Going outdoors is a source of healing that brings us back to ourselves—and connects us, quite literally, to something that’s bigger than us. Spending time in nature and building a relationship with the Earth can result in plenty of introspection. At the root, the Earth sustains us, heals us, and offers nourishment.

This slow acceptance of Indigenous methodologies has become a trending topic recently, in a time when “intersectional environmentalism” has become a buzzword. However, Native voices remain disproportionately sidelined in discussions about land conservation and climate change.

At times, it feels our voice and our vote are all we have. How will we use our voices for those who cannot speak? How will we use our vote to care for those who cannot vote because of unjust systems?

One day it dawned on me that if my feminism can be intersectional, so can my environmentalism. So I decided to define the term Intersectional Environmentalism as this: an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet.