Savoring Connection

Amid global challenges, we continue to lean into the power of sincere relationships, Indigenous leadership, and shared stories that encourage resilience and guide us toward regeneration.

It’s no secret that the world feels heavy right now. From ecological collapse to war and displacement, the weight of grief and uncertainty is real. And yet—throughout this summer, we’ve been reminded again and again of the healing power of sincere, personal connections. Sharing meals, tending gardens, sitting in circle, or simply listening deeply to one another… these are the ways we root ourselves in community, even as global challenges swirl around us.

This spirit of connection has been alive within our Proven Sustainable circle. Just this month, Kelsey sat down in person with Sox in Ithaca, NY, to walk through his garden and share food together. Moments like these remind us that our work is not only about planetary healing but also about nurturing the relationships that make that healing possible.

Team Highlights

Our dear friend and core team member, Ketu Oladuwa, has been traveling the country on his OctoGenarian Poetry Tour, celebrating his 80th year of life and art. His tour weaves together poetry, music, storytelling, and community dialogue—an incredible continuation of his journey from surviving death row to bringing voice and vision into the world.

Here is an excerpt from a blog he wrote last August at the onset of his 14-month sojourn to poet in cities thruout the U.S.:

Each August I silently renew gratitude for the Ancestral presence in my life. August 17th was the 53rd anniversary of my being released from a death sentence & walking off deathrow, at the behest of my Ancestors… For five years at Walpole, I schooled mySelf in the politics of Black Power & historical analysis, minting a liberation consciousness. While behind steel bars, the thick of concrete walls, & the finality of a death sentence, I found ‘free’ in self-education, resistance, & the cultural integrity & wisdom of my Ancestors. They freed me long before August 17, 1971.

Our Guiding Council member, Nichole McIntosh, was invited to be a featured speaker at BPP University’s Graduation Ceremony at Central Hall Westminster in London this spring. She urged the graduates: “Allow no one to silence you and put you in a pigeon hole. You are not a pigeon!”—a reflection of her Maroon Mindset and identity. Nichole also authored a powerful piece on being Black and female in NHS leadership, published in NHS London.

Another one of our Guiding Council members, Four Arrows, recently sat down with Dylan Aubrey (Yurok storyteller, veteran, and media entrepreneur) for a conversation about Indigenous worldview, ceremony, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Dylan has offered to connect us further with voices like Brooke Thompson, who grew up on the Klamath River and has interviewed elders across its villages. These conversations are part of our continuing effort to lift up stories and wisdom traditions that guide us toward collective regeneration.

Recent Events & Collective Struggles

This summer brought a powerful reminder of Indigenous leadership in action. Just weeks ago, the Miccosukee Tribe played a decisive role in defending the Everglades against the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center. Miccosukee staff leaders testified in federal court about the proximity of tribal villages and sacred sites to the facility, and elders like Betty Osceola rallied hundreds in peaceful resistance at the site’s entrance. Their presence as co-plaintiffs has helped secure a temporary halt to construction, protecting the River of Grass and reminding us once more that Indigenous guardianship is central to the survival of our shared ecosystems.

We were also moved by the SAND (Science and Nonduality) gathering, We Will Not Look Away: A Vigil for Grief, Kinship, & Refusal in the Face of Genocide. It brought together voices including Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Shahd Abusalama, Omid Safi, and others to create a sacred space of grief, witness, and solidarity for Gaza. Here’s a list of tangible actions for those who wish to engage further:

• Organize a screening of Where Olive Trees Weep in your community and find resources to take action

• Tell your elected officials (U.S.): Stop Starving Gaza and Block the Bombs

• Donate to Project Hope: Supporting community health and resilience in Gaza | Support evacuation efforts: Help support Shahd Abusalama's family in Northern Gaza evacuate | Support artist and nursing student Aya Shaqalean: Donate to Aya’s GoFundMe

Looking Ahead

Our upcoming recorded conversations will feature Ilarion “Kuuyux” Merculieff, the founder of the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways (GCILL), and his wife, Yael Zeligman-Merculieff, the founder of Wombs of Peace. Through their incredible relationship and efforts, Kuuyux and Yael carry an essential spirit of deep connection into our world. Two upcoming gatherings they’re promoting are aligned with our mission and values:

• WOMBS OF PEACE September Equinox Gathering: Tsunami – how do we weave the wave?
  Sunday, September 21, 2025 · 12:30pm Pacific (online)
  Learn more & register here »

• Restoring Lifeways: Collective Liberation Frameworks – Money, Reciprocity & Flow of Resources
  Tuesday, September 9 · 2–4pm EDT (online)
  Register here »

Walking Together

As we continue to navigate difficult global realities, our Proven Sustainable team is leaning into storytelling, listening, and creating spaces where truth and imagination meet. Over the coming months, we’ll begin sharing reflections from our core team and guiding council on how each of our personal paths weave into the larger Proven Sustainable mission. And we warmly invite you, our community, to share your reflections too.

Thank you for walking with us. Thank you for refusing to look away. And thank you for nourishing the connections that keep us going.

With love and commitment,
The Proven Sustainable Team

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