“Many Hands” is a multifaceted project led by Tewa Women United’s (Environmental Health and Justice Program), Beata Tsosie-Peña, Kaitlin Bryson and Cheyenne Antonio. Tewa Women United (TWU) is a non-profit, Indigenous led organization based in Tewa Ancestral Homelands (Española, New Mexico). “Tewa Women United envisions movement(s) rooted in P’in Haa (Breath of Heart/Life) and P’in Nall (Touching Heart and Spirit) that nurture and celebrate the collective power of beloved families, communities, and Nung Ochuu Quiyo (Earth Mother).”
“Many Hands” is working towards awareness and remediation of a site 7.5 miles southwest of Counselor Chapter House that was polluted in 2019 by a fracking flowback spill. This incident, NMOCD Incident # NCS1905249442, released 1,400 barrels of fracking flowback fluid and over 300 barrels of crude oil into an ephemeral stream the Escavada Wash, which is a tributary of the Chaco Wash in Chaco Canyon.
Through hosting free community workshops and lectures about myco and bioremediation, this project hopes to inform Native residents of the potentials of at-home remediation strategies and foster empowerment through providing resources and information. The workshops led by Bryson and Tsosie-Peña taught mushroom cultivation through cultivating “hands” - innoculating medical gloves with substrate and P. ostreatus spawn. Overall, the project facilitates outreach and education through free workshops and lectures, printed literature translated into Navajo, bio/mycoremdiation installation(s), and activism for policy reformation surrounding the oil and gas industry on Native Land.
In November, the project team and volunteers installed a myco and bioremediation installation at the site using fungi, cottonwoods, plants, native seeds, compost, and naturally constructed wattles. The “Many Hands” that were grown all summer in various workshops around Diné Tah and the eastern United States came together in the naturally constructed wattles to be used as a water filtration system. Another wattle was constructed with straw and inoculated with P. ostreatus spawn.
The final project goal revolves around gathering insight from Indigenous community members who have been impacted by environmental injustices (especially relating to fracking/oil and gas) about what they feel would be an important protocol for responsible parties to follow for any future spills or contamination as there is currently not an action plan in-place nor regulated for communicating with residents about any environmental emergencies. To address this issue, the project team are working with community members to line out an Indigenous-led protocol and then to advocate that the US EPA and the Navajo Nation EPA regulate and follow this protocol to help protect residents.
The team will be working on a free publication (zine) outlining the project, all educational components and the protocol. This zine will be handed out across Diné Tah.
