The Importance of Environmental Justice Storytelling

Samara Almonte

Start Time & Date

Thursday, January 20, 2022 - 4:30 pm

Archived recording of the webinar.

In this presentation Samara will cover what it means for different marginalized communities to have self-determination over their Environmental Justice (EJ) narratives and how we can support such efforts. Specifically Samara will present case-studies from her work that center the Salish Sea bioregion. As an alum from WWU's College of the Environment, Samara will speak on the ways Raices Verdes and her EJ storytelling work was influenced by student organizing at the college. Raices Verdes is a multimedia storytelling platform dedicated to validating, archiving and sharing the experiences of racialized peoples reconnecting with their “green roots”. Green roots are defined as our ancestral connection to the earth that embodies our relationships with all living and spiritual beings.

Samara Almonte is part of the Michoacan diaspora, raised between the lakes and tierra caliente regions of Michoacan and occupied Coast Salish territory or the Pacific Northwest Coast. Samara identifies as a P’urhepecha descendant reconnecting with her ancestors, which has greatly influenced her work as storyteller and community developer. She grounds her work in a decolonial framework that uplifts Black and Indigenous self-determination. Samara holds a B.A in Urban Planning and Sustainability Development, with a specialization in Environmental Justice and Education, from Western Washington University. Samara is also a 2018-2019 Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program alumni, from the University of Michigan.