Proven Sustainable™

Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, Indigenous Pamiri from Khorog, Tajikistan, is the Inaugural Executive Director of Home Planet Fund. She was previously a political appointee of the US Biden-Harris Administration, spent five years with the Aga Khan Development Network, and eight years responding to conflict and climate crises. She is a transformational conflict expert focused on civil war, environmental conflict, and resource conflict.
In this Proven Sustainable™ conversation, Dilafruz traces the story of her name, a gift from an elder meaning “heart bursting into flame,” and her family’s escape from the Tajik Civil War through the diversity visa lottery, including the single act of mercy from an immigration officer that changed the course of her life. She reflects on the distinction between being Indigenous and being native to a place, the Pamiri philosophy of personal authority and affirmation-based upbringing, and how her academic training in conflict resolution grew directly out of surviving war as a child.
Dilafruz also speaks to what it means to bring institutional power into right relationship with the communities it claims to serve. She discusses the unlearning required to lead a fund built on trust rather than control, the role of collective healing in climate work, and why she finds hope in the fearlessness of the generation born after the war.
Dilafruz has spent her career translating the lived experience of war into institutional change, from a decade across USAID and the Aga Khan Development Network to building Home Planet Fund, which channels donations directly to Indigenous-led climate work in Tajikistan, East Africa, the Pacific Islands, and Alaska.
Learn more: provensustainable.org

Rev. Houston R. Cypress (Otter Clan, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida) shares how Indigenous wisdom, environmental science, art, and Two-Spirit teachings come together in his work across the Everglades. Recorded live at the 2025 Florida Permaculture Convergence, this conversation explores local Indigenous histories, the Miccosukee Tribe’s environmental studies, and the importance of widening our definitions of home, family, and community.
Houston explains how the Miccosukee Tribe balances scientific monitoring with ancestral insights, and how “bending tools” allows Western scientific methods to better support Indigenous priorities. He also discusses the emergence of queer ecological knowledge, Two-Spirit initiatives in Florida, and the longstanding tradition of chosen family among Seminole and Miccosukee Peoples.
Rev. Houston R. Cypress is a Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer artist and environmentalist from the Otter Clan of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. He serves on the Miccosukee Tribe’s Everglades Advisory Committee and has worked with the Love The Everglades Movement for over a decade.
Learn more: provensustainable.org

In this special gathering, the five members of the Proven Sustainable™ Guiding Council turn the conversation inward, reflecting on the journeys that brought each of them to this work, and sitting together with a single question: Where is Proven Sustainable living in each of us today?
Sox Sperry, educator, curriculum designer, and founder of Proven Sustainable™, opens from Ithaca, New York, on the traditional homeland of the Gayogohono (Cayuga) people. He traces the project's origins through decades of relationships with Indigenous and Maroon elders across the planet, and shares how the work now lives in developing curriculum materials for young students rooted in Indigenous worldview, such as two recent lessons developed, anchored by the children's book by Yurok scientist and activist Brook Thompson.
Four Arrows (Donald Trent Jacobs) shares how he found Proven Sustainable through a Google search and why a teaching from the Chukchi people, about the difference between pursuing gold and tending reindeer, stopped him in his tracks. A scholar of Indigenous worldview for over 40 years, he speaks to the critical distinction between worldview and place-based tribal wisdom, and why preserving the latter is among the most urgent tasks of our time.
Ketu Oladuwa, poet and journalist from Fort Wayne, Indiana, speaks with the voice of the griot, connecting Maroon Mindset to more than 7,000 years of Afrikan resistance, from the Nile Valley to death row to the elders councils and young people he serves today. For Ketu, proven sustainable and proven free are not ideas but a breath, a spiritual principle he has lived without always having the language for it.
Kelsey Greene, co-facilitator of the Proven Sustainable™ Conversation Series and now based in St. Petersburg, Florida, reflects on how the work has become what she calls "a whispering elder" in her inner life, a steady presence that helps her recognize colonized thinking, practice self-compassion, and return to the wisdom of body, place, and community.
Nichole McIntosh, senior nurse and workforce educator with NHS England and a descendant of Maroons from Jamaica, shares how an unexpected letter in 2021 drew her into this work, and how five years later she brings Proven Sustainable's principles into her leadership talks with student nurses and midwives in London, giving others permission to claim their Maroon heritage with pride.
Together, they offer a rare and intimate window into the people behind this work, why they came to it, and how it continues to sustain them.
SPEAKER BIOS:
Sox Sperry is an educator, curriculum designer, and the founder of Proven Sustainable™, based in Ithaca, New York, on the traditional homeland of the Gayogohono (Cayuga) people, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. His work with Project Look Sharp and long-standing relationships with Indigenous and Maroon communities worldwide form the foundation of the Proven Sustainable project.
Four Arrows (Donald Trent Jacobs) is a scholar of Indigenous worldview with over 40 years of work in Indigenous education. He is an Oglala Lakota Pipe Carrier and formerly Director of Education at Oglala Lakota College. He spends summers on Nuu-chah-nulth land on the Toquat land on the west coast of Vancouver Island, and lives in Mexico for the rest of the year.
Ketu Oladuwa is a poet, journalist, and community voice based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, holding lineages from the Akan people of Ghana and the Yoruba people of Nigeria. He brings griot tradition and Maroon Mindset to his work with elders, young people, and community.
Kelsey Greene is a core team member and co-facilitator of the Proven Sustainable™ Conversation Series, based in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the unceded homelands of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes.
Nichole McIntosh is a senior nurse and workforce educator with NHS England, a Jamaican immigrant living in the East of England, and a descendant of Maroons from Jamaica. She has been part of the Proven Sustainable Guiding Council since April 2021.
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The Proven Sustainable™ Conversation Series is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Any funding directed towards the Conversation Series will go towards production efforts to ensure the recorded discussions are diligently captured and meaningfully distributed. This Conversation Series and website are not-for-profit and created with the intent of channeling support directly to the Peoples represented.

