Sarah James and Olav
Olav Mathis Eira (above photo) is a member of the Executive Board of the Saami Council, an international organization that represents the indigenous Saami in the four countries in which they have traditional lands; Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. He has been active in Saami politics since the 1970's. Much of that time has been spent in defense of the land and pasture rights of nomadic Saami reindeer herders. Those rights are threatened by the encroachment of industry and most recently, by climate change. Reindeer herding, one of the main traditional occupations of the Saami, has been in Olav Mathis' family at least 500 years. He carries on that family tradition. When he is not traveling on political business, Olav Mathis can still be found with his herds, moving between pasturing areas in Norway and Sweden.
Board Members (Core)
Tom Dostou (Abanaki), Lauren Keahbone Silverbird (Kiowa, Wichita), Jarrod Da (San Ilfonso), Sarah James (Gwich'in), Taqseblu Vi Hilbert (Western WA Salish), John Pappan (Omaha), Dianne Walkup (Lakota/Choctaw), Jessy Lucas (Choctaw), Markwood Whiteshield Hull (Mede'-Dakota/Dine*/white), Chris Cullen (Mandan/Arikara/white), Christine Gathers Rain wildly to the sea Johnston (Skokomish, Squaxin, Yakama, Hawaiian) Leo St. Onge (Innu Spiritual Leader), Rosa Maria Cabrera (Spiritual Leader of the Mayan people of Guatemala), Casimiro Mamallacta (Chief and Yachak or medicine man of the Napo Runa Kichwa of Ecuador), Margurite Mamallacta (medicine woman/spiritual advisor of Napo Runa Kichwa), Elias Mamallacta (Napo Runa Kichwa Indigenous Botanist/ecologist and specialist in sustainable communities of the lowland Amazon)
Board Members (Root): Jeff Schwartz, Ciela Wynter key powerhouse of 'Cristae members', Sam Slovick (TLG media consultant), Anne Lucas (Events Photographer), Ernestine Moore Paiute/Washoe (Human Relations)
Advisory Board:
Scalla (Pauline Hillair), Modesto Riviera (Huichol), Henry Whiteshield Bainbridge (Navajo/Dine), Custodio Riviera (Huichol Mara'a'kame), Rebecca Michelle, Betsy Stang, Freeman Henderson (Navajo/Dine), Albert Yazzie (Navajo/Dine), Evangeline Yazzie (Navajo/Dine),
The directive and guidance of the TLG is derived of indigenous persons who have demonstrated strong qualities of spiritual leadership among their people and all people. Many of these individuals have devoted the finer portion of their adult lives in service to native societies and to humanity. Originating primarily within the United States of America, the counsel of the TLG concentrates its efforts where its services are needed most and can generate the greatest effect; that is, in the developing nations of the world. The TLG is an organization composed largely of indigenous persons from America, who work to help grassroots indigenous communities across the failing wildernesses of our earth.
Membership Backgrounds and Profiles
For more information about The ‘Tree of Life Guardianship’ or how to be a donor for upcoming projects please call: Christopher Cullen (206)391-2188 or e-mail ccullen@redmond.gov, or Tom Dostou at tmpdostou@yahoo.com, phone number (405) 487-0093
*Markwood was brought up by his father Henry Bainbridge (adoptive) and keeps the nagethligai whiteshield family name that was passed to him: Nagethligai is Dine. The Bainbridge name was inherited from England where Henry’s grandfather, Na’atoni, trained horses for a horse owner of the same surname.
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