La Trenza Leadership Eco Hermanas WPCCC Group bios

ECO-HERMANAS (Eco-Sisters)
Lista de Lideres y Representantes de Indigenas, Latino, Afro-Descendientes y Trabajadores
Migrantes de los Estados Unidos de America.

List of Indigenous, Latino, Afro-Descendant and Migrant-Worker Leaders
from the United States.

Eco-Hermanas is a program of La Trenza Leadership (LTL), an organization that "cultivates the collective wisdom of
power-sharing" for women of color, their families, communities, and in the workplace. LTL Eco-Hermanas is a
network of inter-generational women from all the colors of the global rainbow that care about the planet,
promote respect for Mother Earth, want to continue learning about the environment and help others learn as well.
We are especially interested in issues of the environment that affect women and people of color. Many Eco-
Hermanas work directly with the land and Earth, others are leaders and organizers for environmental protection
and justice organizations, and some are environmental educators. All of us love Mother Earth and inspire others
to love her too.

LTL Eco-Hermanas has organized a group of 12 Intergenerational, Indigenous, migrant, Afro-descendant, and
Latino women and men leaders to join in the discussion at the World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and
the Rights of Mother Earth. They represent “dignified yet vulnerable voices” and communities of the United States.
They will also be reporting on the happenings in Cochabamba and sharing it with their respective communities
using citizen/social media. (Please refer to LTL Press Release 04.15.10). La Trenza Leadership firmly believes that
the only way we are going to come to a mutual agreement on Climate Justice is if we listen to a diversity of voices.

Eco-Hermanas Co-Organizer
Angela Adrar (Latina)- Washington, D.C.
International Strategist & Environmental Communicator
Web 2.0 and Traditional Media
Angela is an American Citizen born in Colombia of Muisca and Spanish Roots. Her career
integrating digital with traditional marketing began over 15 years ago, promoting the
diverse/Latino-focused campaigns of key international organizations. Such campaigns include; the AI-USA Rights
for All Campaign, the IDEX-No Puebla-Panama Publication for Mexico/Central America and the Global Exchange,
Colombia Human Rights Program. Linking global issues of social good to the environment has led her to work on
projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the USA. She has a Master of Science degree in Organizational
Management for Socially Responsible Business from the School of International Training and is an Editor of the
Blog; Citizen Inspired: Where Creativity + Communications = Global Change.

Her culturally appropriate social media materials, presentations, trainings & tele-classes have been used to
promote the sustainable objectives of government, academic, NGOs and entrepreneurs; helping them build their
capacity to influence impact. She specializes in bringing nature closer to people by developing powerful strategies,
demystifying the online experience across borders, and establishing new communication goals that integrate
traditional marketing and Web 2.0 strategies for people to people solutions.

Contact Information: FULL BIO: www.visualcv.com/angelaadrar BLOG: http://CitizenInspired.blogspot.com
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/DancingSparrow Email: Dancingsparrow@gmail.com

Eco-Hermanas Co-Organizer
Angelica Salazar (Chicana) –Washington, D.C.
CommUnity Organizer/ Photo-Journalist

Angélica Salazar is a commUnity organizer, world traveler, photojournalist, and global citizen.
She is a Chicana with a history of over 16 generations of ancestry from what is now known as the state of New
“Cultivating the collective wisdom of power-sharing.”
1
202-439-7724 I dancingsparrow@gmail.com I http://bit.ly/7h9VoY



Mexico. She is a descended of the one of the original families of the common San Miguel del Vado Land Grant in
North Eastern New Mexico. She embraces her Mestiza history, identity, and culture.

For almost 10 years, Angélica has worked to organize communities in grassroots political and social justice
campaigns. She is currently a consultant at the Washington Office on Latin America working to educate and
mobilize the U.S. public in efforts to change U.S. policy toward Cuba. Her first trip was 1996 and since has traveled
to Cuba over a dozen times. She has traveled, lived and worked in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
She is honored to be a part of this movement of the World's People to heal, protect, and demand right's for
Mother Earth.

