Exploring Nature, Culture and Inner Life

Indigenous Writers Address the Seventh Fire * Podcast listeners can follow along with the visual elements of this program at: Slides: https://tns.commonweal.org/app/uploads/2021/11/Ancestor-P2-Slide-1-3.pdf Film excerpts: Seed Mother: Coming Home https://youtu.be/RVqmM_DUZtk Nourishing the Body, Honoring the Land https://vimeo.com/100924901 Braiding the Sacred https://vimeo.com/193666359 Co-presented by the New School at Commonweal and the Center for Humans and Nature—in celebration of the book What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want to Be? and the 10th anniversary of the Center’s Questions for a Resilient Future Series Join us for a series of two conversations with indigenous leaders about the Seventh Fire—an Anishinaabe prophecy that points to our current time, with opportunities for healing, solidarity, and Indigenous cultural recovery and revitalization. In this conversation, Host Melissa K. Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis) speaks with Rowen White (Mohawk) and Rachel Wolfgramm, PhD (Whakatōhea, Ngāi Takoto, Te Aupouri, Tonga). The follow-up conversation event with Kaylena Bray (Seneca) and Nicola Wagenberg (Colombian) can be found at: https://tns.commonweal.org/podcasts/7th-fire-part-2/#.YZVrKS-B1Z0 Kaylena Bray (Haudenosaunee/Seneca) Kaylena is Turtle Clan from the Seneca Nation of Indians. She has grown up eating traditional white corn, which has given fuel to a career focused on strengthening Indigenous knowledge of traditional agriculture, Native foodways, and environmental health. Her work throughout the Americas has served to educate and strengthen vital links between Indigenous food systems, local economies, and climate change adaptation. She holds degrees from Brown University and the University of Oxford, and currently supports small-scale funding for traditional farming and local economic development initiatives throughout Turtle Island. Nicola Wagenberg, PhD Nicola is a clinical and cultural psychologist and educator. She has worked for more than 20 years with diverse individuals, communities, and organizations on personal and cultural transformation. Since 2005, Nicola has been working with the Cultural Conservancy, directing media projects, and developing and implementing arts and cultural health programs. Nicola is also a psychotherapist in private practice where she sees individuals, couples, and groups in Berkeley, California. Host Melissa K. Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis) Melissa is an ecologist and Indigenous scholar-activist. Formerly a professor of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University, she now teaches at Arizona State University in the School of Sustainability, Global Futures Laboratory. From 1993 to 2021, she served as the founding executive director and CEO of the Cultural Conservancy and continues to serve as president of their board. She is a contributor and co-editor of What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want To Be? (2021), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability published (2018), and Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future (2008). She is Anishinaabe/Métis/Norwegian and a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Indigenous Writers Address the Seventh Fire * Podcast listeners can follow along with the visual elements of this program at: Slides: https://tns.commonweal.org/app/uploads/2021/10/What-Kind-of-Ancestor-for-Melissa-Nelson-Rach-29-October.pdf Film: https://youtu.be/RVqmM_DUZtk Co-presented by the New School at Commonweal and the Center for Humans and Nature—in celebration of the book What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want to Be? and the 10th anniversary of the Center’s Questions for a Resilient Future Series Join us for a series of two conversations with indigenous leaders about the Seventh Fire—an Anishinaabe prophecy that points to our current time, with opportunities for healing, solidarity, and Indigenous cultural recovery and revitalization. In this conversation, Host Melissa K. Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis) speaks with Rowen White (Mohawk) and Rachel Wolfgramm, PhD (Whakatōhea, Ngāi Takoto, Te Aupouri, Tonga). The follow-up conversation event with Kaylena Bray (Seneca) and Nicola Wagenberg (Colombian) can be found at: https://tns.commonweal.org/podcasts/7th-fire-part-2/#.YZVrKS-B1Z0 Rowen White (Mohawk) Rowen is a seed keeper and farmer from the Mohawk community of Akwesasne and a passionate activist for Indigenous seed sovereignty. She weaves stories of seeds, food, culture, and sacred Earth stewardship on her blog, Seed Songs, and cultivates a legacy of seeds and cultural memory with the Indigenous Seedkeepers Network. She is the director and founder of Sierra Seeds, an organic seed cooperative focusing on local seed production and education, based in Nevada City, California. She teaches creative seed training immersions around the country within tribal and small farming communities. Rachel Wolfgramm, PhD (Whakatōhea, Ngāi Takoto, Te Aupouri, Tonga) Rachel is a principal investigator for Nga Pae o te Maramatanga and is currently leading a project along with a team of senior Maori academics and doctoral students investigating leadership in economies of well being. She is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School and is an active researcher, author, and consultant in sustainability, leadership, intercultural communications, and Maori development. Over the past 15 years, her research has been published in international journals and books and presented at numerous conferences across Europe, the United States, and Asia Pacific. Host Melissa K. Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis) Melissa is an ecologist and Indigenous scholar-activist. Formerly a professor of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University, she now teaches at Arizona State University in the School of Sustainability, Global Futures Laboratory. From 1993 to 2021, she served as the founding executive director and CEO of the Cultural Conservancy and continues to serve as president of their board. She is a contributor and co-editor of What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want To Be? (2021), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability published (2018), and Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future (2008). She is Anishinaabe/Métis/Norwegian and a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

