1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and how come Stefan 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: never told your production of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 2: And welcome to another edition of Feminists Around the World. 4 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 2: You know, we're about to talk about an activist who 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 2: actually has a bigger conversation that we don't really talk 6 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 2: about in this specific episode, but being an indigenous person 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,319 Speaker 2: who was also from an enslaved heritage, and how they 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 2: ended up in the area that they ended up in, 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,319 Speaker 2: and just the whole conversation about colonialism and what that 10 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: does to indigenous people in general. We've talked about that 11 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 2: plenty of times, but when we put in with like 12 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: an enslaved group of people on top of that, there's 13 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: so many conversations to be had, and colonialism and colonization 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 2: is quite a big conversation to day as we're seeing 15 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 2: some things happen in action. We haven't really gotten into it, 16 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 2: but I think it just brings a bigger question of 17 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: what happens to an indigenous group of people when they 18 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: are colonized and then enslaved and then they are left 19 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 2: with the remnants of trying to save the land that 20 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 2: was ripped away from them. So it's quite a big, 21 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: big scope of conversation, and we are going to talk 22 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: a little bit, of course, because we know that these 23 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 2: episodes are very very short, we try to get in 24 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 2: as much as we can in a short amount of 25 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: time because we want to talk about as many people 26 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 2: as possible. But she does bring up, as we've heard 27 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 2: throughout our conversations about indigenous communities, how race and ethnicity 28 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: does play a bigger part when we talk about activism 29 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: in the ecosystem and climate change and what that means 30 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: for the indigenous people. In this case, we're talking about 31 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 2: Chelle Rodriguez Hooker, who is an Afro Caribbean Indigenous woman, 32 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: and just that bigger play of that whole intersectional level 33 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 2: that we don't talk enough about. I know we try, 34 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: but it's hard to cover a lot all the things 35 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: that she has in her own life when it comes 36 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: to being an intersectional advocate. And I think it's just 37 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 2: important to note, as we are really kind of focusing 38 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: on the environmental and climate change, it is a big 39 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: conversation about how intersectionality is so important and how dangerous 40 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 2: it is for those in those intersections, and that we 41 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: should not ignore one for the other, and why again 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: that is something that's huge in this conversation. So with 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 2: that note, yes, we are talking about Isshelle Rodriguez Hooker, 44 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 2: who is an inspiring indigenous climate activist who has been 45 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 2: defending her land and her community for a long time now. 46 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 2: She is a descendant of the Afro Caribbean Rozelle indigenous 47 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: group from the archipelago of San Andreas, Providencia and Santa 48 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 2: Catalina Islands, Columbia. Also other part is, yes, this is 49 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 2: going to be from obviously a different language because we 50 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: talk mainly about international people. So if we get any 51 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 2: pronunciations wrong, bear with us. If you would like to 52 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 2: kindly correct us, that'd be wonderful, because yes, we're trying 53 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: to do it based on the interwebs and we have 54 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: limited information, especially because we are kind of pigeonholed in 55 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 2: the US. So go ahead and with that disclaimer. So 56 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 2: from her early years, Hooker has been an advocate in 57 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: the fight in climate change, and our heritage has been 58 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 2: a big reason for her continued advocacy. In a twenty 59 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: twenty articles she wrote for Reach not Preach, she says, quote, 60 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: I am from the a Cappelago of Sant Andreas, Providencia 61 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: and Santa Catalina Islands located in the Caribbean Sea of Colombia. 62 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: I am part of the native Afro Caribbean razil ethnic 63 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 2: group that for more than two hundred years have lived 64 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: in the small Appelago, being the guardians and stewards of 65 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO in the year two 66 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 2: thousand as one of the most important ecosystems for health 67 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 2: and sustenance of the world and the third largest coral reef. 68 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 2: In recent years, our misadventures with climate change have put 69 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: us in check. In less than fifteen years, we have 70 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: experienced the fierceness of two hurricanes, the first one category 71 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 2: three named Beta in two thousand and five and second 72 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: and most destructive named Iota category five in twenty twenty, 73 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: which have left us in the position of high vulnerability 74 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: and also with little capacity to respond to change. This 75 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 2: was also confirmed by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and 76 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 2: Environmental Studies or IDM in twenty seventeen, where it placed 77 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 2: us as the regions with the highest risk due to 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: climate change and the one with the lowest capacity of adaptation. 79 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: And she continues. Being from Ariizel indigenous community and understanding 80 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: the importance that our territory is for us. It is 81 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: difficult to assimilate what is happening because we know as 82 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: a community that we are not the ones causing it, 83 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 1: or rather we are not directly responsible for the instability 84 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: of the climate. But yet we are first and most 85 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 1: affected by catastrophes in our region due to our insolarity 86 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: and our geographical position. Not listing the public politics and 87 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: corruption we face in this country that are not in 88 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: favor of the minorities or indigenous and ethnic groups, and 89 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: with the continued effects and harm of climate change, especially 90 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: two indigenous communities, Hooker has been working to protect her 91 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: community as well as fight for the human rights of 92 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: Indigenous people through her work right. 