Contact Information: FULL BIO: www.visualcv.com/angelicasalazar FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/knowmadica
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/knowmadica

No 3 (Native) New Mexico
Name: Linda M. Velarde
Registration # 1194150279-6905
Organization: Centro Cultural de la Raza
Title: Co-Founder & Co-Director
P.O. Box 386
Taos, New Mexico 87571
575 776 0303
Email: lindamvelarde@yahoo.com

Brief Bio: Linda M. Velarde, a native of Velarde, New Mexico, a 450 year old Chicano farming community located
on the Rio Grande near San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Centro Cultural
de la Raza in Taos, New Mexico and a Consultant. She leads transformative capacity building leadership trainings
and retreats that include spiritual practices as an avenue for change. Linda was the Co-Founder and Co-Director of
Vallecitos Mountain Refuge, a wildlife refuge and retreat center, hosting contemplative retreats for International
and National Environmental and Social Activists.

Linda has been active in the environmental movement for 30 years and is an experienced community organizer.
Linda was the Assistant Director & Community Organizer for the Western Environmental Law Center. She has
received the Martin de la Cruz award from the International Congress of Traditional and Indigenous Medicine at
the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque for “Transforming the Art of Healing through Diversity”. For the past
15 years Linda has been part of Danza Azteca de Anáhuac, a pre-Colombian Aztec ceremonial dance group, based
in Taos. She is the Malinztin (fire keeper) of the group.

She was a catalyst for repurchasing two sacred sites in Guatemala. She has been twice recognized by the Council
of Elders at the sacred site in San Francisco el Alto, at the sacred site in Rabinal, Guatemala for helping raise funds
and assisting all the Mayan Nations of Maya, Xinca, and Garifuno from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and
Honduras. Linda has been given recognition and authorization to represent the Council of Elders to assist them in
their mission and effort to obtain other sacred sites.

2



No.4 (Latino)-NYC Contact Information:
Name: Cell: 216-789-0408
Lance Rios Office:212-273-4841
Registration # Email:lance@beinglatino.us
1401862003-5408 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beinglatino
Organization: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/beinglatin
Being Latino, Inc. YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/beinglatino
Title: BLOG: http://beinglatino.wordpress.com
Founder/CEO
Brief Bio: Created the largest and fastest growing English-based Latino focused Facebook group. In an 8 month
period created a following of close to 28,000 engaged fans. The goal is to educate, empower and connect all
people across the global Latino spectrum. Lance Rios serves as the perfect liaison to spreading to word within the
social media space.

No.5 (Latina Mexico/Guatemala) – Washington, D.C.
Name: Kety Esquivel
Registration# 1174800024-5427
Organization: Latinos in Social Media
Title: Representative
Contact Information: kety.esquivel@gmail.com
Website: http://latism.org/

Brief Bio: Kety Esquivel has over fourteen years of experience in the non-profit, private and political sectors. She
directed Latino outreach for the Clark Presidential Campaign. Her work has taken her to China and Ethiopia with
the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. She spent three years coaching executives on human capital
and diversity in the US, Canada and Latin America. She worked as the New Media Manager for NCLR (the National
Council of La Raza). Kety graduated from Cornell University where she served on the Board of Trustees. While at
Cornell she organized students to defend issues as varied as financial aid and need-blind admissions to the
environment. She is a published author and founder of CrossLeft.org. She is co-founder of the Institute of
Progressive Christianity and the Sanctuary,http://promigrant.org. Kety has served on several boards, including that
of the Backbone Campaign, the Puerto Rican Youth Development and Resource Center and the New Leaders
Council. She has been a speaker at Netroots Nation, SXSW, Personal Democracy Forum, BlogHer, the Center for New
Words, Gov 2.5 and Gov 2.0 Camp LA. She has worked with O'Reilly Media, Blogalicious, Women Action and the Media and
Nonprofit 2.0 Unconference. She has been a convener for Web of Change and She's Geeky and is a past editor of BlogHer. Her
commentary has been featured and quoted in stories for the Wall St. Journal Online, HITN, PBS, XM radio, CNN, Televisa and
Univision. She is the Executive Director and CEO for Latinos in Social Media (LATISM). She blogs here and on the Huffington
Post.


