#National Heritage Areas Program

[reasonsforhope]

Camera-trapping data revealed in a new study show a steady recovery of tigers in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex over the past two decades.

The tiger recovery has been mirrored by a simultaneous increase in the numbers of the tigers’ prey animals, such as sambar deer and types of wild cattle.

The authors attribute the recovery of the tigers and their prey to long-term efforts to strengthen systematic ranger patrols to control poaching as well as efforts to restore key habitats and water sources.

Experts say the lessons learnt can be applied to support tiger recovery in other parts of Thailand and underscore the importance of the core WEFCOM population as a vital source of tigers repopulating adjacent landscapes.

The tiger population density in a series of protected areas in western Thailand has more than doubled over the past two decades, according to new survey data.

Thailand is the final stronghold of the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), the subspecies having been extirpated from neighboring Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam over the past decade due to poaching, habitat loss and indiscriminate snaring...

Fewer than 200 tigers are thought to remain in Thailand’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, only a handful of which are sufficiently undisturbed and well-protected to preserve breeding tigers. 

The most important of these protected areas for tigers is the Huai Kha Khaeng Thung Yai (HKK-TY) UNESCO World Heritage Site, which comprises three distinct reserves out of the 17 that make up Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM). Together, these three reserves — Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thungyai Naresuan West and Thungyai Naresuan East — account for more than a third of the entire WEFCOM landscape.

Now, a new study published in Global Ecology and Conservation documents a steady recovery of tigers within the HKK-TY reserves since camera trap surveys began in 2007. The most recent year of surveys, which concluded in November 2023, photographed 94 individual tigers, up from 75 individuals in the previous year, and from fewer than 40 in 2007.

Healthy tiger families  

The study findings reveal that the tiger population grew on average 4% per year in Hua Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest and longest-protected of the reserves, corresponding to an increase in tiger density from 1.3 tigers per 100 square kilometers, to 2.9 tigers/100 km2. 

“Tiger recoveries in Southeast Asia are few, and examples such as these highlight that recoveries can be supported outside of South Asia, where most of the good news [about tigers] appears to come from,” said Abishek Harihar, tiger program director for Panthera, the global wildcat conservation organization, who was not involved in the study.

Among the camera trap footage gathered in HKK-TY over the years were encouraging scenes of healthy tiger families, including one instance of a mother tiger and her three grownup cubs lapping water and lounging in a jacuzzi-sized watering hole. The tiger family stayed by the water source for five days during the height of the dry season.

The team of researchers from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Kasetsart University, and India’s Center for Wildlife Studies deployed camera traps at more than 270 separate locations throughout the HKK-TY reserves, amassing 98,305 days’ worth of camera-trap data over the 19-year study period.

Using software that identifies individual tigers by their unique stripe patterns, they built a reference database of all known tigers frequenting the three reserves. A total of 291 individual tigers older than 1 year were recorded, as well as 67 cubs younger than 1 year [over the course of the study].

Ten of the tigers were photographed in more than one of the reserves, indicating their territories straddled the reserve boundaries. The authors conclude that each of the three reserves has a solid breeding tiger population and that, taken together, the HKK-TY landscape is a vital source of tigers that could potentially repopulate surrounding areas where they’ve been lost. This is supported by cases of known HKK-TY tigers dispersing into neighboring parts of WEFCOM and even across the border into Myanmar.

Conservation efforts pay off

Anak Pattanavibool, study co-author and Thailand country director at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Mongabay that population models that take into account the full extent of suitable habitat available to tigers within the reserves and the likelihood that some tigers inevitably go undetected by camera surveys indicate there could be up to 140 tigers within the HKK-YT landscape.

Anak told Mongabay the tiger recovery is a clear indication that conservation efforts are starting to pay off. In particular, long-term action to strengthen systematic ranger patrols to control poaching as well as efforts to boost the tigers’ prey populations seem to be working, he said.

“Conservation success takes time. At the beginning we didn’t have much confidence that it would be possible [to recover tiger numbers], but we’ve been patient,” Anak said. For him, the turning point came in 2012, when authorities arrested and — with the aid of tiger stripe recognition software — prosecuted several tiger-poaching gangs operating in Huai Kha Khaeng. “These cases sent a strong message to poaching gangs and they stopped coming to these forests,” he said."

...ranger teams have detected no tiger poaching in the HKK-TY part of WEFCOM since 2013.

-via Mongabay News, July 17, 2024

[kcinpa]

As mentioned in my other Project 2025 post, I've been looking for a shortish summary of the environmental impacts. This article covers the parts related to NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). NOAA encompasses the National Weather Service (NWS). The American public gets weather forecasts and severe weather warnings for free - I mean, we pay taxes to support NWS work and they give us the results for free. Your weather app, your local TV weather forecast is all based on NWS data.

Well, Project 2025 doesn't want it to be free anymore. No they want you to pay commercial companies for the privilege of knowing about approaching tornadoes.

The gist of the linked article is that Project 2025's goals around NOAA are:

Protect the profits of the fossil fuel industry by eliminating the ability of NOAA to research and report on the climate crisis and by restricting the permitting of wind farms.

Protect the profit of commercial weather services by eliminating features that Americans get now from the National Weather Service and making Americans reliant on for-profit forecasts.

Protect the profit of commercial fishermen by eliminating offices that oversee protected areas and weakening rules around causing harm to the environment and endangered animals.

Sounds fabulous. Add to that Trump's plans to repeal all of Joe Biden's massive climate programs (seriously, Biden passed the largest climate change law in history, through a 50-50 Senate btw) and Trump's promise to open up more federal lands (including ANWR) to oil and gas drilling, and even freaking coal mining.

