Moreau Center Social Justice Programs

Environmental Justice

3/5/24 – Eloheh Farms

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We woke up bright and early today to prepare to visit Eloheh Farms.

As we learned the previous night, Eloheh Farms is an indigenous owned regenerative farm. What this means is that they use organic, non-gmo, open pollinated seeds which are then stored and kept to be replanted.

Eloheh is a Cherokee word which means harmony, wholeness, abundance, and peace. All of which are values which the owners, Randy and Edith Woodley, embody in their day-to-day lives. They’re truly such loving, welcoming people, and it was an honor to get to hear from them. One thing Randy said that stuck with me was how he believes indigenous practices, the ones used by the original caretakers of our land, are instrumental in helping to restore a hurting mother Earth, a perspective which I found insightful.

After getting a tour of the farm, we spilt up to work on the farm. Some tasks we accomplished included helping build a coop house, make compost, snip poison oak, or pull out Himalayan blackberry roots in my case. Some of the blackberry were growing right under the fence so it was difficult to get out, but you could say I got right to the root of the issue and preserved.

We finished with questions, getting to view their rather impressive seed collection, and reflection. All-in-all, the day felt highly successful, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we learned a lot on the farm.

P.S. Shout out to the cats on the farm, they were the real stars of the show.

Grace Ireland

3/4/24: Artivism, Hoyt Arboretum, and Broken Treaties

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Today we met with J’reyesha and Santi at the Student Commons at PCC. We were formally introduced to each of them, their history in the environmental activism scene, what their current occupations were, and how they approach environmental Justice in communities around Portland. Specifically, they introduced to us Artivism, which is the use of art as a means to promote activism. J’reyesha highlighted a few of the projects she helped coordinate, such as the painting of electrical boxes to help brighten up communities. Afterwards, they introduced the activity we did, which were zines. Zines are a collection of different text and images to display particular message. Each of us created a singular page for our own zine using a variety of different magazines, focusing on what environmental activism meant to us. Once everyone finished, we glued each of our pages to the zine layout to finalize our art. 

After meeting with J’reyesha and Santi, we went to the Hoyt Arboretum to go on a hike. We encountered a variety of interesting plant life, including the only redwood to produce pinecones in the western hemisphere. 

Later in the day, we watched the documentary “Broken Treaties”. The documentary covered the extensive history of the colonization of indigenous Americans in the Pacific Northwest by White Americans and the American government. The documentary covered the numerous treaties in which indigenous tribes gave up their tribal land in exchange for resources and commodities. The resources and commodities were never provided due to the treaties never being ratified in Congress. Thus, indigenous American groups, tribes, or nations were forcefully migrated to unwanted land with no resources or commodities to help them survive.

Brandon Pham

3/3/24: The Braided River Campaign

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Today was the first day of the immersion and we got to spend the day with Sarah Taylor. She is a founder of the Braided River Campaign, as well as a midwife and a retired principal. 

Learning about the history of the development of the river was very interesting. I didn’t know that the Willamette River was originally a braided river with many shallow branches and nearby ponds that supported the local indigenous tribes. However, it was altered to be a deep, single channel river. Furthermore, the heavy industrial infrastructure that has been built up has severely polluted the river and contaminated much of the riverbed’s sediment, making it harmful to swim or eat many of the river organisms. 

It was also cool to see the gallery that Sarah Taylor and the Braided River Campaign created in the Lloyd Center. The gallery is full of the stories of many local marginalized people as well as interactive activities that address the local environmental and social justice issues. 

Much of the conversations we had with her have inspired me to try to do more and attempt to get UP more connected with the community and with current environmental justice issues in the area.

-Jenner Easland

5/16/2023

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After a night on Eloheh farm, we headed back to UP to meet with today’s presenters.

First, we met with the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) for a presentation. We met Patricia “Patsy” Kullberg, a retired primary care physician who worked mainly with disadvantaged folks; and Samantha Hernandez, a climate justice organizer. As physicians, they approach environmental justice from the angle of improving public health outcomes in their community. From her time in the healthcare field, Patsy told us she saw a major flaw in the healthcare paradigm. Healthcare workers only engaged their patients in an attempt to fix what was wrong with them, rather than addressing the root cause: the social and environmental conditions they were living in.

Again, the UP river campus came up in our conversation. Patsy mentioned that UP is an under-engaged community, though they hold an important pivoting point with the river campus. They emphasized the importance of engaging individual contaminators and landholders on the river, rather than the city as a whole. It’s a million small acts that will build a better future, Patsy and Samantha told us.

