Proven Sustainable™

Telling Stories of Resilience for our Home Planet with Dahr Jamail

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dahr Jamail, Storytelling and Communications Manager at Home Planet Fund. A former mountaineer and war correspondent, Dahr shares his incredible journey—from growing up in suburban Houston, to witnessing the impacts of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq, and ultimately dedicating his life to environmental and Indigenous advocacy. We explore his deep connection to nature, the importance of witnessing and storytelling in times of crisis, and how Indigenous perspectives can guide us in addressing today’s polycrisis.

Decolonizing Food from an Andean Mountain View with Dr. Maria Fernanda Vivanco (Mara)

In this illuminating episode, we sit down with Dr. Maria Fernanda Vivanco, known as Mara, a Peruvian rural sociologist, feminist, and champion of food justice and Andean knowledge preservation. Mara, a lecturer at Cayetano University's Nutrition Department and Gender and Agriculture Specialist for Resonance Global, shares her rich experiences and insights.
The episode opens with Mara reciting her evocative poem, Taki Unquay. She discusses her transition from Peru to the U.S., reflecting on her identity as a Peruvian woman in a new country. Mara delves into her dissertation on the "lost crops of the Andes," exploring the effects on Peruvian farmers when Andean foods like quinoa are marketed globally as superfoods. She highlights the ethnic distinctions between people from Lima and the provinces and recounts her experiences during the Trump administration, addressing ethnic and racial stereotypes.
Mara examines the impact on Peruvian producers following the FAO's 1983 promotion of quinoa and the global cultivation of quinoa seeds. She discusses the challenges of Peruvian superfood maca being patented and grown internationally and stresses the importance of incorporating a critical perspective on race in food security, justice, and sovereignty discussions.
Transitioning from academia to gastronomic environments, Mara shares her interactions with cooks, chefs, and farmers about safeguarding Andean ancestral food knowledge systems. She critiques the superficial approach to sustainability and emphasizes restoring respect for Mother Earth in agricultural practices. Mara discusses the colonial practice of renaming plants and the accountability universities must take for past harms.
Mara also touches on the challenges of respectful engagement with Indigenous peoples as a researcher, her efforts to support women pursuing studies and travel, and the integration of poetry, music, and dance in academic writing. She reflects on her grandmother’s resilience, her own journey to becoming a sommelier, and her mission to experience food from an Andean perspective. Mara highlights her work on decolonization by engaging with ancestral artisans' works in Peruvian museums and teaching about forced migration in her university classes on the anthropology and sociology of food.
Join us for a conversation that bridges the gap between food, culture, and identity, offering a profound look at the intersections of academia, activism, and personal experience.

A Transcontinental Conversation about Collective Water Keeping

This is the first Proven Sustainable Conversation bringing together a wider collective to talk about the theme of water stewardship. The collective includes Alan Ereira, Kogi advocate and founder of the Tairona Trust, Four Arrows, Indigenous educator and Proven Sustainable Guiding Council member, Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper, Grandmother Rabiah Nur, his comrade on the river, and Sox Sperry, Proven Sustainable's founder.
Through the discussion, we explore the profound connections between water, women, and the spirit of renewal. We delve into how water serves as a force of comfort and cooling, drawing from the Kogi knowledge that water spiritually and physically ties everything together. Discover how the inspirational power of water underpins the waterkeeper movement and the importance of direct experiences in understanding water's role in our lives.
Learn about practices that reconnect us to our primal bond with water as a life force and the central role women have always played in maintaining these connections. We also discuss how fear of water and nature can disrupt our ability to connect, and explore the Kogi’s Munekan Masha project. Understand the inherent deficiencies in environmental movements that lack spiritual connection.
Be inspired by the power of Cherokee women singing lullabies to both children and the earth during the hardships of the Trail of Tears, and the importance of keeping traditions alive simply because it’s the right thing to do. Join us for this enlightening conversation that celebrates the deep, intrinsic ties between water, women, and the spirit of the earth.

Spirit and Activism Along the Patuxent River with Fred Tutman & Rabiah Nur

Join us in this deeply engaging episode as we sit down with Fred Tutman, the Patuxent Riverkeeper, and Grandmother Rabiah, a renowned medicine woman and healer. Fred and Rabiah dive into the hidden familial connections Fred has to the Patuxent River, and the profound power of sharing personal stories that bridge connections between people and the environment.
Explore their shared experiences supporting traditional Senegalese healers, and discover what it means for Indigenous people to be synonymous with their place. They discuss falling in love with the Earth's beauty, defining community through natural cycles, and the importance of rituals and ceremonies in restoring balance.
Fred and Rabiah also shed light on the challenges people of color face within the environmental movement, how passion for the environment is often restrained by systemic barriers, and the contradictions between movements focused on saving wildlife versus saving communities. They delve into Earth's sentient energy, colonial mindsets that harm ecosystems, and the importance of activism in creating systemic change.
From the role of intelligent life forms in understanding our destructive ways to the dangers of corporatism in big environmental movements, this episode covers it all. Listen to the inspiring stories of resilience and resistance, and the rising of divine feminine energy as expressed by children in the Riverkeeper summer camp. Don't miss this enlightening conversation that connects the dots between activism, community, and the environment.

