by federal government in July of 2022 to reduce America’s carbon emissions by 40% by 2030!
One aspect of the program will help folks electrify their homes. Replacing gas appliances and gas furnaces will help save on energy bills, reduce carbon emissions, and improve indoor air quality. It also covers solar panels, new electric panels, EV’s, and weatherization.
Rewiring American (leading national electrification nonprofit) has a handy IRA calculator for you to see how much money you might get as a rebate/discount to electrify your home. Here is the link: https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator
There are some caveats: the benefits are on a sliding scale based on median average household income in your area with an upper limit. The calculator will figure all that in for you. Each state may implement program differently so many details to be worked out. Right now, the rebate program is to last 10 years or until IRA funding is exhausted. Final details of the program are being work out.
Your electrification expenditures may also qualify for energy tax credits. The IRA calculator will give you an estimate of tax credits as well. See your tax accountant for more information.
Other aspects of IRA will cover disadvantaged communities, nonprofits, cities, and rural communities. More about that later…….
This past March during the visit of Lummi Nation’s House of Tears Carvers to East Shore, Freddie Lane invited our church members to come to the 3rd annual Gathering of the Eagles (GOTE), May 21 – 29. In response, five ESUC members volunteered to help out at this special gathering.
In addition to East Shore members, the UU community was well represented including attendees from Bellingham, Woodinville, Spokane, Port Townsend, Whidbey Island and Olympia congregations. Tribal representatives came from Washington state, British Columbia, Hawaii, Guam, New Mexico, North Carolina and Arizona.
This year’s GOTE included a mini-canoe journey to the San Juan islands, culminating in a day-long sacred ceremony honoring three native women at the Lummi Nation Wexliem Community Building. The women were Amy George, a matriarch from the Tsleil-Waututh in British Columbia, who launched the movement to protect the Salish Sea from oil pipeline construction by Kinder Morgan; Fawn Sharp, an attorney and former President of the Quinault Indian Nation, who is current President of the National Congress of American Indians; and, Deborah Parker, former Vice Chair of the Tulalip tribe, who is a long-time activist fighting violence against women and currently documenting the impact of boarding schools on native families as well as speaking to Congress on their behalf.
As East Shore members who attended GOTE, we want to convey our profound thanks to Freddie Lane for his key role in organizing and then for inviting us to this gathering. We were deeply honored to be at this ceremony and to bear witness to these women warriors. And to East Shore members, we want to convey something we each individually took away from the experience. We hope that you will consider joining us this summer to attend or volunteer at other events organized by our indigenous neighbors.
Carrie Bowman: I was struck by calls for leadership led by questions from Esther Lewis (Dine): “who is following you? Who are you leading?” We heard many personal stories that invoked both ancestors we may not have known and future relatives we do not know yet—and our responsibilities as fellow paddlers in a canoe with all of these unknown people. I am inspired by the challenge from all of the whomen to stand up (“Warrior up!”) rather than and watch our earth, sky, water and ourselves become degraded and disappear.
Arthur Knapp: Jewell James, the lead Lummi totem pole carver and Kimokeo Kapahulehua of Hawaii were inspiring in showing their commitment to protect the air, land and waters. Their delivery honoring the three women was powerful. Most of the time we energetically assisted Lummi tribal chefs preparing and distributing food along with other UU volunteers.
Marilyn Mayers: I found the hours-long honoring ceremony simply riveting. The testimonials, prayers, stories and songs voiced by a whole succession of indigenous leaders expressed acute pain, compassion and great beauty. I am so grateful to have been present, to witness and to listen to such powerful words from the likes of Jewell James, Rueben George, Jim Thomas, Amy George, Fawn Sharp, Deborah Parker, Esther Lewis and others. I came away deeply moved, encouraged and renewed.
Mike Radow: One honoree, Amy George, recounted her experience of being removed from family and placed in a residential school. “Culturecide” it was called. Siam’elwit proclaimed a day of victory in surviving such horrors. Rueben George, of Tsleil Waututh and son of Amy George, uplifted the day of “healing, hope, honor, happiness, hospitality.” A day of humility, for me, as well.
Lynn Roesch: At Saturday’s Gathering, I was privileged to witness a day of ceremony and celebration, listening to speakers share their respect and gratitude honoring the three women warriors. How powerful. Being with people who freely call on their ancestors and share their wisdom. How inspiring. Sharing hours of conversation and laughter with people from many different tribes. How joyful.
We encourage members to share the plate with Lambert House on Sunday, June 4, as a way to lift up and support East Shore’s Welcoming Congregation Renewal Program. The Program renews our commitment to open doors for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Lambert House has been opening its doors to LGBTQ+ youth since 1981. The Lambert House LGBTQ Youth Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated over 14,000 individual minors and young adults through over 500,000 direct, in-person service contacts in the greater Seattle region. The Center’s employees and 122 skilled volunteers provide support at ten locations, helping more LGBTQ youth than any other organization in the northwestern US.
