Holding the Fire: Indigenous Voices on the Great Unraveling

Dahr Jamail speaks with Dilafruz Khonikboyeva about how people can live through collapse while maintaining their core identities and values. Dilafruz also reminds us how Indigenous people have always had a symbiotic relationship with Earth, living as one with and being in love with Earth.Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, an Indigenous Pamiri from Tajikistan, is a transformational conflict expert, who has focused her work on civil wars, climate and resource conflicts, and storytelling. She is the inaugur...

Dahr Jamail talks with Dr. Lyla June Johnston and gains a far broader perspective on the polycrisis. Lyla June wonders why people are surprised that things have arrived at this point of collapse, given the inherent insatiability of the dominant system of extraction and growth, and the fact that Indigenous people have been issuing warnings for centuries. She also discusses rebirth, consequences of our actions, the creation of new paradigms, the Lakota view of selfishness as a mental illness, g...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Dr. Yuria Celidwen about how we must find true belonging and true community with both humans and the more-than-human world. Yuria discusses a broader statement she created that she calls “the ethics of belonging,” which encourages awareness, intention, relational well-being, and actions towards planetary flourishing. She also talks about spirit medicine, why she is not fond of the word "hope," dreaming, non-linear time, and much more.Dr. Yuria Celidwen, a native of Nah...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Shoba Liban about the importance of persevering with our work to serve our communities, no matter the results and no matter how difficult things become. Shoba also discusses the great importance of building community resilience, local farming, and adapting to the impacts of the worsening climate crisis. Shoba Liban, a Boorana woman from Kenya, is the founder and CEO of the entirely women-run Pastoralist Women, an NGO that promotes health and education for women and chi...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Alson Kellen to hear about how his people survived nuclear testing on their home islands, colonialism, imperialism, and how they are now navigating the climate crisis. Alson discusses how he believes traditional values present the best hope for a sustainable future for his people, as well as for all of us.Alson Kelen, a native of Bikini Atoll, is one of the world’s few masters in the ancient art of wave-piloting. Alson is an authority on traditional ocean canoe constru...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Paty Gualinga about her people’s spirituality and interconnectedness with the Amazon Rainforest, and the ancient prophecies of her ancestors which are coming true today. She also talks about how, after a decade-long fight she helped lead, Ecuadorians recently voted decisively to end oil drilling in the Amazon in their country.Paty Gualinga is an Indigenous rights defender and foreign relations leader of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku, an Indigenous community based in th...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Sam Olando about the challenges his people have faced, over generations, as governments and/or corporate projects displace increasing numbers of people from their ancestral lands. Sam also discusses Indigenous values, the importance of community, and the functional nature of reciprocity.Sam Olando, a Luo man from Kenya, is a human rights defender and community organizer who is the executive director of Pamoja Trust, an NGO dedicated to promoting access to land, shelter...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Celine Lim about the gap that exists between living in her Indigenous world of connectivity, and the so-called modern world of city life where she works. She discusses her grief that stems from that gap, what is lost when she experiences disconnection from her Indigenous roots, kinship, and activism. Celine Lim is an Indigenous Kayan leader from Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. Celine is the manager of Save Rivers, a grassroots organization that high...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Galina Angarova about grieving what is happening on Earth, and what it was like being raised within an intact Indigenous culture. She also discusses the critically important role of ancestors and intergenerational trauma, and reminds us that the traditional knowledge of Indigenous people that came directly from the land itself is our only hope for a future. Galina Angarova is a Buryat woman from the Lake Baikal region of Siberia. In addition to being the Executive Dire...

Dahr Jamail speaks with Aslak Holmberg about how the Great Unraveling has always been the inevitable result of an ideology built on unsustainability. Aslak also provides his stark assessment of the dominant global paradigm of constant growth, as well as an inspirational message of standing firm in our work for the planet, no matter what.Aslak Holmberg is an Indigenous Saami who lives on the Deatnu River, on the border of Norway and Finland. He is serving as the President of the Saami Council ...