Yeah if you care about the climate crisis, or like knowing the weather forecast, vote Democrat.

[olowan-waphiya]

Tribal Leaders Sign Historic Co-Stewardship Agreement with National Forest Service in the Black Hills

“This landmark co-stewardship effort will feature storytelling in various formats at the Pactola/He Sapa Visitor Center, educating the larger public and helping current and future generations of Native People connect with their own creation stories and cultural identities.

On June 6, leaders of the Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, Oglala, Rosebud, and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes gathered in the He Sapa — the Black Hills — to sign an historic Memorandum of Understanding at the newly renamed Pactola/He Sapa Visitor Center with U.S. Forest Service officials. Together, they’re beginning a process of sharing Indigenous cultural heritage with visitors from all over the world. Leaders said that they want to see young, Native children visit the Black Hills and experience the importance of the landscape with a deep understanding of their own heritage.

Previously known as the Pactola Visitor Center, the seasonal facility welcomes more than 40,000 visitors annually from Memorial Day through Labor Day — and approximately another three million people pass through the area each year.

This effort has been several years in the making, though the process hit a snag during the Trump years. When tribal leaders initially proposed the concept to the U.S. Forest Service in 2018, the idea was heard but not taken seriously. Persistence pays, however, and the efforts of many relatives and allies eventually led the Forest Service to agree.

We hope this is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s critical that Lakota — and all Indigenous — stories and history be shared from an authentic perspective with those who visit our homelands. To that end, please stay tuned this summer. I can’t tell you too much about it yet, but we’ll soon be launching an ambitious program that can help ensure Native stories are told — and Native tribes are funded — on occupied Indigenous homelands across Turtle Island. “

Via the Lakota People’s Law Project

[justinspoliticalcorner]

John Knefel at MMFA:

The Heritage Foundation — lead organizer of Project 2025, a sprawling effort to provide policy and staffing for a second Trump administration — recently promoted an apprenticeship program that opens up workers to increased exploitation. Heritage also criticized President Joe Biden for ensuring that most federal infrastructure contracting projects are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

In an article headlined, “Harris, Walz Policy Records Undermine Pro-Worker Rhetoric,” Heritage argues for a return to Trump-era apprenticeship policies that left new workers vulnerable by creating a two-tier workforce, and it disparages unions as detrimental to the working class. The result is standard-fare for the conservative think tank, which regularly attacks unions and promotes anti-worker policies like so-called right-to-work laws, which starve unions of funds by denying them the ability to collect fees from all the workers they represent.  As head of Project 2025, Heritage has waged an all-out campaign against unions and the entire working class. The effort’s policybook — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise — calls for the dismantling of New Deal-era wins for organized labor by carving out state-level exceptions to the National Labor Relations Act. It would also eviscerate overtime regulations and open the door to increased child labor exploitation.

The new article furthers Heritage’s broadside against organized labor, even while masquerading as being pro-worker. Heritage criticizes what it characterizes as “the Biden-Harris Administration’s multi-front assault against apprenticeship programs,” specifically the administration’s cancellation of “new Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs,” or IRAPS, “that were training people in high-demand areas like nursing and technology, which now face significant workforce shortages.” In fact, IRAPs were a Trump-era policy that created a new class of apprenticeship programs that were controlled and overseen by employers — rather than the Department of Labor — and loosened standards meant to protect workers. As the progressive think tank The Roosevelt Institute wrote in response to the Trump-era rule, IRAPs are “likely to lead to a proliferation of programs that are lower-quality,” and could allow employers to exploit “loopholes in minimum wage laws.”

[...] This new salvo from Heritage is just the latest example of right-wing media pretending to endorse a pro-worker agenda, only to advance policies that benefit employers at the expense of labor.

The Heritage Foundation= enemies of workers’ rights.

[noctivagantpodcast]

I Live On Stolen Land

Consider donating to one of these wonderful charities dedicated to preserving the cultures, livelihoods, rights, and dignity of Indigenous peoples.

First Nations Development Institute. Information taken from their 'Our Programs' page: Grantmaker dedicated to addressing financial inequality and its many, many negative impacts. In additional to financial aid, FNDI provides job training and participates in policy-making and advocacy, often focusing on environmental concerns, food insecurity, and tribal sovereignty. Some examples of current projects include "Fortifying Our Forests" AKA restoring and protecting sacred land in partnership with the Forest Service, Native Language Immersion Initiative AKA ensuring the survival of Native languages, and Native Farm To School AKA connecting Native youth with traditional means of growing and harvesting food.

Native American Rights Fund A registered non-profit that provides legal representation in matters of Native interest, be that a single individual or an entire tribe. Since their inception, they have won cases that made critical contributions to the advancement of Native rights in the United States. Their efforts have helped uphold tribal sovereignty, compelled museums, universities, and other institutions to return the remains of Native ancestors, and protected the voting rights of pretty much everyone.

Redhawk Native American Arts Council This organization's primary focus is on the preservation of Native American arts through educational programs. We can also thank them for granting scholarships to Native students seeking higher education, and for running a youth program which aims to help Urban Indigenous youth connect with their heritage through the arts.

Seventh Generation Fund A "fiscal sponsor" for smaller community groups that are run by and for Native tribes/individuals, with the focus of preserving heritage and defending tribal sovereignty, as well as continued survival post-genocide. One example of their work is the Flicker Fund, a disaster fund dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities during times of crisis, be that a pandemic, extreme weather, or a severe drought. Another is the Traditions Bearers Fellowship, which provides financial support to tribal community members who carry on pre-colonization traditions.