The coming years, decades and perhaps generations, will be faced with the enormous task of walking through utterly unknown territory. We are required to develop another set of skills and ways of seeing as we descend ever further into the collective unknown. Join TNS Host Michael Lerner with Soul Activist and Author Francis Weller for a conversation about the simple things that will enable us to navigate through the Long Dark. Photo by Amritanshu Sikdar on Unsplash Francis Weller, MFT Francis Weller is a psychotherapist, writer, and soul activist. He is a master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures and poetic traditions. Author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief, and The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation, (with Rashani Réa) he has introduced the healing work of ritual to thousands of people. He founded and directs WisdomBridge, an organization that offers educational programs that seek to integrate the wisdom from indigenous cultures with the insights and knowledge gathered from western poetic, psychological and spiritual traditions. His work was featured in The Sun magazine (October 2015) and the Utne Reader (Fall 2016). Francis is currently on staff at Commonweal Cancer Help Program, co-leading their week-long retreats with Michael Lerner. He is currently completing his third book, A Trail on the Ground: Living a Soulful Life and Why It Matters. Michael Lerner is president and co-founder of Commonweal in Bolinas, California. He co-founded Commonweal in 1976. His projects include the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies, The New School at Commonweal and The Resilience Project. A Harvard graduate, he received a PhD and taught at Yale in the early 1970s before moving to Bolinas, California in 1976. He received a MacArthur fellowship for contributions to public health in 1984. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Changing the World through Small Daily Acts, Small Gardens, and Small Groups, with Host James Stark Today’s intersecting crises seem so daunting that it can be hard to fathom our small actions having any real impact. Join Host James Stark for a conversation with Trathen Heckman—founder of the non-profit organization Daily Acts—about how all of us can amplify the power of our daily actions, gardens and groups to unleash the power of community. Trathen Heckman is the founder/Director of Daily Acts Organization, a non-profit dedicated to “transformative action that creates connected, equitable, climate resilient communities.” He also serves on the convening committee for Localizing California Waters and the advisory board of Norcal Resilience Network, and he has helped initiate and lead numerous coalitions and networks including Climate Action Petaluma. Trathen lives in the Petaluma River Watershed where he grows food, medicine and wonder while composting apathy and lack. Host James Stark James has focused his work at the intersection of ecology, community resilience, and healing over many decades. With a masters in Environmental Sciences, focusing on Sustainable Community Development and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology, his work has centered on developing institutions and programs that strengthen the resilience of communities, and serving as a guide for individuals seeking to lead in times of change. He co-founded and co-directs the Regenerative Design Institute on Whidbey Island, Washington, and currently serves as Senior Advisor with Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine, and Staff with Commonweal’s The Resilience Project, both in Bolinas, California. His community work has yielded the co-creation of community-based non-profits that have created replicable models for developing community resilience. He presently co-facilitates the Art of Vitality and Resilience Wayfinding programs at Natura. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

~Co-presented with OMEGA Network~ Podcast listeners: Download a PDF of Richard’s presentation to follow along with the audio program: https://tns.commonweal.org/app/uploads/2021/09/Richard_Heinberg_09-24-21_TNS_Presentation.pdf Join TNS Host Michael Lerner with Richard Heinberg for a conversation about his new book, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival. You can hear other conversations between Michael Lerner and Richard Heinberg on our website: https://tns.commonweal.org Richard Heinberg is the author of thirteen previous books, including some of the seminal works on society’s current energy and environmental sustainability crisis. He is senior fellow of the Post Carbon Institute and is regarded as one of the world’s foremost advocates for a shift away from our current reliance on fossil fuels. He has authored scores of essays and articles that have appeared in such journals as Nature, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, The American Prospect, Public Policy Research, Quarterly Review, Yes!, and The Sun; and has appeared in many film and television documentaries, including Leonardo DiCaprio’s 11th Hour. He is also the author and narrator of Post Carbon Institute’s 22-video Think Resilience online course. Michael Lerner is president and co-founder of Commonweal in Bolinas, California. He co-founded Commonweal in 1976. His projects include the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies, The New School at Commonweal and The Resilience Project. A Harvard graduate, he received a PhD and taught at Yale in the early 1970s before moving to Bolinas, California in 1976. He received a MacArthur fellowship for contributions to public health in 1984. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Part 2 of a 2 part conversation and spiritual biography with Rachel Lang and host Michal Lerner. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Part 1 of a 2 part conversation--find the play list: https://soundcloud.com/tnscommonweal/sets/rachel-lang-intuition Join Host Michael Lerner in a spiritual biography conversation with astrologer and intuitive Rachel Lang. Rachel Lang Rachel is a professional astrologer, psychic medium, and healer. She is a regular contributor to a variety of publications, including Bustle, Brit + Co, LVBX, Romper, PopSugar, and the Omega News. As an internationally recognized speaker, she enjoys sharing her astrological and spiritual knowledge with others and regularly offers presentations, classes, and workshops. She began studying astrology and developing her spiritual gifts more than 20 years ago and has maintained a private practice working with individuals and businesses since 2006. She holds a master’s degree in theology from Loyola Marymount University, with an emphasis on feminist theology and ethics. Photo by Josh Rangel on Unsplash Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

