Letter from the Chairman
It was wonderful in September to hear from Mary Thomas, an elder of the Secwepemc tribe in British Columbia, who was chosen to receive the Seacology Indigenous Conservationist of the Year Award for her heroic efforts to protect the salmon fisheries and watersheds of her tribal lands. Like many indigenous people, Mary spoke of her respect for the sacredness of the earth, and lifted all of us spiritually. Around the world, indigenous people are struggling, often with little support or recognition, to preserve their cultures and ecosystems. At Seacology our emphasis in working at the village level has produced tangible successes. Although our projects are small, they mean a great deal to the villagers who live there. This in turn builds local support for conservation, with villagers becoming even stronger advocates for rain forest conservation. This is why problems such as poaching do not seem to affect the preserves Seacology has helped to organize. Seacology helps translate success at conservation into success for villagers.
Since all of the administrative costs of Seacology have been borne by Nature's Way and other friends in the business community, we have no pressure as an organization to engage in costly fund raising campaigns. We have no need to publicize crises to obtain money. We are deeply concerned about loss of indigenous cultures and habitats, but remain optimistic that solutions can be found.
In this newsletter is information about indigenous heros like Mary Thomas, the creation of a new National Park, and our new alliance with the Rodis Foundation to help improve the sight of villagers. We also enclose biographies of the Seacology Board of Trustees and Scientific Advisory Board.
Please know how grateful we are for your generosity over this last year. Because of your efforts, a new National Park has been dedicated in American Samoa. Schools, hospitals, and water supplies now stand in villages bringing hope where once there was none. And in the process, tens of thousands of acres of tropical rain forests have been made safe from the bulldozer's blade. Thank you for all you have done to help save the world, one village at a time.
Nafanua Paul Alan Cox, Ph.D.
Chairman
