Land Back

Whatever we do to the earth, the sky and the ocean, we do to our bodies. Collectively.

As the myth of Individualism is propagated in medicine, we are often told that we need to “eat better,” “exercise more,” and “get counseling,” so that we can be “healthy.”

Many modern health issues are not due to our personal choices, but to the impacts of capitalism, colonialism and systems of supremacy. As these systems are dying, it is becoming easier to see the ways in which they pollute our air and water and poison the soil that our food is grown in.

It’s becoming easier to know that whatever we do to the earth, the sky and the ocean, we do to our bodies. Collectively.

“Indigenous peoples and local communities play an outsized role in the governance, conservation and sustainable use of the world’s biodiversity and nature. They actively protect and conserve an astounding diversity of globally relevant species, habitats and ecosystems, providing the basis for clean water and air, healthy food and livelihoods for people far beyond their boundaries.” -Territories of Life Report, 2021

Indigenous people make up 5% of the Earth’s human population. They are estimated to hold at least 50 percent of the land in the world under customary systems and they protect over 80% of the worlds biodiversity. Yet, their land rights and contributions to our collective health go unacknowledged by colonial governments (Territories of Life Report, Raygordodetsky).

The key to our health is not to stop eating sugar, nor is it to exercise three times a week. While we might individually feel a little better, these actions do not protect us, nor do they protect the next generation (our children) from the effects of radiation, the loss of nutrients in the food they eat or the high rates of asthma they can expect with the air they breath. Neither do these actions honor the rich and unique ancestry that lives inside each of us.

Healing work is climate activist work. It is decolonization work. It is the work that goes towards giving the #LandBack.

The Local Healer is dedicated to supporting the leadership of Indigenous people as we co-create a better world. We are donate 10% of our profits to Initiatives led or informed by Native people. We are currently donating to Run4Salmon.