Illuminator Series 15 Osprey Orielle Lake

Our 15th Illuminator - Osprey Orielle Lake
Founder & Executive Director of WECAN Women's Earth & Climate Action Network - WECAN

Osprey Orielle Lake is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, working nationally and internationally with grassroots and frontline women leaders, policy-makers, and diverse coalitions to build women's leadership, climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a decentralized, democratized clean energy future. Osprey is the Co-Director of the Indigenous Women's Divestment Delegations, and actively leads WECAN International's projects — from various trainings and work to shift the narrative on climate justice using a feminist lens, to engagements at United Nations climate conferences — from frontline delegations, to campaigns such as the 'Women for Forests' program. Osprey was the visionary behind the International Women’s Earth and Climate Summit, which brought together 100 global women leaders to draft and implement a 'Women’s Climate Action Agenda', and co-founded the International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative (IWECI), the precursor initiative of WECAN International. Osprey is honored to serve on the Executive Committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, and has been a core organizer of various International Rights of Nature Tribunals. She has served on the board of the Praxis Peace Institute and on the Steering Committee for The UN Women’s Major Group for the Rio+20 Earth Summit. Awards include National Women’s History Project Honoree, Taking The Lead To Save Our Planet, the Woman Of The Year Outstanding Achievement Award from the California Federation Of Business And Professional Women, and the Be the Dream Lifetime Achievement award. Osprey's writing has been featured in publications including The Guardian, Common Dreams, Earth Island Journal, The Ecologist, OpenDemocracy, and EcoWatch, and she is the author of the award-winning book,'Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature'.

LINKS

WEBSITE

www.wecaninternational.org

During COP28 in Dubai, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director presented the WECAN Policy Analysis, “The Need for Real Zero Not Net Zero” to US Senator Ed Markey who was interested in supporting Real Zero solutions and approaches. Photo Credit: WECAN International

"Osprey was the visionary behind the International Women’s Earth and Climate Summit, which brought together 100 global women leaders to draft and implement a 'Women’s Climate Action Agenda', and co-founded the International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative (IWECI), the precursor initiative of WECAN International. "

Osprey's Books

The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis

It's time to rewild ourselves and our dominant worldviews to build Earth-centered communities for all
THE DOMINANT CULTURAL WORLDVIEW is based upon extraction and exploitation practices that have brought us to the precipice of social, environmental, and climate collapse. Braiding poetic storytelling, climate justice analyses, and collective knowledge of Earth-centered cultures, The Story is in Our Bones opens a portal to restoration and justice beyond the end of a world in crisis.
Author, activist, and changemaker Osprey Orielle Lake weaves together ecological, mythical, political, and cultural understandings and shares her experiences working with global leaders, climate justice activists, Indigenous Peoples, and systems-thinkers. She seeks to summon a new way of being and thinking in the Anthropocene, which includes transforming the interlocking crises of colonialism, racism, patriarchy, capitalism, and ecocide, to build thriving Earth communities for all.
For anyone grieving our collective loss and wanting to take action, The Story is in Our Bones is a vital guide to remaking our world. This hopeful, engaging, and creatively lyrical work reminds readers that another world is possible, and provides a desperately needed antidote to the pervasive despair of our time.

To Order The Story is in Our Bones

Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature

Uprisings for the Earth delves into a new kinship with nature while acknowledging the treasures of urban life and the unique stake each person has in resolving critical and timely challenges. While avoiding doomsday scenarios, Lake offers a frank inquiry into a variety of causes leading to our current global peril while also providing a deep well of hope and profound insight. She weaves together history, ecology, culture, governance, women's leadership and the arts to map out an integrated approach to working in partnership with nature while creating a more just and sustainable future.

Her wisdom, lyrical style, and thorough research frame chapters such as “Around the Fire: From Global Warming to a Renewed Hearth”, “Anthem to Water”, “Democracy Ancient and Modern” and “Honor the Women.” Lake takes us along wild rivers as she explores water conservation and the mysteries of water science; sits us around a fire along with great minds of past and present to contemplate the climate crisis; and takes us to several continents where we navigate deeper into history of culture and land.

Consider this book required reading for its inspiration, innovation and hope for the Earth and future generations.

To Order Uprisings For the Earth

WECAN VIDEOS

Indigenous Women Upholding Indigenous Rights and Knowledge, and Leading Climate Solutions During this UNPFII side event we hear from global Indigenous women leaders on the impacts of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the climate crisis in their communities and how they are implementing solutions, practicing traditional knowledge systems, upholding Indigenous rights, and advancing policies and practices of care and climate justice.

On December 5, WECAN hosted our formal UN Side Event at COP28, “Women Implementing Climate Justice Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to the Climate Crisis.” During the side event, grassroots, Indigenous and frontline women, and representatives of global organizations presented climate justice strategies and solutions, including forest and biodiversity protection, Indigenous rights, agro-ecology, renewable energy and a Just Transition, fossil fuel phase out and divestment, and protection of women land defenders.

Walking among the giant redwood trees near her home, ⁠Osprey Orielle Lake⁠ had a moment in 2009 that changed the trajectory of her life and her work. Frustrated by the lackluster results of that year’s COP 15 Climate Change talks in Copenhagen, Osprey decided to commit her life help protect the earth for future generations. She has not only kept that commitment, but has also helped transform the face of climate activism by elevating women’s and indigenous leadership in the field. Forming ⁠Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, WECAN⁠, Osprey began her journey to support and collaborate with women in cultures around the world.