Indigenous Activism NOW: Talking Story With Clayton Thomas-Muller and Julian NoiseCat

Clayton Thomas-Muller and Julian Brave NoiseCat are nationally and internationally acclaimed Indigenous leaders in the fights against climate change and the accelerating, human-induced destruction of our ecosystems. When they aren’t on the front lines organizing movements to protect the planet, Clayton and Julian work as accomplished writers penning penetrating analyses of the connections between settler colonial capitalism, broken social and political systems, trauma, and environmental disaster. They also happen to have a deep friendship. In this intimate conversation, these two exemplary leaders share the story behind the story about how their lives intersect with their activism and discuss their new projects and their hopes for the future. Moderated by Alexis Bunten (Unangan/Yupik), Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program.

This discussion took place at the 2021 Bioneers Conference.

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Panelists

Julian Brave NoiseCat

A prolific, widely published 28-year-old Indigenous journalist, writer, activist and policy analyst, Director of Green New Deal Strategy at Data for Progress, Julian Brave NoiseCat has become a highly influential figure in the coverage and analysis of Environmental Justice and Indigenous issues as well as of national and global political and economic trends and policies.

Learn more about Julian Brave NoiseCat at his website.

Clayton Thomas-Muller

Clayton Thomas-Muller (Mathias Colomb Cree/Pukatawagan), the Winnipeg-based ‘Stop It At The Source’ Campaigner with 350.org and a founder and organizer with Defenders of the Land, is involved in many initiatives to support the building of an inclusive global movement for energy and climate justice. He also serves on the boards of Black Mesa Water Coalition, the Global Justice Ecology Project and Bioneers and is a steering committee member of the Tar Sands Solutions Network. Clayton has for over 12 years campaigned across North America organizing in hundreds of Indigenous communities to defend against the encroachments of the fossil fuel industry.

Alexis Bunten

Alexis Bunten, Ph.D., (Aleut/Yup’ik), Program Manager for Bioneers’ Indigeneity Program, has been a researcher, media-maker, manager, consultant, and curriculum developer for organizations including the Sealaska Heritage Institute, Alaska Native Heritage Center, and the FrameWorks Institute. She has published widely about Indigenous and environmental issues, and is the author of So, how long have you been Native?: Life as an Alaska Native Tour Guide.