(Pictured: Patricia Kullberg and Samantha Hernandez of the Physicians for Social responsibility with the 2023 EJ Immersion participants and leaders)

After lunch we met two organizers for the Coalition for Communities of Color (CCC) Isabel Sanchez and J’reyesha Brannon, a UP alumni. The CCC consists of eleven groups all focused on uplifting communities of color. The coalition specializes in policy analysis, collecting culturally appropriate data, and environmental justice.

J’reyesha began her career as an environmental engineer and took a non-traditional route into climate Justice organizing. Now, J’reyesha is the president of the National Society of Black engineers, as well as an organizer. Hiking and outdoorsing is often seen as an exclusively White activity, J’reyesha tellsus, so she invites BIPOC youth to take interest in and connect with their environment through her volunteer work.

Isabel and J’reyesha also told us about Oregon Water Futures Collaborative: a project that aims to create a safe space including exclusively BIPOC voices and perspectives to be heard.They engage in research and outreach in the community to gather data for their yearly project reports: available here. J’reyesha and Isabel discussed their upcoming OWFC zine to be published in summer of 2023. It will include the qualitative data collected by the coalition and highlight individual stories and experiences resulting from climate change. The zine will be publicly available in Oregon libraries and online when finished.

When asked what kind of change they would like to see from the University of Portland, they asked for greater transparency about the demographics of UP students and teachers. J’reyesha had organized a scholarship for Black engineering students, so it was important for her to know exactly who these funds were going to, and if and how UP is maintaining a diverse student body.

To learn more about the Oregon Water Futures Collaborative, visit oregonwaterfutures.org

Those interested in an internship or shadowing at CCC can apply at https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/take-action

(Pictured: Isabel Sanchez and J’reyesha Brannon of the CCC with the 2023 EJ Immersion participants and leaders)

We finished the day at the Cinema 21 screening of the “Once a Braided River” documentary written and produced by Barbara Bernstein. This documentary summarized the issues and impacts of the Willamette superfund and featured several community activists including the familiar Sarah Taylor of the Braided River Campaign. Stay tuned for future screenings of “Once a Braided River” at UP! – Stella Stueck

Home Along the Columbia River

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View along the Punchbowl hike in Hood River

We started our day off with a little hike to punchbowl where we explored the gorge together and had some time for individual reflection a nd meditation. Then following a quick trip to shower , we met with the former mayor of Mosier, OR, Arlene Burns who graciously presented her story . Mosier is a small town, with a population of about 500 people along the Columbia River popular for wind surfing and beautiful wild flowers . Arlene Burns was a river guide in many locations before settling in Oregon and becoming a volunteer mayor for 10 years where she greatly impacted not only the small town of Mosier , but Oregon, and nearby communities as well. Arlene was mayor at the time of the June 3rd , 2016, crude oil train derailment. Thankfully this accident occurred on a non windy day, but the fire and oil spill still have lasting impacts on the community and river. The near by wastewater treatment plant was able to catch about 25,000 gallons of the oil spill saving most of it from entering the Columbia River and severely impacting the salmon and fish populations. The tracks are very close to the town’s elementary school and town so they evacuated the children from the town from their parents for multiple hours due to the highway closure which also made it difficult for emergency responders to help. The nearby native tribes came to support the town and conducted a ceremony down by the river following the accident. The Columbia River Gorge is a large thorough fare for oil train transportation making many of the surrounding towns susceptible to these accidents in the future.

Arlene ended her presentation with the motto of Mosier: “small enough to make a difference.” I think this is so important to remember especially today where power and greed are huge political driving forces but we, as the young generation, do have a voice. We can help amplify the voices of those who need to be heard, whose stories need to be shared to preserve the history. Also, as Arlene stated, we can also find advocates who have influence and power who can amplify our voices as w ell . However, to create change and progress we need to provide the facts and find a way to tell the story without anger and frustration. After speaking with the current Mayor of Mosier and driving down to the derailment site, we learned how the town is planning to use federal grant money on a few projects such as improving the wastewater
treatment plant, providing restrooms for more bike traffic , and a net zero fire station and community center.

