Proven Sustainable™
This is a collection of thought provoking talks with Indigenous and Maroon people and their supporters to realize and challenge our conscious and unconscious colonized thinking and behaviors. Each conversation explores individual and cultural beliefs and practices for living sustainably and resiliently amidst drastic environment changes and ongoing historical efforts of erasure. **The Proven Sustainable Conversation Series is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. It’s created with the intent of channeling support directly to the peoples represented.**
Episodes
Rev. Houston R. Cypress (Otter Clan, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida) shares how Indigenous wisdom, environmental science, art, and Two-Spirit teachings come together in his work across the Everglades. Recorded live at the 2025 Florida Permaculture Convergence, this conversation explores local Indigenous histories, the Miccosukee Tribe’s environmental studies, and the importance of widening our definitions of home, family, a...
In this special gathering, the five members of the Proven Sustainable™ Guiding Council turn the conversation inward, reflecting on the journeys that brought each of them to this work, and sitting together with a single question: Where is Proven Sustainable living in each of us today?
Sox Sperry, educator, curriculum designer, and founder of Proven Sustainable™, opens from Ithaca, New York, on the traditional homeland of the Gayogoh...
Brook Thompson and Dylan Aubrey are Yurok tribal members whose work bridges Indigenous worldviews with Western systems, contributing to Klamath River restoration efforts and the revitalization of traditional knowledge in Northern California while reaching international audiences through their media platforms and educational work.
In this Proven Sustainable™ conversation, Brook and Dylan share their personal journeys growing into wh...
Ilarion Merculieff, also known by his traditional name Kuuyux, is a respected Unangax̂** elder, author, and messenger carrying ancient knowledge into modern times.
In this Proven Sustainable™ conversation, Kuuyux reflects on his childhood in the Pribilof Islands, a time marked by both powerful lessons learned from wildlife and his mentor, and the harsh reality of U.S. control over his people, including forced labor in the commerci...
Mali Ole Kaunga is a respected Maasai activist who speaks about the ongoing struggle for Maasai land rights in Kenya and its connection to global climate challenges. He shares powerful insights into the historical injustices faced by the Maasai people, including forced removals and the erosion of their traditional way of life. He also discusses the importance of preserving Maasai cultural identity and the crucial role of traditiona...
In this intimate conversation recorded at the 2024 Florida Permaculture Convergence, seventh-generation Floridian Johnny Dame shares his journey as an artist, naturalist, Earth Shepherd, and environmental educator. Opening with a grounding meditation, Johnny reveals how his childhood gift for locating indigenous artifacts evolved into a life dedicated to helping others connect with the land. Through his beautiful Wildflower Wheels—...
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dahr Jamail, Storytelling and Communications Manager at Home Planet Fund. A former mountaineer and war correspondent, Dahr shares his incredible journey—from growing up in suburban Houston, to witnessing the impacts of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq, and ultimately dedicating his life to environmental and Indigenous advocacy. We explore his deep connection to nature, the importance of witness...
In this illuminating episode, we sit down with Dr. Maria Fernanda Vivanco, known as Mara, a Peruvian rural sociologist, feminist, and champion of food justice and Andean knowledge preservation. Mara, a lecturer at Cayetano University's Nutrition Department and Gender and Agriculture Specialist for Resonance Global, shares her rich experiences and insights.
The episode opens with Mara reciting her evocative poem, Taki Unquay. She di...
This is the first Proven Sustainable Conversation bringing together a wider collective to talk about the theme of water stewardship. The collective includes Alan Ereira, Kogi advocate and founder of the Tairona Trust, Four Arrows, Indigenous educator and Proven Sustainable Guiding Council member, Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper, Grandmother Rabiah Nur, his comrade on the river, and Sox Sperry, Proven Sustainable's founder.
Throu...
Join us in this deeply engaging episode as we sit down with Fred Tutman, the Patuxent Riverkeeper, and Grandmother Rabiah, a renowned medicine woman and healer. Fred and Rabiah dive into the hidden familial connections Fred has to the Patuxent River, and the profound power of sharing personal stories that bridge connections between people and the environment.
Explore their shared experiences supporting traditional Senegalese healer...
Listen to this captivating conversation with Dr. Aroha Spinks, an environmental scientist and independent consultant in New Zealand, who shares her profound insights on the centrality of familial and tribal relationships in Māori culture, the crucial role of language preservation, and the enduring impact of ancestral traditions for building a sustainable future. She reveals how her grandmother's teachings guide her spiritual and en...
Khangelani is a recent Biology graduate from Ithaca College with a passion for veterinary medicine, public health, and the preservation of Zimbabwean cultures. In this episode, she shares her dedication to preserving Zimbabwean traditions through her initiative, Project Imbizo. Through our conversation, we discuss the challenges Khangelani faced while learning to play the mbira (musical instrument) amid religious and colonial press...
In this episode, Nichole shares her journey of finding her voice through writing as a young immigrant from Jamaica to England. She delves into the rich history of the Jamaican Maroons, as told by her father, and how their ways of being fueled their fight for freedom. Nichole reveals how she has upheld her spirit and values as a strong Maroon fighter while embodying an introvert’s persona.
Join us for a captivating conversation with Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), the former Director of Education at Oglala Lakota College and current Professor of Educational Leadership for Change at Antioch University. As the co-author of "Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth," written with Darcia Narvaez, Four Arrows brings a wealth of knowledge and profound insigh...
Phil "Pompey" Fixico is an aspiring Seminole Maroon Descendant and Activist who learned about his native identity at the age of 52. He shares his journey and life’s mission in this lively interview. Among other topics, he addresses the Maroon Peace Belt, the definitions of Maroon, the Stono Rebellion, the Seminole Scouts and his founding of the Semiroon Historical Society.
This coversation features Diane Schenandoah, a faithkeeper of the Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She speaks about her efforts to encourage people to care for the Earth through her multifacted roles as a sculptor, published author, singer, and Syracuse University’s first Honwadiyenawa’sek, meaning “the one who helps them.”
This eposode features Sheryll Durrant, an urban farming and food justice advocate who shares insights on her upbringing in Jamaica, her awakening to sustainability initiatives in Brooklyn, and how these experiences fueled her commitment to food justice in the Bronx.
We delve into her journey from corporate marketing to leading community gardens, emphasizing the role of Maroon heritage in shaping her approach to food sovereignty a...
This is the first discussion amongst the founding group of the Proven Sustainable Conversation series about the origins of the projects, their personal interests in contributing, and what it means to embody the essence of the work in their existence. The participating collective consists of Sox Sperry, the founder of Proven Sustainable, Kelsey Greene, the principle designer behind the project, and Ketu Oladuwa, a longtime friend, j...
This pilot episode is a compilation of summarizing statements by Proven Sustainable's core team and Guiding Council members underlying the significance of elevating and learning from Indigenous and Maroon voices.
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