Integrating Māori Knowledge and Modern Science with Dr. Aroha Spinks

Listen to this captivating conversation with Dr. Aroha Spinks, an environmental scientist and independent consultant in New Zealand, who shares her profound insights on the centrality of familial and tribal relationships in Māori culture, the crucial role of language preservation, and the enduring impact of ancestral traditions for building a sustainable future. She reveals how her grandmother's teachings guide her spiritual and environmental healing practices, and discusses her unique role in bridging Māori and non-Māori knowledge systems. Learn about her work on the restoration of Lake Waiorongomai, the importance of seeking elder wisdom, and the power of ancestral practices in facing climate change. 

Keeping Traditions Alive One Beat at a Time: With Khangelani Mhlanga, Founder of Project Imbizo

Khangelani is a recent Biology graduate from Ithaca College with a passion for veterinary medicine, public health, and the preservation of Zimbabwean cultures. In this episode, she shares her dedication to preserving Zimbabwean traditions through her initiative, Project Imbizo. Through our conversation, we discuss the challenges Khangelani faced while learning to play the mbira (musical instrument) amid religious and colonial pressures, and her fight against modernity's impact on cultural heritage. Learn about the meaning of indigeneity in post-colonial Zimbabwe, the importance of preserving traditional dances, and the dangers of online misinformation. Khangelani shares many intriguing stories and her heartfelt gratitude for those who keep cultural traditions alive. This dialogue is a testament to the resilience and passion required to protect and celebrate one's cultural roots.

Finding Strength in Heritage: Manifesting Maroon Mindset with Nichole McIntosh

In this episode, Nichole shares her journey of finding her voice through writing as a young immigrant from Jamaica to England. She delves into the rich history of the Jamaican Maroons, as told by her father, and how their ways of being fueled their fight for freedom. Nichole reveals how she has upheld her spirit and values as a strong Maroon fighter while embodying an introvert’s persona.
Nichole is a senior nurse, honorary visiting professor, blogger, podcaster, motivational speaker, and poet. With extensive experience in acute healthcare settings and clinical quality, Nichole is also the founder and Director of Maroon Mindset Unlimited.
Through the conversation, learn about her extroverted father, a head teacher who proudly expressed his Maroon identity, and Nichole’s dedication to mentoring student nurses to empower them in an often oppressive system. She also addresses the mistreatment of the Windrush generation by the UK government and how it has influenced her work.
With powerfully succinct stories and statements, Nichole discusses the founding of Maroon Mindset Unlimited and the vital importance of embracing her Maroon identity and strength, especially as a mother. This episode is a testament to resilience, cultural pride, and the power of claiming one’s agency.

Remembering We are Nature: Awakening to the kinship worldview with Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows)

Join us for a captivating conversation with Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), the former Director of Education at Oglala Lakota College and current Professor of Educational Leadership for Change at Antioch University. As the co-author of "Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth," written with Darcia Narvaez, Four Arrows brings a wealth of knowledge and profound insights to our discussion.
In this episode, he shares his transformative journey towards embracing an Indigenous nature-based worldview, sparked by a near-death experience and a miraculous recovery facilitated by the Raramuri Indians. We delve into what it means to be human in the face of existential crises, exploring the stark differences between anthropocentric and kinship worldviews as illustrated in his worldview chart.
Discover the intriguing Cat-Fawn dehypnotizing technology and its ceremonial connections, as well as Four Arrows' recent enlightening experiences with the unconquered Kogi in Colombia. Hear his compelling reasons for choosing Indigenous practices to treat his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the challenges he faces in promoting “out-of-the-box” thinking for decolonizing and indigenizing higher education.
Four Arrows also recounts his powerful experience at Standing Rock, where he witnessed and partook in acts of fearless courage. Finally, he offers a poignant reflection on accepting the reality of death and discovering one's death song. This episode promises to inspire and provoke thought, offering a unique perspective on rebalancing life on our planet.

The Power of Reclaiming Native Identity with Phil "Pompey" Fixico

Phil "Pompey" Fixico is an aspiring Seminole Maroon Descendant and Activist who learned about his native identity at the age of 52. He shares his journey and life’s mission in this lively interview. Among other topics, he addresses the Maroon Peace Belt, the definitions of Maroon, the Stono Rebellion, the Seminole Scouts and his founding of the Semiroon Historical Society.

Drawing on Nature-Based Art to Promote Earth Stewardship with Diane Schenandoah

This coversation features Diane Schenandoah, a faithkeeper of the Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She speaks about her efforts to encourage people to care for the Earth through her multifacted roles as a sculptor, published author, singer, and Syracuse University’s first Honwadiyenawa’sek, meaning “the one who helps them.”