~Co-presented with Spring Creek Project~ Follow along with the videos shown and discussed in this conversation: Common Murre - https://youtu.be/AuGTNgjhW1M Western Sage Grouse - https://youtu.be/RzyoI0r9ddc How can we attune ourselves to the music that surrounds us? How can we bear the sorrow of its silencing? Join author Kathleen Dean Moore and Naturalist Hank Lentfer in virtual conversation with TNS Host Kyra Epstein to celebrate the earth’s wild music and creatures. We hear about Kathleen’s new book—Earth’s Wild Music: Celebrating and Defending the Songs of the Natural World (Counterpoint Press). We hear animal recordings from Hank and learn about how he has crafted a life listening to nature’s music. We watch two “tiny concerts,” videos inspired by Kathleen’s book and put together by the Spring Creek Project at Oregon State University.

Join us for a conversation with TNS Host Steve Heilig and artist-naturalist Keith Hansen about his new book of illustrations: Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada. Identify and learn about more than 250 birds of the Sierra Nevada. From tiniest hummingbirds to condors with nine-foot wingspans; from lower-elevation wrens to the rasping nutcrackers of the High Sierra; from urban House Sparrows to wild water-loving American Dippers, Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada showcases Keith’s sixteen-year project to illustrate the birds of the Sierra Nevada. Download a PDF of Keith’s illustrations to follow along with the audio podcast here: https://tns.commonweal.org/podcasts/hansen-heilig/attachment/keith-hansen-tns-slides-080621/ Keith Hansen Coming from a long line of artists, Keith took up illustrating birds in 1976, his senior year of high school. After extensive travel, he volunteered for the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, both at the Bolinas Palomarin Field Station, and nine adventures to the Farallon Islands. Capturing and gently handling hundreds of birds for banding studies gave him an intimate understanding of their build, anatomy, plumage and character, all crucial things for a budding bird artist. Over the years, he created bird illustrations for books, scientific journals, magazines, newsletters, and logos. Taking about 14 years to illustrate the 320 species that occur in that great mountain range, and five years to write, his latest book is Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada. Keith’s workspace, The Wildlife Gallery is located in Bolinas. Host Steve Heilig Steve is a longtime senior research associate with Commonweal, a co-founding director of the Commonweal Collaborative on Health and the Environment, a host of dialogues for the New School, and in other programs originating at or founded at Commonweal. Trained at five University of California campuses in public health, medical ethics, addiction medicine, economics, environmental sciences, and other disciplines, his other work includes positions at the San Francisco Medical Society, California Pacific Medical Center, and as co-editor of the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. He has served on many nonprofit boards and appointed commissions, and is a trained hospice worker. He is a widely published essayist and book and music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, and many other publications.

Join TNS Host Steve Heilig in conversation with “the point man” for drug policy reform efforts, Ethan Nadelmann. They’ll talk about a wide range of drug policy issues, concerning both illegal and legal substances, what has worked and what has failed, and where to go from here. Ethan Nadelmann Described by Rolling Stone as “the point man” for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann was long widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform both in the United States and abroad. Ethan began his advocacy in the late 1980s while teaching at Princeton; he then founded first The Lindesmith Center and then the Drug Policy Alliance, the world’s leading drug policy reform organization, which he directed until 2017. He also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development program. Ethan has authored two books on the internationalization of criminal law enforcement (Cops Across Borders and, with Peter Andreas, Policing The Globe), and spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk on ending the drug war has over two million views. Ethan and his colleagues were at the forefront of dozens of successful campaigns to legalize marijuana, reduce the incarceration of drug law offenders, treat drug use and addiction as health, not criminal, issues, and otherwise promote alternatives to punitive prohibitionist policies. He recently started a podcast about all things drugs called PSYCHOACTIVE. And he has become increasingly engaged in the debate over tobacco harm reduction. Host Steve Heilig Steve is a longtime senior research associate with Commonweal, a co-founding director of the Commonweal Collaborative on Health and the Environment, a host of dialogues for the New School, and in other programs originating at or founded at Commonweal. Trained at five University of California campuses in public health, medical ethics, addiction medicine, economics, environmental sciences, and other disciplines, his other work includes positions at the San Francisco Medical Society, California Pacific Medical Center, and as co-editor of the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. He has served on many nonprofit boards and appointed commissions, and is a trained hospice worker. He is a widely published essayist and book and music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, and many other publications.