Quiluete Move To Higher Ground Stephanie Meyer committed a serious of egregious acts of cultural appropriation and exploitation, and made a very large fortune off a very real tribe. This very real tribe now finds themselves living in a tsunami zone and unable to afford a move to a safer area. As of 2022, the move of the Tribal School, the most important phase, is complete, but there's much more work to be done.

Indigenous Women Rising Abortion Fund A fund to provide Native individuals and family access to abortion care, menstrual hygiene supplies, and midwifery. Here are two separate articles verifying their status as the ONLY indigenous specific (and Indigenous led) abortion fund. For more information on how the destruction of Roe V Wade has negatively impacted Indigenous women, look here and here.

South Dakota Historical Society Foundation So, this isn't a Native led or Native specific organization, but, they work closely with Indigenous communities in South Dakota to preserve their heritage alongside the state's history. I recently had a lovely conversation with one of their representatives about the Ghost Shirt their society is sheltering until such a time as the tribe it rightfully belongs to can house it safely. Article about the shirt's repatriation with some cool info on the shirt's history is here.

[odinsblog]

Donald Trump took the stage in Greensboro, N.C. last Saturday calling for rounding up millions of Latinos across America and putting them in mass detention camps as part of “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” Unfortunately, this kind of rhetoric has become so common among the MAGA Republican playlist that it’s tempting to see it as a joke. But that wasn’t just somebody’s racist grandfather running off at the mouth or a standup comedian with bad taste playing to the crowd. My parents and grandparents would have called it a dog whistle, but my generation should know it’s a bullhorn. But whatever you call it, it was calculated, drafted, tested and approved as part of the far-right Project 2025 plan to turn back the clock on civil rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights and democracy itself. It was the white Christian nationalist agenda on full public display in all its un-American glory and we can’t afford to take it lightly.

Now, if you haven’t heard about Project 2025, don’t feel bad. Most people haven’t. Founded in 2022 by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation, it’s an organization led by Trump insiders preparing for one nation under Trump if the twice impeached and four times indicted former president wins the November election and to call them dangerous is an understatement.

What do you think about overhauling federal law enforcement so that the Department of Justice and the FBI, designed to be independent and insulated from political influence, were controlled directly by a newly elected and emboldened President Trump so he could protect his minions from investigation, arrest and prosecution no matter how many laws they broke? Project 2025 loves the idea.

Want to bypass the Senate confirmation process and stop notifying Congress when we sell weapons to foreign governments? Project 2025 does. What about terminating every diversity, equity and inclusion program in the federal government? Project 2025 says right on. What do you think about invoking martial law, using the military as local law enforcement and locking up Trump opponents? Project 2025 calls that progress.

But how do they plan on doing all this? After all, the federal government is more than just one person in the Oval Office. Trump already learned that lesson when federal employees and even some of his own appointees refused to break the law just because he said so.

But Project 2025 has a solution to that roadblock. They call it Schedule F and it’s a plan to fire as many as 50,000 federal employees and replace them with dyed-in-the-wool MAGA fanatics who swear their loyalty not to America or the Constitution but to Donald J. Trump. They’re not even trying to keep it a secret. But why would they?

You see, Project 2025 isn’t confused about who they are. They’re the MAGA Manifesto committed to the unapologetic vision of right-wing nationalism and they don’t care who knows it. Let’s be honest, these guys are attacking President Biden for pushing “racial equity in every area of our national life, including in employment.” Is that supposed to be a bad thing? Are we supposed to think our president should not be fighting for equality and justice?

That’s what Project 2025 says. But that shouldn’t surprise us. After all, they don’t think folks who look like me are real Americans. Neither does Trump.

But they’re not clowns. They’re highly trained, well-funded political operatives dedicated to winning in November and remaking America in their white nationalist image. They’ve spent the past two years putting together a plan to do just that setting the highest stakes imaginable for this election.

(continue reading)

[maggoochie]

Queen Sphene thoughts: DT spoilers below the cut

Queen Sphene is one of the most on-the-nose portrayals of western colonization/imperialism. Considering that Tural is heavily inspired by Latin America, an area that has historically been subjugated by European colonization, it makes sense that the writers incorporated that history into the MSQ.

NOTE: I am aware that Sphene as we see her is the Alexandrian self-preservation program! I am simply analyzing the character’s role in the story, and I’m not interested in passing moral judgments. If you understand this, please continue reading:

Like other colonizers, Sphene portrays herself to you as a kind-hearted ruler who cares about her people. Also like colonizers, this kind-hearted portrayal is an intentional facade to mask her sinister ulterior motives.

We see this first during the invasion of Tulliyolal. The viewer is first introduced to Sphene looking dismayed over the atrocities committed by the Alexandrian soldiers. This portrayal primes the viewer to see Sphene as someone who warrants sympathy, and to see Zoraal Ja as the main perpetrator of these atrocities. We also see her being propped up as the kind-hearted leader when you talk to everyone in Heritage Found. We as the viewer are primed to think that Queen Sphene is the good counterpart to the Zoraal Ja’s evil, when in reality Sphene is the only reason why Zoraal Ja had the power necessary to conquer nations and siphon aether.

We see this play out in real life where rulers of imperial nations like America portray themselves as “leaders of freedom and democracy” but exploit oppressed people for their land’s natural resources. If you replace electrope/aether with any other finite energy resource like fossil fuel/lithium/cobalt, you’ll know what I mean. Where Zoraal Ja represents the puppet leader who everyone can throw their blame onto for the atrocities occurring in the region, Sphene represents the puppeteer imperialist who not only enables the corrupt leader’s violence, but also directly benefits from the violence through easier access to natural resources.

