Hózhó Nahasdlii. Hózhó Nahasdlii. Hózhó Nahasdlii. Hózhó Nahasdlii.

These words are often the end of Diné (Navajo) prayers with a loose English translation to “all is beautiful again”. This definition of beauty is one of balance, harmony, spirit, and hope. In the fight for climate justice, hózhó nahasdlii is not just a destination. It’s a map for how we get there.

These climate negotiations are spiritually and physically taxing and always fall drastically short, painting a picture of hopelessness. However, we know hope is rooted in those people and communities outside of this venue who understand that we need (re)connection to our land and our teachings. As we work towards harmony and beauty, we must remember that it is okay to hold both hope and frustration in our bodies and spirit. It’s okay to make time for both pain and joy with our international relatives! Dance together. Cry together. Sing together. Hold each other. We are hope. We are medicine.

Similarly, the work of our climate justice movement needs balance as well. While some are focused on negotiating every word and bracket of text, others are here to bring attention to the injustices and crises of their communities through organizing nonviolent direct actions. Through all these efforts, Indigenous Peoples are advocating for the acknowledgements of our rights, the protection of our lands and communities, accessibility for our voices in these critical spaces, and the development of direct avenues between resources and our communities. This is so our peoples can continue to do the work that feels hopeful, back home in our communities. Being at COP is a balance of representing our Indigenous identities (individually and collectively), while carving out meaningful ways to participate in these problematic, colonial systems.

Holding all these considerations, including regional and gender representation, is not an easy task. We will stumble and it will be hard. However, our communities are built on accountability, forgiveness, and constant pursuit of hózhó. We must try and when we are discouraged, we must dream. There is beauty in the world and that’s why we’re all here, right? To fight for it. Dream of a world full of abundance, happiness, and love. Dream of a world where we don’t have to show up to a COP to fight. As we keep the destination in mind, we must be willing to continuously learn, heal, fight, and forgive as we pursue a world where we all  understand and experience hózhó, where all is beautiful again.

Hózhó Nahasdlii. Hózhó Nahasdlii. Hózhó Nahasdlii. Hózhó Nahasdlii.