Environmental Justice
The Bridge Ancient Wisdom and Environment Protection
Mati Waiya is Ventura Coastkeeper
By Angela Mooney D’Arcy
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»The relationship of Tribal people to their land and
water has existed since time immemorial. Tribal systems of governance, ecological management, community and cultural practices were in place since long before the founding of the United States, and long before what we now call the environmental movement. Indigenous communities are the Elders of this earth and possess critical ecological knowledge that should always be incorporated in environmental stewardship plans and practices.
Waterkeeper Magazine Winter 2008
Wishtoyo Foundation and Ventura Coastkeeper are building bridges between environmental protection and cultural survival, demonstrating that each is stronger with the other. Wishtoyo is the Chumash word for rainbow, and like the legend telling of the arrival of the first Chumash settlers on a rainbow bridge from Santa Cruz Island, Wishtoyo serves as a bridge to link the people of today to their environment — the land, air and water that support and sustain us. www.waterkeeper.org