93 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 2: She writes in that same article, that is why I 94 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 2: also understand that climate change cannot and must not be 95 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 2: separated from the fight for human rights. The impacts of 96 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 2: climate change disproportionately affect people who are already most vulnerable 97 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 2: to its effects, such as indigenous communities, peasants, women, children, 98 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: and those who are displaced by climate change and other 99 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 2: conflicts that are related. The human rights affected by climate 100 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 2: change are countless and widely spread, so my efforts to 101 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 2: address climate change also aimed to address our affected human 102 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 2: rights as indigenous razil community. That is why in twenty eighteen, 103 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 2: with twenty five other young plaintiffs and the help of 104 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: the NGO de Housticia, we sued our Colombian government to 105 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 2: stop deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest, one of the main 106 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 2: sources of carbon dioxide emissions of our country, and we 107 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: won the lawsuit. 108 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: And yes, she and a number of Colombian youths dared 109 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: to push back on the government in at twenty eighteen, 110 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: with the NGO de Houstasia, they sued the government with 111 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: these demands quote that the President, the Ministries of Environment 112 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: and Agriculture, the National Parks and regional autonomous corporations, and 113 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: the mayors and governments of the Amazon take action to 114 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:56,559 Speaker 1: stop the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Specifically, they asked 115 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 1: that the government be ordered to submit a plan of 116 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: action to reduce the rate of deforestation in the Colombian 117 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: Amazon to zero by the year twenty twenty. This was 118 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: the commitment that President Juan Manuel Santos made at the 119 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen Climate Summit in Paris. They also request that 120 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: young people be taken into account in the decision making 121 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: of this process, and this is according to Dehusticia dot 122 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: org and Yes. In an interview with news dot Sky 123 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: dot com, she explains what she was a part of 124 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: the lawsuit when her island was one thousand miles away, 125 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: and she told them saving the Amazon is a part 126 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: of saving my own island. All the ecosystems are connected, 127 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: so if you harm somewhere, if you do something good somewhere, 128 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: it ripples through the other parts. 129 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 2: And I think, of course, this is that big conversation 130 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: that we've been having about the youth being the forefront 131 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: of this movement and really making a huge push and 132 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 2: stride and being very vocal and bringing awareness to the situation. 133 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 2: And our island has been greatly impacted from the downfall 134 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 2: and ripples that have devastated their land. She's spoken another 135 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: interview with ecobusiness dot com about her interest in environmental advocacy, saying, 136 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: my interest in environmental conservation began from an early age. 137 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: When I was ten years old, I was already taking 138 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 2: part initiatives such as beach cleaning and ma growth protection. 139 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 2: And I also noted that her current job is environmental engineer, 140 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 2: so yeah, she's a pro. She knows what she's doing, 141 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 2: and she continues talking about the hurricanes in twenty twenty 142 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 2: and how they were able to protect their lands after 143 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 2: learning from their past incidents, and advice she would give 144 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 2: to others. She says, quote harness nature based solutions to 145 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 2: build up climate resilience. When Hurricane Iota struck in twenty twenty, 146 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: the mangroves on our island broke up the force of 147 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 2: the storm surges and reduced coastal damage. 148 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: Also, be self sufficient. We were able to rebuild our 149 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: food supplies within a month because we grow our own crops, 150 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: speaking of which support local produce where possible, Eat beef 151 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: if you must, but purchase it from a local farm. 152 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: Enact bands to safeguard the environment. The riiz Elle ethnic 153 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: group has regulations that prohibit us from consuming seafood such 154 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: as lobsters and fish during certain times of the year 155 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: so as not to disrupt their reproductive cycles. Additionally, embrace 156 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: the circular economy. Our tried compost most of our food 157 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: waste and uses it as fertilizers for our grounds. We 158 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 1: also use to breathe that washes up on shores, such 159 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:29,439 Speaker 1: as seagrass, to weed furniture and fill mattresses. Lastly, adapt 160 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: a common language for sustainability. This can be achieved by 161 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: harmonizing green taxonomies among countries. 162 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 2: That was really great advice, especially from someone who's experienced 163 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 2: so much throughout her life already. I'm sure we're going 164 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 2: to see so much from her and have so much 165 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: more that we can learn from what she's doing, what 166 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 2: she's learning, and how she's continuing to fight not only 167 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 2: for her island, but for her entire country and honestly 168 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 2: the world. So yes, we will definitely keep a look 169 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,719 Speaker 2: out for her name and see what she continues to do. 170 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and as always if we miss something. If you 171 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: have any advice for who we should talk about next, 172 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: or any resources, please contact us. You can email us 173 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: at Suffidia mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can 174 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or on 175 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: Instagram and TikTok at stuff. One ever told you. We 176 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: have a tea public store, and we have a book 177 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: that you can get wherever you get your books. Thanks 178 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: as always to our super producer Christina, executive producer Maya, 179 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: and our contributor Joey. 180 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 2: Thank you. 181 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: And thanks to you for listening. Stuff Whenever told you 182 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: instruction of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 183 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: you can check out the heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, 184 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.