Melina Laboucan-Massimo

Melina Laboucan-Massimo, an activist from the Lubicon Cree community and founder of Sacred Earth Solar, shares her journey through adversity while advocating for climate justice and Indigenous rights. She discusses the profound impact of the oil and gas industry on her community and the importance of resilience. Reflecting on her childhood experiences with racism, Melina emphasizes Indigenous wisdom and the need for balance between activism and well-being. She highlights ongoing struggles for recognition and the urgent fight against issues like missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a Lubicon Cree activist and founder of Indigenous Climate Action, shares her journey of advocating for climate justice and Indigenous rights. She reflects on the resilience required in the fight against colonialism and resource extraction, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous knowledge. Melina also discusses her path to recovery from health challenges while maintaining her activism. The conversation touches on the significant impact of environmental issues on communities and the necessity for accountability in resource extraction practices.

How do you cancel a pipeline? In this episode we speak to two Indigenous activists who have been campaigning against the extraction industry for years from the frontlines to the UN: Melina Laboucan-Massimo and Dallas Goldtooth. ---- Melina Laboucan-Massimo is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta, Canada. She is the founder of Sacred Earth Solar and the Director of Healing Justice at Indigenous Climate Action. She has worked on social, environmental and climate justice issues for over 15 years. Melina has worked, studied and campaigned in Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Canada and across Europe focusing on resource extraction, climate change impacts, media literacy, energy literacy and Indigenous rights & responsibilities. Instagram: @melina_miyowapan Twitter: @Melina_MLM Connect to Sacred Earth Solar Website: SacredEarth.Solar Twitter: @SacredEarthSOL (Mdewakanton Dakota and Dine) Dallas Goldtooth travels extensively across Turtle Island to help fossil fuel and hard rock mining impacted communities tell their stories thru social media, video, and other forms of communication. Dallas is Indigenous Environmental Network’s Keep It In the Ground Campaigner, working with IEN staff, board, and organizational partners from a diverse group of climate justice networks. Along with his many tasks and duties with IEN, he is also a Dakota cultural/language teacher, non-violent direct action trainer, and was one of the outstanding Water Protectors at Standing Rock/Oceti Sakowin Camp fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline. In addition, he is a co-founder of the Indigenous comedy group, The 1491s, a poet, journalist, traditional artist, powwow emcee, and comedian. Facebook: Dallas Goldtooth Twitter: @DallasGoldtooth Instagram: @DallasGoldtooth Connect to Indigenous Environmental Network Website: ienearth.org Facebook: @ienearth Twitter: @IENearth Instagram: @IndigenousRising ---- Follow ICA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook IndigenousClimateAction.com The ICA Pod team is made up of Lindsey Bacigal, Morningstar Derosier, and Brina Romanek.