Wolf heart

 

“Who can’t see this decimation of the wolf as part of the continuing war on Indigenous cultures? What is happening to the wolf is a social justice issue for Indigenous people. The wolf has a vital role in so many of our cultures - in our clans, our songs, our ceremonies. Yet, our voices are ignored. Whenever the voices of any people are silenced, it is suppression. We are the First People of this land but always the last to be heard.” - Crystle Lightning, award-winning actress (Yellowstone/Trickster) and narrator of “Family.”  Ask Interior Secretary Haaland to protect gray wolves in response to requests from numerous Tribal Nations, Indigenous spiritual leaders and others. Gray wolves are still recovering across the lower 48 states, and are missing from the vast majority of their historic habitat. This year, several states have passed legislation or implemented management decisions that could push the species back to the brink of extinction. In Wisconsin, a February hunt resulted in the death of at least 216 wolves in just 60 hours, far exceeding the state’s allowed quota. In Montana and Idaho, governors recently signed a slew of bills aimed at reducing wolf populations by 80% and 90%, respectively. The laws enshrine unethical practices including lethal neck snaring, use of motorized vehicles to chase and kill wolves, baiting, spotlighting at night and other extreme measures. Significant reductions in Northern Rockies wolf populations means that healthy wolf populations will never be re-established in the Pacific Northwest and other places, as there will not be enough wolves to disperse across the landscape and form new packs in new areas.  In 2019, 120 Tribal Nations signed the “The Wolf: A Treaty of Cultural and Environmental Survival” to urge the U.S. government to protect wolves from extinction. However, the Trump administration’s decision to remove Endangered Species protections from gray wolves in the lower 48 states was formulated without the legally-mandated thorough and meaningful government-to-government consultation with Tribal Nations, and thus violates the federal-Indian trust responsibility.  The world is facing a mass extinction and biodiversity crisis. Under the Biden administration and Secretary Haaland's leadership, we can combat the loss of species, protect wildlife, and save nature.   SEND MY MESSAGE "Family" - A new short film asking Secretary Haaland to relist the wolf under the Endangered Species Act.