2.13 Carolina Allen and Maddie Cheers on Environmental Stewardship, Earth Stewardship. and an Awareness of Life Culture

Currents: the Big Ocean Women Podcast

Carolina Allen and Maddi Cheers discuss environmental stewardship and earth stewardship and our tenet, “We live and promote a life-culture within the womb, the home, and our ecological environment.”

“When we appreciate that we were given this great planet to look after for everybody, when we establish a relationship with her and with the Creator, then we are serving each other.” – Maddi Cheers

“The biggest difference between the way native people work, the way we work, the way you work, and the way environmentalists work is that native people establish a relationship with the earth… There is no saving the earth without having a relationship with her. And that relationship is one of appreciation.” – Maddie Cheers

Original Instructions: to be grateful, to treat each other and all of nature with kindness and respect, to live in families/clans that create loving communities.

“You can’t be a steward of the earth if you are not a steward of human beings also. You’re not being a steward if you are angry at everybody and all of your energy is directed at, ‘Oh, I’m worried about the earth because my generation may not survive.’ That’s selfishness… That’s a way different attitude than waking up every morning giving thanks for all the people, giving thanks to mother earth and all of nature, and proceeding with your day from there.” – Maddi Cheers

Blackfoot Physics by F. David Peat

“I myself have no power. It’s the people behind me who give me any power that I have. Real power comes only from the Creator. If you’re asking about strength, then I can say that the greatest strength is gentleness.” To Become a Human Being by Steve Wall

“The biggest problem with the environmental movement is that it’s a disconnect from nature at the same time as they’re saying, ‘We have to take care of nature,’ you can’t take care of something you’re disconnected from.” – Maddi Cheers

“The reason we are going through all of this turmoil on this earth … is because we are disconnecting from each other, and She is trying to wake us up.” – Maddi Cheers

“We know from ice core samples out of Antarctica, and this is solid geological science, not greenhouse theory… that the earth goes through these cycles of cooling and warming ever since it has been the earth.” – Maddi Cheers

“Just because we can, does it mean we should?” – Maddi Cheers

“Spirituality, religion, these invisible, intangible things are real, and they’re important. And I think that more and more people are feeling it, because it’s a feeling, it’s a gut, intuitive thing that they’re recognizing that family is important, relationships are important, community is important, love, respect, gratitude, all of these things have a creative force, and they have a protective and a healing force.” – Carolina Allen

“Sisters, cling to your children, cling to your families, bring your men with you, convince them; this isn’t a battle against men, our maternal feminist identities are bigger than that. We’re stewards of not only this planet, but of spirits, and this is our stewardship… claim it and step into that power.” – Carolina Allen

“This is our work, to bring that kind of calling, to bring that to the women and to stand together.” – Carolina Allen

“When you look at these great wisdom teachings all over the world, they have the same message, it is the same message of love one another. Don’t lose your connection to the planet.” – Maddi Cheers

The Good Mind and the Quick Mind:

The Good Mind is slow to anger, slow to judge, quick to love.

The Quick Mind is quick to anger, quick to judge, slow to love.

“When we are using that good mind, we are connected to everything and everyone, because our connection is through love, is through understanding that we are here for each other, and when we look at the natural world, that is what the natural world teaches us.” – Maddi Cheers

The Women’s Oneness Project

Maddi Cheers is first and foremost a Wisdom Activist. She is a storyteller, ceremonialist, dancer, teacher, poet, and interfaith minister. She is also the founder of The Women’s Oneness Project, dedicated to bringing women (and men) together to respectfully discuss and consider our differences. In 2019, at 65, Maddi dedicated her final chapter to passing on the knowledge and teachings she has gained from indigenous elders, spiritual leaders, and her own life experience. “In every decision we make we must consider how it will affect the next seven generations, based on the wisdom of the seven before.” - The Great Law of Peace of the Haudenosaunee

“You know what the two most

important words are?: Thank you.” Tom Porter, Bear Clan, Mohawk Iroquois

Spiritual Leader

Carolina Allen is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.