This allegory is made more clear because we know that Alexandria’s reliance on electrope/aether as an energy source is incredibly unsustainable and brought their original shard to ruin, just like we know that America’s dependency on fossil fuels is incredibly unsustainable and feeds directly to climate catastrophe. Likewise, rather than exploring different sustainable energy options, both Alexandria and America exploit other nations as a means of self-preservation and will resort to violent coups to do so.

The last thing that really solidified this comparison is when Wuk Lamat was pleading with Sphene to stop the conquest and said something along the lines of “don’t you feel anything for the destruction of my people.” Sphene, despite looking distraught over the situation, still put her own people over the Tural’s well-being aka the classic colonizer mindset.

Anyway, these are my initial thoughts I would love to hear ppls thoughts!!

[polyamorouspunk]

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, I asked my friend and fellow activist for some resources related to MMIW. They were kind enough to send me some links to organizations focused on the subject in our area of NC, which I’ll be linking here as well:

https://www.instagram.com/ndncollective?igsh=MWM5ZHh2YnBoZ3NxNQ==

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Red Nation (@therednationmovement)

Our local scene stays in touch largely through Instagram, where our group chat and a lot of our DMs are hosted, which is why a lot of these links are Instagram.

Here are some national-level resources on the topic as well for those who are interested in looking either outside of Instagram or North Carolina:

You can also follow my friend and fellow activist Darian on Instagram:

[lonestarflight]

"U.S.S. Lake Champlain Navy frogmen place the floatation collar around the Gemini Titan 2 spacecraft. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the spacecraft from Cape Kennedy, Jan. 19, 1965 at 9:03 and it was recovered by the recovery forces aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain some 2100 miles downrange at 10:45 a.m. Flight time was 19:03 minutes. Actual landing was 16 miles short of the programmed landing area. Quoted from the original caption released by NASA with this photograph. Lake Champlain (CVS-39) is in the background. One of her SH-3 helicopters is hovering over the spacecraft."

Date: January 19, 1965

Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 97442

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Department of the Interior:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding more than $6.4 million to federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native Tribes to benefit fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. This year’s funding will support 35 Tribes for conservation projects across 15 states, benefiting a wide range of wildlife and habitat, including species of cultural or traditional importance to Indigenous communities. 

Examples of projects approved this year include:

Sitka Tribe of Alaska (Artificial Intelligence for Subsistence Salmon Monitoring and Management) - $200,000 to install artificial intelligence enabled video that will produce automated real-time counts of Redoubt Lake sockeye salmon, reducing real-time monitoring costs.

Navajo Nation (within Arizona, New Mexico and Utah)(Estimating Abundance, Preserving Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Resolving Human-Bear Conflict of Black Bears on the Navajo Nation) - $100,000 to assess black bear population on Navajo Nation lands, preserve Traditional Ecological Knowledge in effective habitat management and minimize human-bear conflicts. 

Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California (Tribal Wildlife and Postfire Restoration for Habitat Connectivity, Pollinator Species and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Plants around Feather Falls) - $197,300 to restore and manage ancestral lands which were devasted by the 2020 North Complex fire, including hiring staff, expanding the Tribal youth program and developing a restoration plan that incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge to prioritize culturally significant and endangered species such as the California spotted owl, bald eagle, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog and California red-legged frog.

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians (within Minnesota) (Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians White-tailed Deer and Golden-winged Warbler Critical Habitat Restoration Project: Setting Back Forest Succession to Promote Early Successional Wildlife Species) - $199,872 to create 350 acres of early successional forest habitat, supporting deer population recovery and increasing habitat for golden-winged warblers during breeding season.

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska (Tallgrass Prairie Resource Management) - $199,965 to hire staff to restore, maintain, and enhance habitat for ecologically and culturally significant wildlife species within the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska reservation, including invasive species removal and buffalo management.

Seneca Nation of Indians (within New York) (Seneca Nation Wood Turtle Survey) - $42,713 to tag wood turtles, a culturally important species, with GPS transmitters to track and map home areas and nesting grounds. 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (within North Carolina)(Leveraging DNA Sampling to Understand and Manage Resources) - $200,000 to continue cutting-edge non-invasive resource management techniques and use environmental DNA (eDNA) and a variety of non-invasive methods (camera, trapping, acoustics, etc.) to evaluate and manage bear populations, sicklefin redhorse, native brook trout, bats, otters, fish, aquatic communities, birds, and amphibians.

Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe (within Washington) (ESA Species Critical Coastal Habitat and Traditional Fisheries Restoration and Monitoring) - $198,928 to continue improving the conservation status of the western snowy plover and streaked horned lark and implement essential fish habitat assessments, eDNA and visual monitoring and restoration actions to support climate resilience and adaptive capacity of these species on Tribal lands.

[blackhistorystoryteller]

Title: "Exploring African Hunting Culture: Traditions, Challenges, and Conservation

Introduction:

African hunting culture is a rich and diverse tapestry that weaves through the continent's history, ecology, and societies. Rooted in centuries-old traditions, it encompasses a wide range of practices, from subsistence hunting for survival to trophy hunting as a sport. This article delves into the multifaceted world of African hunting culture, highlighting its cultural significance, the challenges it faces, and the ongoing efforts for conservation.