Table display of native food and baskets of the Yakama tribe

To end the day we had dinner with and listened to the stories and insights of the Yakama Tribe. They graciously welcomed us into their village on the hill of the Columbia River . To the Yakama tribe food, land and community are everything. Their ancestors chose homelessness and starvation over being relocated to reservations because of their strength and commitment to their land and history along the river. The native tribes are greatly impacted by “green” energy installed on their land including solar, wind and hydro-energy sources. The dam has significantly decreased the salmon population in the Columbia River. After hearing their perspective and side of the story I now realize how proposed sustainable energy sources aren’t sustainable for everyone. The large solar panels are destroying the land the tribes rely on for roots and food to feed their communities. As someone who is currently studying civil and environmental engineering, listening to the stories really opened my eyes as renewable energy is a major topic discussed in university, but we don’t always discuss all of the major implications of installing them. We learned so much from their insights and want to help educate others by sharing their stories and using our platform to amplify their voices. Please treat the earth as you would treat your own mother.
Graciously,
Morgan

Linnton Walking Tour and Brigham Fish Market

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Today our group visited two places, the Linnton Walking Tour with Sarah Taylor and the Brigham Fish Market.  Our tour with Sarah was both very hopeful and sad. On our tour Sarah went over the history of Linnton and what’s being done now. Linnton was a small town that was eventually annexed by Portland. For a long time, it was a very close knit community that was home for many immigrant families. Unfortunately, several different industries, particularly McCormick and Baxter had bought up most of the land and converted it into a space for fossil fuel facilities. They set up massive facilities that pollute the river water sediment, which are devastating to the communities that live along the river as well as the surrounding ecosystem, such as the salmon. They have also lined the Linnton area with oil lines that run even through residential areas and schools. These facilities devalued the homes of many families, displacing them. Those who chose to stay were and currently still are being intimidated by these industries to move. Sarah talked about how on different occasions, people pointed welding guns at her and once dropped heavy metal at her feet. Thankfully, Sarah talked about how the remaining residents are fighting extremely hard to keep the land they have left and are advocating for environmental policies and politicians that seek to restore polluted areas and protect what we have left.

Oil transport in Linnton

The two biggest things that were screaming in my head during this walk were industries and communities. Industries are responsible for the destruction of so much and on this walking tour I could see it first hand. I feel the awareness of the impact of and education on industries is incredibly lacking, especially at lower levels of schooling. Growing up, I was taught that climate change was mostly OUR fault, with things like carbon footprints. And while there’s no denying that we do have an impact, the devastation industries have created among the environment and communities is something I was not taught till my high school years. These industries have so much power and influence that it sometimes feels like there’s nothing we can do. But listening to Sarah had given me so much hope. Despite all the things Sarah and her community have been put through by fossil fuel industries, they are still fighting to keep their community and future communities safe. We had a chance to walk through different areas of the community, like this carpentry shop, and it was moving to see the worker and Sarah talking about keeping the building in the hands of the community.

Linnton

Our visit to the Brigham fish market was very pleasant. It is not very often one gets to eat food caught locally, especially as local as just down the street. You could really taste the difference with the fresh, sustainable, locally caught fish compared to other establishments and grocery store products. I believe it really demonstrates the benefits to sustainable practices and how it not only enriches the environment but our own lives. – Brandon Pham

Worldly Women in the Workforce

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This morning we went on a walking tour around Northwest Portland. Roaming the industrial area between the Willamette River and Forest Park, Sarah Taylor taught us the history of the land. Focusing on this area alone, we learned about the intersectionality of air pollution, health, social justice, and racism. Since the Industrial Revolution, the people of this area – historically people of color – have been put at risk of health impacts related to air pollution from oil transport. Here, trains and trucks load and unload from Zenith Energy’s fuel storage facility. It was insane to learn how many tons of flammable crude oil were being stored next to the tree line of Forest Park. What made this storage location even more fascinating was that it was located on a fault line. If not moved, the next major earthquake will cause a massive oil spill and/or explosion.

Our group with tour guide, Sarah Taylor, with the Cathedral Bridge in the background.

This afternoon we planned to meet a few members of the Portland Harbor Community Coalition (PHCC) to learn about the superfund site – area of mass pollution — along the Willamette River. When we arrived at Cathedral Park, two women were waiting for us. By the time we finished introducing ourselves, there were a total of seven who came to meet with us from various organizations! As a senior and aspiring environmental activist, it was extremely powerful to hear from so many women in the environmental field. They explained the history of Superfunds as they were established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act that was created in 1980. Most pollution associated with these Superfund Sites resulted from World War II ship-making before any environmental protections were adopted. As a result, we are forced to play catch-up to remediate both historical and more recent sources of pollution.

Talking individually with the women from the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and PHCC, I appreciated their excitement not just for their work but about helping us be able to join them in their efforts. Their enthusiasm made me excited to join the work force!