Brook Thompson and Dylan Aubrey are Yurok tribal members whose work bridges Indigenous worldviews with Western systems, contributing to Klamath River restoration efforts and the revitalization of traditional knowledge in Northern California while reaching international audiences through their media platforms and educational work.
In this Proven Sustainable™ conversation, Brook and Dylan share their personal journeys growing into who they are today, the historic removal of four dams on the Klamath River, and the Indigenous-led restoration work now healing the landscape. Brook reflects on witnessing the devastating 2002 event where over 60,000 salmon died, her path through engineering and academia to bridge Western science with Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, and her children's book "I Love Salmon and Lampreys."
Dylan discusses his journey through rap music, military service, and filmmaking to Indigenous media entrepreneurship, his work as Public Outreach Lead for Yurok Fisheries documenting restoration and traditional ecological knowledge, his role as an Indigenous Governance & Knowledge Systems Fellow with Home for Humanity's One Home Journey, and his work amplifying Native voices through Drum Circle News and Indigenous Media Company LLC.
Together, they explore the challenges of communicating Indigenous worldviews within Western systems, the healing power of land back and restoration work, and the pathways many Indigenous people take when reconnecting to their cultures. Their insights emphasize that true sustainability requires centering relational knowledge, supporting Indigenous leadership, and recognizing the interconnectedness of land, water, people, and all living beings.
Brook Thompson is a Yurok and Karuk environmental engineer, PhD student at UC Santa Cruz, author, artist, activist, and founder of Thompson Teachings LLC. Learn more at brookmthompson.com
Dylan Aubrey is a Yurok storyteller, veteran, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He serves as Public Outreach Lead for the Yurok Fisheries Department and is founder of Drum Circle News and Indigenous Media Company LLC. Find all his platforms at linktr.ee/drumcirclenews
The Proven Sustainable™ Conversation Series is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Any funding directed towards the Conversation Series will go towards production efforts to ensure the recorded discussions are diligently captured and meaningfully distributed. This Conversation Series and website are not-for-profit and created with the intent of channeling support directly to the Peoples represented.

Ilarion Merculieff, also known by his traditional name Kuuyux, is a respected Unangax̂** elder, author, and messenger carrying ancient knowledge into modern times. 
In this Proven Sustainable™ conversation, Kuuyux reflects on his childhood in the Pribilof Islands, a time marked by both powerful lessons learned from wildlife and his mentor, and the harsh reality of U.S. control over his people, including forced labor in the commercial seal harvest. He shares captivating stories about affirmation-based child-rearing, the deep role of elders, and the spiritual practices that sustained him through enduring hardship.
Kuuyux also speaks to the resilience of the Unangan culture, the lasting impacts of historical trauma, and the urgent need to return to heart-centered ways of living. His teachings emphasize personal authority, reverence for the natural world, and pathways to collective healing and balance for all humanity.
He has dedicated over fifty years to leadership and service for his people and Indigenous communities internationally. He is the President of the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways (GCILL) and an advisor to the World Wilderness Congress.

Mali Ole Kaunga is a respected Maasai activist who speaks about the ongoing struggle for Maasai land rights in Kenya and its connection to global climate challenges. He shares powerful insights into the historical injustices faced by the Maasai people, including forced removals and the erosion of their traditional way of life. He also discusses the importance of preserving Maasai cultural identity and the crucial role of traditional pastoralist practices in promoting environmental sustainability.

In this intimate conversation recorded at the 2024 Florida Permaculture Convergence, seventh-generation Floridian Johnny Dame shares his journey as an artist, naturalist, Earth Shepherd, and environmental educator. Opening with a grounding meditation, Johnny reveals how his childhood gift for locating indigenous artifacts evolved into a life dedicated to helping others connect with the land. Through his beautiful Wildflower Wheels—which help people discover their ecosystem-specific "birth flowers"—and his detailed physiographic maps, Johnny demonstrates how art can bridge the gap between people and place. He shares moving stories about his grandmother Reita, who learned native plant medicine from those who lived with the Seminoles, and offers insights into the ancient European practice of "scrying"—finding meaning in natural patterns. The episode captures Johnny's unique blend of ancestral wisdom and artistic expression, illustrating how direct observation of nature can help us rediscover our essential connection to the Earth.
The Proven Sustainable™ Conversation Series is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Any funding directed towards the Conversation Series will go towards production efforts to ensure the the recorded discussions are diligently captured and meaningfully distributed. This Conversation Series and website are not-for-profit and created with the intent of channeling support directly to the Peoples represented.

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.

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.

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.