Conversation Series

Johnny Dame is a seventh-generation Floridian artist, naturalist and environmental educator who creates physiographic maps, Wildflower Wheels, and ecosystem paintings to help people develop a deeper connection to the natural world. In this conversation, he shares stories about locating indigenous artifacts, his grandmother's native plant medicine knowledge, and the ancient practice of "scrying"—demonstrating how art and direct observation can help us rediscover our essential relationship with the Earth.

Dahr Jamail, Storytelling and Communications Manager at Home Planet Fund, is a former mountaineer and war correspondent. He shares his 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.

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.”

This coversation features Sheryll Durrant, an urban farming and food justice advocate who shares insights on her upbringing in Jamaica, her awakening to sustainability initiatives in Brooklyn, and how these experiences fueled her commitment to food justice in the Bronx.

Dr. Maria Fernanda Vivanco (Mara) is a Peruvian rural sociologist and feminist. In her interview facilitated by Kétu Oladuwa and Kelsey Greene, she advocates for food justice and the protection of Andean forms of knowledge through personal stories, powerful academic references, and poetic prose.

In this nuanced dialogue, we unpack the deeper impacts of our perceptions about water and it’s role in our histories, cultures and lives. The stories and insights shared are informed by Kogi and Patuxent Riverkeeper representatives.

Fred Tutman is a grassroots community advocate for clean water in Maryland’s longest and deepest intrastate waterway and holds the title of Patuxent Riverkeeper, which is also the name of a non-profit organization that he founded in 2004. Grandma Rabiah, has worked for more than 50 years to educate the public about the need to work together.

Dr Aroha Spinks is an independent consultant in New Zealand striving for a sustainable future that builds resilience within ecosystem and communities. She is an environmental scientist with experience in fisheries, restoration ecology, kaupapa Māori approaches, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi indigenous research. Through her interview facilitated by Kétu Oladuwa and Kelsey Greene, she speaks of her Ancestral connections and mission-driven work to heal Earth and its people through an environmental syncretism honoring and aligning indigenous perspectives with modern land management practices.

Khangelani is a recent graduate from Ithaca College where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She’s passionate about veterinary medicine, public health, and the preservation of Zimbabwean cultures. She speaks about her Zimbabwean upbringing and her new initiative to curate different aspects of Zimbabwean cultures in this personal interview facilitated by Ketu Oladuwa and Kelsey Greene.

Nichole is a senior nurse, poet, digital broadcaster, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and Editorial Advisor of the Royal College of Nursing Institute’s Nursing Management Journal. She speaks about her Maroon identity, life experiences and powerful values in this captivating interview facilitated by Ketu Oladuwa and Kelsey Greene.

Four Arrows is a professor and author of 24 books and numerous other publications on Indigenous Worldview. He speaks about his journey and advocacy work in this thought-provoking interview facilitated by Ketu Oladuwa and Kelsey Greene.

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 facilitated by Ketu Oladuwa and Kelsey Greene.

This is the first discussion amongst the founding group of the Proven Sustainable Conversation series about the origins of the projects, their personal interests in contributing, and what it means to embody the essence of the work in their existence.