–By Julia Weinand

Small Efforts Lead to Great Contributions

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 Reflection by Meg Bender and Brittany D’Souza

             It was our last full day on immersion and we spent our day today in the Columbia River Gorge. Mayor Arlene Burns and Peter from the Friends of the Gorge were our guides for the day. It started with a presentation, then they took us to Mosier. Mosier was the location of an oil car derailment in June of 2016. Luckily nobody was hurt but it opened their eyes to what could’ve been. This tragedy also became a focusing event for the community to become further engaged in climate activism. Mayor Burns taught us that small actions can have large positive outcomes. Her position as mayor is a volunteer position and she has devoted it to improving her community. Mosier has been represented in global conferences, including a gathering of mayors from major cities, such as Los Angeles and Houston, around the world in Chicago to commit their cities to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. While Mosier with a population of 430 doesn’t scream major city, Mayor Burns has taken the hand that they’ve been dealt to the world stage. Proving that no matter how small you believe your contribution may be, it adds to a global effort.

Walking beside the train tracks where the oil train derailed

              Later in the day, we took the time to get outside and explore the Gorge a bit more. We ended up on a hike at Horse Thief Butte, which provided amazing views of Mount Hood and the river below. As we rested after climbing up the Butte, we reflected on all the knowledge shared with us about the amazing body of water coursing below.

Hiking at Horsethief Butte with Mt. Hood in the background

              Finally, we ended our day by meeting with a group of activists from the local high school. The student activists testified before their city council and eventually approved the plan. This provided experience around the difficulties in getting policy approved and challenges they faced as young advocates. Overall, they provided us hope and reminded us of the fire many of us carried as younger adults. The passion that they have is evident and we were inspired to have the courage to advocate in any possible way going forward.

In gratitude,

Brittany and Meg

Getting to Know the River

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Reflection by Cindy Garibay and Molly Grimshaw

             Today was our last morning in Portland. Although our wakeup time was the earliest so far, everyone was eager to get on the move. Over the past three days, we had heard from seven different organizations who shared their stories of environmental justice and advocacy in an urban setting. Although their perspectives were impactful, we felt as though there was a piece missing in the narrative. In search of this missing component, we traveled an hour east to Hood River, and could finally put a setting to the stories we had just learned about.

              We began our day with an introduction to the Colombia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC). Their headquarters was located along the river, with gorgeous views of the Washington side of the gorge and the pristine water below. CRITFC is an organization that not only focuses on fish, but also community. They provide both technology and management to the four major tribal nations of the Columbia River: the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez Perce. The Executive Director of CRITC, Jaime Pinkham, emphasized the importance of recognizing the sovereignty of these nations, something we all tend to forget. This acknowledgement of their presence is directly connected to outsider activities in the river. Many of the livelihoods of the indigenous river peoples have been disrupted and destroyed by these activities, which in turn has been a direct threat to the core values of their culture. The construction of dams and railroads, as well as the seizing of native homelands, are some of the most impactful instances of these persisting problems. This was the perfect set-up for the rest of our day, where we continued to learn about the environmental and cultural impact of unwanted government intervention, as well as the deep connection the river has to the tribal nations.

              Continuing our journey, we drove along the river to some different river access sites used by the tribal citizens. We learned about their fishing systems and the role CRITCF has in the processing stage of the operation. Our first stop also had gorgeous views of the river and the gorge, which further contextualized the information communicated to us throughout the week. Several of us had not previously viewed the river as anything other than a body of water, but this quickly changed when we got an up-close view. Standing at the edge of the bluff presented a vast, breathtaking view of the land, but a closer look revealed the details often overlooked by the common passerby. Scattered alongside the riverside were several fishing platforms, exposing the historical and persisting reliance of the tribal nations on the Columbia River. It was an eye-opening, yet peaceful moment for our entire group, which helped us transition into our final leg of the day’s adventure.

              We arrived at the Celilo Village mid-afternoon. Jaime, who had been leading us on our jaunt around the Columbia River Gorge, introduced us to a community who had been living along the banks of the river for thousands of years. We were escorted into the village’s longhouse, their central meeting place for all important events. Inside, we met four generations of tribal citizens who shared the history of their society, as well as their individual testimonies about what life was like growing up removed from the modern world. Family, we learned, is the core of what they believe in. Their children are raised in the traditions of their ancestors, and it is expected of them to continue their way of life. When reflecting on this, our group became aware of the prevalence of individualism in American culture, and the stark contrast in ideologies that are taught to us by our society. However, for this tribal community, the preservation of their customs is crucial to their survival. Language also plays an important role in the safeguarding of their identity. The chief of Celilo Village explained to our group that there was so much more to what he was teaching us, but the lack of direct translation from their native language to English made it impossible to fully encapsulate its true meaning. With this in mind, we more clearly understood the significance of preserving their culture, and the dire consequences if it was lost. After listening intently for three hours, we were all feeling the effects of a long day, but one of the elder women, Gloria, sent us on our way with a piece of uplifting knowledge. She explained that, in her native language, there was no direct translation for the word “goodbye”. Instead, they part ways with a word meaning “I love you”. This was a simple but highly profound way to form a connection between us and them, and a really nice end to our long day. With our hearts full of knowledge and our bellies full of salmon, we went on our way, reflecting on what we had been taught, and our understanding of the role we play in this ongoing story.