Lambert House uses positive youth development and adult and peer social support as protective factors to minimize the well-documented risks that LGBTQ+ youth face. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lambert House focused on prevention of these risks, and on the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth, through 19 online programs that offered youth multiple ways to maximize social interaction with peers and affirming adults. The online reach includes seven Washington counties, 28 states, and youth from eight countries outside the US.
The Earth and Climate Action Ministry Team (ECAM) suggests the following options for Earth Month—APRIL!
Attend Issaquah’s Sustainability Fair on Sunday, April 16 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at the Pickering Barn near COSTCO—1730 10th Ave NW, Issaquah WA 98027. They are offering kid activities, demonstrations, food and coffee, sustainable products, touch a truck PLUS a mini field trip at 11:00 a.m. Visit the many participating environmental groups and sustainability vendors. And make sure you play to see our own John Chmaj with a musical performance from 1:00-1:30 p.m.
Participate in Eastside Climate Challenge, an online action game to become more earth friendly. Play against your own individual or family goals or compete in a community group. Select the actions you want to take and automatically see your carbon footprint lower. Begin in spring or summer with the support of community coordinator Nicole Fues. Get started at this website: https://eastsideclimatechallenge.org/
ECAM meets monthly via zoom to promote earth friendliness. If you have questions or are interested in participating in ECAM please contact Kristi Weir.
East Shore Unitarian Church hosted a Prayer Journey visit on Thursday, March 2 for members of the House of Tears Carvers. They are traveling to Oak Flat, Arizona in support of the San Carlos Apache tribe who are fighting to protect their sacred ceremonial grounds at Oak Flat. Cecile Hansen, chairwoman of the Duwamish Tribal Council, attended and along with Duwamish Council member Ken Workman who welcomed East Shore community members and House of Tears Carvers guests Freddie Lane, Doug and, Siamel’wit James and their two children. The Lummi shared prayers and explained the purpose of the Totem Pole journey to Oak Flat. Coming with a sacred Eagle Staff carved by Lummi Carver Richard Solomon, they gathered prayers and hands-on blessings from our community. Approximately 40 people attended including Bellevue City Mayor Lynne Robinson and City Council member Janice Zahn.
House of Tears Carvers will continue their journey south to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California. On March 21 when a judicial decision will be made about the fate of the Oak Flat sacred site. A copper mining company owned by Rio Tinto, a foreign mining company aims to build an enormous copper mine in Apache sacred lands that would destroy much of the land and water resources in the drought-stricken area.
While awaiting the judicial decision, House Natural Resources Committee member, Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz) announced the introduction of the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act. This act is designed to permanently protect Tonto National Forest’s Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, also known as Oak Flat, from foreign mining operations that will permanently desecrate the area and destroy its tribal cultural and religious heritage sites.
For more information on the legislative action proposed by Raul Grijalva, click here.
If you enter the Sanctuary in the next couple of months, be sure to take a look at the MMIWP profiles and faceless felt dolls on the walls of the foyer. The “Invisible No More” exhibition generates a visual representation of the many indigenous people who have become “faceless” victims of violence.
Did you know that Washington State has one of the highest MMIW cases compared to other states? Of 71 cities surveyed in 2018 and since by the Indian Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle has had the largest number of such cases. Nationwide, 84% of American Indians and Alaskan Natives report experiencing violence during their lifetimes, and 56% experience sexual violence specifically. In some counties, the murder rates of American Indians/Alaskan Natives are ten times the national average.
East Shore’s Women’s Perspective and Indigenous Connections Team collaborated to host a workshop. “Culture, Trauma and Resilience” on January 21. At the workshop, members and guests learned about causes of, and solutions to, the crisis.
Carolyn DeFord, a member of the Puyallup tribe, led the workshop that was attended by nearly 40 women in person and 10 via zoom. Carolyn explained how Federal Indian policy, historical and intergenerational trauma, sex trafficking, jurisdictional issues and media invisibility all contribute to the current MMIWP crisis. Each attendee then created their own doll based on the profiles of actual women, girls, boys and men that Carolyn provided. We invite you to come to East Shore to view “Invisible No More: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and People” and bear witness to the lives of these people cut short by violence.
Many indigenous organizations are working to address the MMIWP crisis. They include:
We R Native, Urban Indian Health Institute, Data for Indigenous Justice, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, StrongHearts Native Helpline (strongheartshelpline.org), Rising Hearts, Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center, Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative (innovationshtc.org), Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (csvanw.org).
A bill to create a new unit in the State Attorney General’s Office to help solve cold cases of MMIWP is now before the Washington State legislature in the current session. If you support such a measure, contact your State Representatives to support House Bill 1177 (Companion Senate Bill 5137).