A Rich Tapestry of Traditions:

Africa is home to a vast array of ethnic groups, each with its own unique hunting traditions. These practices are deeply intertwined with local customs, beliefs, and spirituality. For many indigenous communities, hunting is not just a means of acquiring food but a vital cultural expression. The use of traditional hunting tools and techniques, like spears, bows, and traps, continues to be an essential part of their heritage.

Subsistence Hunting:

Subsistence hunting is a common practice across the African continent. In rural areas, where access to commercial sources of food may be limited, hunting provides a vital source of protein and sustenance. Communities rely on their knowledge of the land and wildlife to harvest game responsibly, ensuring the sustainability of their resources. This balance between nature and necessity underscores the importance of respecting wildlife for survival.

Trophy Hunting:

Trophy hunting, a more controversial aspect of African hunting culture, involves the pursuit and killing of animals for sport and the collection of trophies, such as horns or skins. While it can generate revenue for local communities and conservation efforts, it has also faced criticism for ethical and conservation reasons. Many African countries have implemented strict regulations to manage and monitor trophy hunting to mitigate negative impacts on wildlife populations.

Conservation Challenges:

African wildlife has faced significant challenges due to habitat loss, poaching, and the illegal wildlife trade. The intricate relationship between hunting culture and conservation is evident in the struggle to protect endangered species while acknowledging the cultural importance of hunting. Conservation organizations work tirelessly to strike a balance by implementing measures to protect threatened species and their habitats.

Modern Influences:

In the modern era, African hunting culture has been influenced by global forces. Tourism, including wildlife safaris, has become a booming industry, providing alternatives to traditional hunting practices and contributing to conservation efforts. Additionally, changing perceptions of hunting, both locally and globally, have prompted a reevaluation of hunting practices and their impact on ecosystems.

Conservation Efforts:

Across the continent, initiatives to conserve African wildlife are gaining momentum. National parks, reserves, and private conservancies play a crucial role in safeguarding habitats and species. Anti-poaching efforts, community-based conservation programs, and responsible hunting practices have emerged as essential strategies to ensure the sustainability of African ecosystems.

African hunting culture is a multifaceted and evolving aspect of the continent's heritage. While it carries deep cultural significance and provides for many communities, it also faces challenges related to conservation and ethical considerations. Striking a balance between cultural preservation, sustainability, and responsible hunting practices is an ongoing process, guided by a commitment to protect Africa's remarkable biodiversity for generations to come.

Hunting practices among African tribes vary widely depending on the specific region, culture, and available resources. Traditional hunting methods are often passed down through generations and are adapted to the local environment and the animals being pursued. Here are some common hunting techniques employed by various African tribes:

1. **Spear Hunting:** Spear hunting is one of the oldest and most widespread hunting methods in Africa. Tribes such as the Maasai in East Africa are known for their skill in using spears to hunt animals like lions and giraffes. This method requires getting close to the prey and using a well-aimed throw or thrust to kill it.

2. **Bow and Arrow:** The use of bows and arrows is prevalent among many African tribes. The San people, for example, are known for their exceptional tracking skills and proficiency in hunting with poisoned arrows. This method allows hunters to maintain some distance from their prey.

3. **Traps and Snares:** Various tribes set up traps and snares to catch small to medium-sized game. These can be constructed from natural materials like branches, vines, and ropes. When an animal triggers the trap, it captures the prey.

4. **Pitfalls:** Some tribes dig pits and cover them with branches and leaves to create pitfalls for animals. Once an animal falls into the pit, it becomes trapped and can be killed by the hunters.

5. **Hunting Dogs:** In some regions, like the central African rainforests, tribes use hunting dogs to track and corner prey. The hunters then finish the job using spears or other weapons.

6. **Blow Darts:** Certain tribes, like the Pygmies in Central Africa, use blow darts with poison-tipped tips to silently kill small game and birds.

7. **Net Hunting:** Nets are used by several tribes to encircle and capture birds, small mammals, and even fish in rivers and lakes. The nets can be set up in a variety of ways to suit the hunting environment.

8. **Hunting with Falcons and Other Birds of Prey:** In some North African and Middle Eastern regions, including parts of Morocco, hunting with trained falcons and other birds of prey is a long-standing tradition, though not exclusive to Africa.

9. **Cultural and Spiritual Practices:** For many African tribes, hunting is not just about acquiring food but is deeply intertwined with cultural and spiritual beliefs. Rituals and ceremonies often accompany hunting expeditions to seek blessings or guidance from ancestors or spirits.

It's important to note that as African societies have modernized, some traditional hunting practices have given way to more contemporary methods and conservation efforts. Many African countries have implemented wildlife protection laws and sustainable hunting practices to ensure the survival of their native fauna and the preservation of their cultural heritage.

[reasonsforhope]

In southern Africa, leopards have long been harvested for their beautiful spotted furs. These coveted furs are often used in ceremonial regalia by cultural and religious groups in the area, making it difficult to address the dwindling wild cat population in the area.

Bridging the gap between animal conservation and cultural heritage, Panthera — a global wild cat conservation organization — has partnered with area communities and world-class designers to instead distribute synthetic furs for ceremonial garb.

This approach is ground-breaking and shows potential to be replicated in other areas of the world. In fact, new data shows that these initiatives have tripled the leopard population in the region. 

Pictured: Two wild leopards are spotted in southern Africa. Photo courtesy of Panthera.

It started in 2013 when Panthera began its Furs For Life program when it was discovered that members of the Shembe Church were using as many as 15,000 leopard furs during religious gatherings. 

