In a demoralizing time when the Supreme Court is overturning landmark decisions like Chevron aiming to dismantle public health safety measures, providing immunity to President 45 from criminal prosecution, and stripping away other hard-fought legal protections, it is more crucial than ever to organize our communities towards a sustainable and just world order. This means tapping into the rich legacies of resistance and generational joy within our Indigenous and Latine communities. Consequently, Resource Media (RM) held its first-ever La Madre Tierra (LMT) Digital Convening this past July with the goal of connecting with communal knowledge and resources to meet the needs of the moment. The event brought together Indigenous and Latine leaders in the climate and environmental justice space to address today’s most pressing issues – including rampant disinformation in the Latine community, challenges in public narratives, and lack of flexible funding to address pressing organizing needs.
La Madre Tierra (LMT): Building Power & Connecting to Our Roots
La Madre Tierra, a Resource Media initiative, serves as an online hub to empower Indigenous and Latine communities with technology, data, and capacity-building tools. In response to the urgent need for resources in the fight against climate change, environmental injustice, and misinformation, LMT is committed to supporting these communities, who face disproportionate impacts yet remain underfunded. LMT does this through:
- Researching audiences to inform strategies and tactics
- Testing and refining online content & engagement
- Building relationships grounded in ethical storytelling practices and community
- Sharing insights from our work led by our partners: GreenLatinos, Presente.org, and Navajo group Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA).
Consequently, the LMT convening aimed to share findings for effectively engaging Indigenous and Latine audiences on climate. Additionally, we aspired to convene key thought leaders on what trends and issues they see becoming exacerbated during this election season – from targeted disinformation to lack of data that can be useful to better engage these communities.
La Madre Tierra Digital Convening: Cultivating Community
With nearly 200 attendees, the convening presented communications research and best practices on digital campaigning by and for Indigenous and Latine communities. It featured skill-sharing on data and narrative practices to strengthen campaign strategies and nurture connections among leaders, all in preparation for this critical year in the national political landscape. Breakout sessions, held in both English and Spanish, allowed for in-depth discussions. Below are key takeaways and illustrated notes from our sessions:
Presentation on Results from Research on Indigenous and Latine Online Audiences | conducted by Worthy Strategy group in partnership with RM
Led by Worthy Strategy Group, a research and behavioral science consulting group, and with the Resource Media team, this panel presented the latest findings from research on Indigenous and Latine audiences and their relationship to climate movements – exploring how these communities experience and interpret intersecting climate & social justice discussions. The opinion research commissioned by La Madre Tierra’s team looked at a representative sample of 35 Latine and Indigenous Americans from the Southeast and Southwest of the U.S. at different levels of engagement to climate movements (from non involved to highly involved).
Panel/Training Discussion: Climate Narratives in the Digital Space
This panel focused on how to reach, engage, and move Indigenous & Latine audiences online, showcasing case studies from recent digital campaigns. We explored together a wide range of topics from the latest on how disinformation travels across the Spanish speaking world, to how use of audience data analyses can power up campaigns to expand advocates reach and ability to persuade and mobilize community members to action.
- Apollo Gonzales – Co-Director, Climate Advocacy Lab
- Polyana Ferreira de Oliveira – Senior Digital Associate, Americas at Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC)
- Kate McKenney – Digital and Data Program Director, The Climate Advocacy Lab
- Claudia Garcia – Digital Ads & Research Program Director, Resource Media
Networking Opportunity
Lastly, the convening featured a networking segment where participants could share resources, events, contact information, and any feedback. Additionally, folks were encouraged to share any upcoming events and exchange contact information. Stay tuned for additional opportunities to continue this networking and community connection soon! In the meantime, you can contact us to be added to our email list to receive updates from La Madre Tierra’s team here.
Looking towards the future
The convening emphasized the importance of localizing climate issues in ongoing messaging and supporting frontline communities with cost-effective, digital campaigning strategies. As one participant noted, “most people have lost hope that national efforts like [Build Back Better] BBB will actually make a substantive change or they get overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the climate crisis.” To truly make an impact, noted another participant, “we need to focus on cultural relevance, leading with and celebrating our communities’ culture first, as this is key to both resilience and action.” By centralizing those directly affected in our narrative and communications work, we can drive meaningful, localized change in the fight for climate justice.
As Pilar Montoya, the Executive Director of Resource Media, said in her closing convening remarks, “You are not alone. I know we sometimes feel like we are pushing a big rock up a mountain, but I’m here to tell you that with the Global Strategic Communications Council, the Climate Advocacy Lab, Resource Media, and all the individuals in the room today, that this should be a testament to the power we have when we actually visualize and come together to make something happen. This is only the beginning.” And truly a beginning it is as the LMT team continues on with their next ambition to expand access to tools, data and audience research that focus on these communities – developing a white paper that can build upon the findings shared during the gathering, as well as pointing to pathways that can address key funding gaps in the climate advocacy world. Stay tuned and make sure to keep up with the latest news via our website at https://www.lamadretierra.org.
Want to learn more?
Check out samples of presentations and data shared during the convening here!