                                           In community,

                                                          Cindy and Molly

From the Columbia to the Capitol

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Reflection by Molly Lowney and Trudi Timperman            

              This morning we met with Columbia Riverkeeper, an organization focused on the overall health of the Columbia River with the goal to maintain the wellbeing of the communities that depend on it. One point that was emphasized was viewing the river as a community member. By understanding the river as a living being and system, we can better understand its intersections in different areas of environmental justice. Through organizing, advocacy and litigation, Columbia Riverkeeper has been able to block several polluting fossil fuel industries from creating industrial areas along the banks of the river.

              We also learned about how salmon run numbers have drastically fallen over the past years because of rising river temperatures, hazardous waste pollution and dams blocking traditional migration routes. Salmon are the livelihood of Columbia River communities and ecosystems. They provide a healthy source of protein for rural and indigenous communities and are also a source of income for fishing communities. From an ecological perspective, salmon are important species in the ecosystem and are a food source for both sea lions and southern resident orca whales.

Columbia Riverkeeper also works specifically with the Latino community on environmental justice issues and education. They have a radio show called Conoce tu Columbia where they speak in both English and Spanish about environmentalism in communities of color. Here is the final thought that Columbia Riverkeeper left with us: The earth is our mother and the rivers are her veins.

              After finishing up with Columbia Riverkeeper, we hopped in the vans and headed down to Salem and the state of Oregon’s capitol building. Most of us had never been to the capitol building before, so we were filled with a sense of awe at the magnificence of the building itself. We immediately went inside to begin our meeting with Renew Oregon – a state-wide advocacy group campaigning to pass Senate Bill 1530 in the Senate. This bill (more commonly known as cap-and-trade or Clean Energy Jobs) would require large polluters in the state of Oregon to pay a tax if they exceed a certain carbon emissions limit. The money from this tax would then be reinvested back into the local economy to create jobs in the clean energy sector. This bill has been proposed in the Senate multiple times, and every time it has been met with harsh opposition. When we were at the capitol, the atmosphere was contentious because the Republicans had walked out, thus preventing the quorum necessary to vote on the bill. After Renew finished giving us the background on the bill and their campaign, we had the opportunity to meet with the state Senator for our district, Lew Frederick, who has been a large proponent for the bill and other environmental legislation. He immediately voiced his disappointment and frustration with the current situation. We asked him a couple of questions and by the end of our brief thirty-minute interaction, we were all incredibly inspired. He highlighted the importance of understanding an issue from both sides, which can only be achieved by including a diversity of perspectives. I think this was an important takeaway for us as individuals interested in environmental justice. As we have been learning from other organizations, it is easy to become blinded to certain aspects of the movement when we are only viewing it from a single perspective. By involving multiple voices, we can create a more robust story that actually addresses the root of the problem.

              Finally, we asked Senator Frederick how he remains hopeful in today’s often discouraging political climate. He told us his story of growing up in the South as a young black man, being tear-gassed as an eight-year-old, and desegregating his high school in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite the hardships he has faced, he remains hopeful because he has seen the bad times get better. He urged us to never stop learning, and educate ourselves on as many topics as we can to become as well-rounded and informed as possible so that we may truly have a significant impact in ameliorating problems we care about.

              We ended our day by joining a Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest (JVCNW) house for dinner. JVCNW is a service program centered around simple-living, community, spirituality, and environmental and social justice. The house we visited consisted of eight volunteers living together and working at various non-profits throughout Portland. Interestingly enough, one of the volunteers was our very own program manager’s little brother – Joe Wagner. The volunteers were all incredibly welcoming and eager to both share their experience with JVC and learn about our immersion so far. I was inspired by their commitment to simple-living, which went so far as rarely heating their house, not having wifi, and subsisting on a very limited stipend. This showed us what our lives might look like if we are one day forced to abide by stricter regulatory limits due to climate change. Overall, it was exciting to meet people our age so devoted to service.