Working with the Shembe community, Panthera created high-quality (and affordable!) synthetic leopard fur capes — amambatha — known as Heritage Furs. Since then, more than 18,500 capes have been distributed. 

In 2019, Panthera extended these efforts with the Saving Spots initiative. The program was created in conjunction with the Barotse Royal Establishment of the Lozi people with the mission to preserve rich cultural traditions and declining wild cat populations.

Every year, hundreds of Lozi community members wear lipatelo, elaborate full-length skirts made of leopard and other animal furs, as well as mishukwe, lion-mane trimmed berets, as they gather for the Kuomboka Festival...

Pictured: Paddlers on the Nalikwanda Royal Barge wearing Heritage Furs.

Since implementing the Saving Spots program, the Barotse Royal Establishment has switched to over 1,350 synthetic fur lipatelo and 600 synthetic fur mishukwe. At a recent Lozi gathering, nearly 70% of participants wore garments of synthetic furs. 

The idea was to maintain the sacred relationship the Lozi people have with these animals. By using a high-accuracy design, these synthetic furs have become trusted regalia to pass through future generations — all without causing harm to the animals they revere.

“It is important to conserve nature. If you don’t take care of nature, then you are headed for doom,” Lubinda Nyaywa, the chairperson of the Mwandi Council District said. “It’s a learning process for our young generations, teaching them that they must preserve, one, their culture, and, two, their natural resources.”

With the support of both the Lozi and Shembe leaders, affordable synthetic furs are gaining increased acceptance and popularity as alternatives to authentic furs. Some groups have even banned the use of authentic wild cat skins at future gatherings.

This, in turn, majorly contributes to the protection and stabilization of wild cat populations in the region.

As mentioned, new data suggests that Saving Spots has helped triple leopard densities in the southern region of Kafue National Park. 

-via Good Good Good, May 4, 2023

[homeofhousechickens]

person who asked about cackle hatchery, thanks a lot for the information, ill try to look for better places, tho it might be a bit hard looking for local breed chicks cause most ive seen around my area have balding hens from to many roosters or lice

If you absolutely need a hatchery I suggest looking at the ones The Livestock Conservancy supports and backs (Meyer hatchery for example). They are also a way to find a breeder to order eggs or chicks from as they keep an updated list of heritage breed breeders. If your looking at Cackle because they are local to you, pm me because that means WE are locals and I can point you breeders I know personally.

Honestly (this isn't directed at you specifically) but I don't understand why everyone refuses to just buy hatching eggs. Not only are birds you hatch on your own more likely to be friendly but they are healthier to and the only people who can legally ship eggs are people who are a part of the national poultry improvement program. Yeah hatching eggs are more of a risk since you won't have guaranteed hatch rates then some might be roosters but I feel like the benefits are better then the stress on shipped day old chicks who also could be roosters if they aren't a sex link. I really wish people would stop for a second and think why they want to go the easiest route when that route could be full of heart break and unethical animal treatment. Okay rant over I'm chill again 😎 if you get hatchery birds just know what your doing I suppose and it's not like your evil or anything but I feel like everyone just needs to put in a bit more effort when it comes to animals and stuff k love you bye.

[nancydrewwouldnever]

The Quilters of Gee's Bend

To celebrate International Women's Day, but also because I think everyone should know these amazing women artists

Gee's Bend is an isolated, rural community in southwestern Alabama. It is a community originally formed by the emancipated peoples of the cotton plantation of Joseph Gee, on the former plantation lands. They worked the land as cotton sharecroppers until a Depression-era Federal program helped residents acquire the land outright.

Quilting began as a necessity in the 19th century. Women in the community quilted with whatever little scraps of leftover or worn fabric they could procure - patchwork quilting. This led to a style of quilting very different from more regularized patterns; forms were more freeform and dictated by the shape of the fabric at hand. The Gee's Bend patchwork style was passed down through generations of families living in the community; it came to develop it's own artistic "fingerprint" through the isolation of the community.

By the 1960s the economy in the rural area was very bad due to the continuing fall in cotton prices over decades. As a way to supplement community incomes, the local quilters formed the Freedom Quilting Bee, a workers' cooperative that gave them a forum for selling their quilts. The quilts quickly became sought after by collectors, due to their daring abstract patterns, which so seemed to echo and interact with ongoing "high art" stylistic progression of the 20th century. Gee's Bend quilts today are still some of the most sought after and valued.

Quilters Loretta Pettway, Lucy Mingo, and Mary Lee Bendolph photographed in 2015 for the NEA National Heritage Award

Please take a look at the Souls Grown Deep Foundation website, where you can learn more about the individual quilters, see more images of their works, and learn more about the community.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

S.V. Dáte at HuffPost:

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump, who as president withheld hurricane aid to Puerto Rico and threatened to withhold wildfire assistance to California, on Monday falsely accused President Joe Biden of failing to help Hurricane Helene’s flood victims in western North Carolina and Georgia, having “left Americans to drown” in the South. “He’s been calling the president, he hasn’t been able to get him,” Trump said of Georgia’s governor, fellow Republican Brian Kemp, in his remarks to reporters in Valdosta, a city in the southern part of the state. It was a lie — refuted by Kemp himself earlier that day. “The president just called me yesterday afternoon. I missed him and I called him right back,” Kemp told reporters. “And he just said, ‘Hey, what do you need?’”

That falsehood was the latest in a string of lies Trump has issued about the response by Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, to the Category 4 storm that came ashore late Thursday. Just before flying to Valdosta, the coup-attempting former president posted on social media about western North Carolina: “I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas. MAGA!” He then posted an even more inflammatory claim, again with zero evidence of malfeasance: “They have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South.”

And at the Valdosta Regional Airport, asked by a reporter if he had contacted Biden about the response, Trump, wearing his red campaign MAGA hat, answered, “No, I haven’t reached out to him. I think he’s sleeping right now, actually.” In fact, Biden had just minutes earlier detailed to reporters at the White House his administration’s actions to date and planned next steps. He also explained that he intends to visit the worst-hit areas in North Carolina, but not until later in the week so as not to get in the way of operations on the ground with his large traveling entourage and security detail. “This can be disruptive,” he said. He later announced that he would, in fact, visit North Carolina on Wednesday.

[...] Trump’s accusations that Biden is intentionally withholding assistance from areas where residents are largely critical of him, however, do mirror his precise behavior as president when he withheld $20 billion in congressionally approved aid to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017 and threatened to withhold federal assistance to California to deal with wildfires. The question of federal assistance in the event of natural disasters may become moot should Trump win back the White House. Under the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 — which Trump initially praised for detailing “exactly what our movement will do” if he returned to office but in recent months has disavowed as Democrats publicized its contents — federal programs helping individuals and businesses would be slashed. The massive proposal also would scrap the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as turn over forecasting, and presumably control, over a fleet of weather satellites paid for with many billions of tax dollars to private companies.

Colossal liar Donald Trump baselessly accused Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of “withholding" aid victims to Hurricane Helene victims… except that Biden and Harris are helping out victims of Helene with ample aid.

Trump, during his “Presidency”, has repeatedly withheld aid for political purposes.

If he gets back in again, this time with Project 2025’s assistance, Trump will likely withhold disaster relief funding to areas that don’t vote for him.

Want fair disaster relief, regardless of politics? Vote Harris/Walz!

[labbaik-ya-hussain-as]

Israel’s Plans For The West

I think it’s fair to say that most of the right is anti-mass immigration.

But then it begs the question: Why are there so many right-wing Zionists?

Now, that question might be confusing to some.

“How on earth are the two related?”

Well, I’ll explain.

There are a few on the right who get it.

Some would be:

Ryan Dawson (@RyLiberty) 🇺🇸

Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) 🇺🇸

Lucas Gage (@Lucas_Gage_) 🇺🇸

Stew Peters (@realstewpeters) 🇺🇸

Sam Parker (@SamParkerSenate) 🇺🇸

Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) 🇺🇸

Nick Fuentes 🇺🇸

Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) 🇬🇧

Nick Griffin (@NickGriffinBU) 🇬🇧

Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) 🇮🇪

But, a large portion of the right do not.

Israel has made their goals very clear.

Here are a few quotes from high-ranking Israeli officials:

Palestinians should ‘go to Ireland or the deserts’ - Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu

"The ongoing war in Gaza presents an opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.” “It is a correct, just, moral, and humane solution” - Israel’s National Security Minister - Itamar Ben-Gvir

"Europe has a long history of assisting refugees fleeing conflicts... countries around the world should offer a haven for Gaza residents who seek relocation" - Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN and current Knesset member Danny Danon

The former deputy director of Mossad, Ram Ben-Barak, added onto Danon’s statement by saying, "Countries can accomplish this by creating well-structured and internationally coordinated relocation programs.”

And then Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, added onto those statements by saying:

“I welcome the initiative of members of Knesset Ram Ben-Barak and Danny Danon on the voluntary immigration of Gaza Arabs to the countries of the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region,”

“A cell with a small area like the Gaza Strip without natural resources and independent sources of livelihood has no chance to exist independently, economically, and politically in such a high density for a long time.”

“The reception of refugees by the countries of the world that really want their best interests, with the support and generous financial assistance of the international community and within the state of Israel, is the only solution that will bring an end to the suffering and pain of Jews and Arabs alike.”

“The state of Israel will no longer be able to put up with the existence of an independent entity in Gaza,” he added.

You see it now?

Israel plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza, steal the land, and then send millions of Palestinian refugees to western nations.

Now among those refugees, extremists will arise.

Why?

Well, whichever country hosts them, they will believe that country was complicit in the butchering of their people.

They will believe that country played a part in them being evicted from their homeland.

And they will be right!

And that may unfortunately lead to some Palestinians being displaced in North America, Europe, and Oceana who want nothing more than to take revenge on the country that played a role in displacing them.

But Israel won’t care.

It’s not their problem anymore.

And for all you boomer-Zionist idiots that say:

“oH WeLl WhY Do wE HaVe tO TaKE iN ThE ReFuGeEs? nO tO ImMiGration!”

WAKE UP.

You’ll HAVE to take in the refugees because YOUR government is CUCKED by Israel.

Here’s another list for you.

🇺🇸 Just SOME of the Pro-Israeli lobbies operating in the US:

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)

J Street

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)

Christians United for Israel (CUFI)

The Israel Project (TIP)

American Jewish Committee (AJC)

StandWithUs

The Israel Allies Foundation (IAF)

The Middle East Forum (MEF)

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC)

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI)

Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)

The Jewish National Fund (JNF)

The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA)

The Jewish Policy Center (JPC)

Americans for Peace Now (APN)

The American Friends of Likud

B’nai B'rith International

Emergency Committee for Israel

Z Street

The Israel Forever Foundation

Fuel For Truth

The David Project

Israel Bonds (Development Corporation for Israel

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA)

Ameinu

The American Friends of Magen David Adom

The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE)

The Israel Action Network (IAN)

The American Friends of Shalva Israel

The American Friends of Libi

🇨🇦 Just SOME of the Pro-Israeli lobbies operating in Canada:

Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)

B’nai Brith Canada

Canadian Friends of Peace Now

StandWithUs Canada

Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF)

Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF Canada)

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC)

Zionist Organization of Canada (ZOC)

Israel Bonds Canada

🇬🇧 Just SOME of the Pro-Israeli lobbies operating in Britain:

Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI)

Labour Friends of Israel (LFI)

Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI)

BICOM (Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre)

Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland

Jewish Leadership Council

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI)

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA)

Christian Friends of Israel (CFI)

Anglo-Israel Association (AIA)

Northern Ireland Friends of Israel

We Believe in Israel

The Pinkster Centre

Israel Britain Alliance (IBA)

🇪🇺 Just SOME of the Pro-Israeli lobbies operating throughout Europe:

German-Israeli Society (DIG) 🇩🇪

Italy-Israel Foundation for Culture and the Arts 🇮🇹

Friends of Israel Initiative (FOII) 🇫🇷

CIDI (Centre for Information and Documentation Israel) 🇳🇱

Belgian Friends of Israel 🇧🇪

Finnish Friends of Israel 🇫🇮

Accion y Communicacion sobre Oriente Medio (ACOM) 🇪🇸

Austrian-Israeli Society (ÖIG) 🇦🇹

Czech Friends of Israel 🇨🇿

Danish-Israeli Association (Dansk Israelsk Selskab) 🇩🇰

Hellenic-Israeli Chamber of Commerce 🇬🇷

Hungarian-Israeli Friendship Society 🇭🇺

Polish-Israeli Chamber of Commerce 🇵🇱

Luso-Israeli Chamber of Commerce 🇵🇹

Swedish-Israel Friendship Association 🇸🇪

Slovenian-Israeli Business Club 🇸🇮

Estonian-Israeli Chamber of Commerce 🇪🇪

Latvia-Israel Chamber of Commerce 🇱����

Lithuanian Friends of Israel 🇱🇹

Bulgarian-Israeli Chamber of Commerce and Industry 🇧🇬

Romanian Friends of Israel 🇷🇴

Croatian-Israeli Business Club 🇭🇷

Cyprus-Israel Business Association 🇨🇾

Luxembourg-Israel Chamber of Commerce 🇱🇺

Malta-Israel Cultural & Friendship Society 🇲🇹

🇦🇺🇳🇿 Just SOME of the Pro-Israeli lobbies operating in Oceana:

🇦🇺 Australia:

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ)

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC)

Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA)

United Israel Appeal of Australia (UIA)

Jewish National Fund of Australia (JNFA)

Shalom Institute

Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC)

🇳🇿 New Zealand:

New Zealand Jewish Council

Israel Institute of New Zealand

United Israel Appeal New Zealand

Do you understand now?

Our governments won’t stand up to Israel because effectively, they ARE Israel.

The majority of the western world is controlled by a ZOG (Zionist Occupied Government).

And all you right-wing Zionists have been barking up the wrong tree, and nothing will change unless YOU change who you direct your anger at.

The right-wing has blamed ‘Islamic Extremism’ for the west’s problems.

No, the west’s problem is ISRAEL.

If you had to flee your homeland because it was being blown to bits and everyone around you was being slaughtered, wouldn’t you be angry?

Now YOU may not commit acts of extremism, but can you guarantee none of the others who also feel angry, won’t?

The Zionist Occupied Media (ZOM) have convinced the masses that it’s all due to the fault of ‘Islamic Extremism’.

When in reality, it is extremism being committed by a group of people that have had their lands terrorized, and are angry at their host country for partaking in it.

Now, in no means am I justifying acts of extremism.

Such acts should be condemned and the perpetrators prosecuted.

However, it’s important to understand the root cause.

ISRAEL is the root cause.

Israel lobbies governments, blackmails important figures, and stages false flags to get western countries to fight their wars for them.

As a result, much of the Middle East is destabilized, entire countries are blown up, Middle Eastern leaders are assassinated, millions die, and millions end up being displaced to western countries.

Is it so surprizing that some turn out to be extremists?

Israel doesn't take in any of the refugees; it’s a Jewish supremacist state, why would they?

Among those millions displaced, extremists rise up due to anger directed at their host countries for ruining their homeland and butchering its people, and unfortunately, acts of terror take place.

Then the ZOM, and other well known figures on the Israeli payroll, convince YOU that it’s the fault of ‘Islamic Extremism’.

But again, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

The reason why it’s ‘Islamic Extremism’ is because it is Islamic countries that are being bombed.

It's only logical that if a country is subjected to butchering and bombing, and then its refugees are taken in by the very nations responsible for their plight, it is inevitable that some of these refugees, overwhelmed by anger at these actions, might resort to acts of terror.

If we minded our own business and never destabilized their countries at Israel’s request, then guess what?

We wouldn't have to take in millions of refugees, some of whom might turn out to be extremists, because we hadn't destabilized the region.

They wouldn’t want to come to North America, Europe, or Oceana because their homeland would be doing fine.

And now the exact same thing that happened with Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc., is happening with Palestine.

Israel is butchering them with the complicity of our governments, and then they'll send millions of rightfully angry refugees our way while they continue to steal more Palestinian land.

It’s time to say NO.

Palestine is for the Palestinians.

WE should control OUR governments, not Israel.

It’s time for Israel to be held accountable for their reign of terror over the past 75 years.

If we want to fix our countries, and the world, we MUST address the root cause.

And the root cause is ISRAEL.

So I ask those who GENUINELY want change:

DIRECT YOUR ANGER AT ISRAEL.