202-439-7724 I dancingsparrow@gmail.com I http://bit.ly/7h9VoY 3



No. 6: (Indigenous Tohono O’odham Nation) - Mexico/US Border-AZ
Name: Ofelia Rivas
Organization:O'odham VOICE Against the WALL
Title: "Women on the Border" Prize Recipient & Indigenous Activist
www.solidarity-project.org
Contact Information: (520) 349-5484
Email: alijegos@gmail.com

Brief Bio: Indigenous woman of the Tohono O'odham nation, Ofelia Rivas,was just named as one of the two to be
awarded by BorderLinks as "Women on the Border". She is such a wonderful activist, so humble yet so powerful,
and unrelenting in her quest for justice against the "Wall" and a "Hazardous Toxic Waste Dump", and other
horrible injustices to the people and Mother Earth. She conducts spiritual walks, walking across the border from
the United States into Mexico at sacred ceremonial places. She is also an activist for O'odham Rights Cultural &
Environmental Justice Coalition, and Solidarity in Dignified Rage.

No. 7 (African Native American) Virginia
Name: Rabiah Al-Nur
Organization: Spring of Light
Title: Director
10442 Armstrong St. Fairfax Va. 22030
Telephone: 703.352.5188 p/f
Email: Rabiah_sol@hotmail.com,
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rabiah-al/9/6B4/61B

Brief Bio: Through Spring of Light Rabiah, has worked for the last 10 years to educate the public about the need to
work together to find solutions that will benefit the world community at large and at the same time tailor it to
their respective locals. She has attended the UN Conference on Women and Indigenous Peoples for several years.
I work with a large network of women and men to grow ideas of sustainable resources through the exchange of
culture and tradition. We have been successful in developing partnerships in Guatemala, NZ ((Maori), a village in
Senegal and Burkina Faso, as well as Native American Communities and others in the US.

Rabiah is an active member of A prayer Vigil for the Earth (17 years), Networks of indigenous peoples (30 yrs),
MPWG-Plant Conservation Organization and Spring of Light (10 yrs). She also volunteer at Fairfax public schools
introducing the students to Native cultures and traditions, North and South.





No 8 (Latino) Chicago
NAME: Ian Viteri
Registration No. is 1337585987-5780
ORGANIZATION: Little Village Environmental justice Organization
TITLE: Clean Power Organizer
CONTACT: (773) 208-2094
Email: IanViteri@gmail.com or CleanPower@LVEJO.org

BRIEF BIO: Ian Viteri is a Latino young male of 22 years born and raised in the southwest side of Chicago.

Ian has been worked for the community as a organizer with various organizations in the hood. He began as a youth
organizer working with organizations like LVCDC (Little Village Community Development Corp.), Universidad
Popular, and others writing grants and acquiring funding for after school and summer school programs to give kids
in the neighborhood alternatives to gangs. He currently works as a Clean Power Organizer for the Little Village
Environmental Justice Organization. He focuses most of my efforts on informing people of the effects of pollution
in his neighborhood and in trying to shut down two ancient outdated coal power plants in Chicago. Things like
social and environmental injustice are not things that we just have to live with. He is committed do his best to
represent his people who are constant victims of social and environmental justice, just because of their income,
class, and race.

No. 9 (African-Native American) Los Angeles
Name: Mataji Shri Natha Devi Premananda (Claretta Cayette)
Conference Registration# 1134534565-6028
Organization: Eagle Wings of Enlightenment Center
Title: Founding Minister
Phone: 323 779-0210
Website www.eaglewingsofenlightenment.org/

Brief Bio: For more than 25 years, Shri Natha Devi has traveled the world conducting ceremonies and prayers for
the healing of Mother Earth. She has traveled to Africa, India, Egypt, Peru , Italy, France, Bosnia, etc. conducting
ceremonies and prayers for peace. For more than 20 years in South Central Los Angeles, she has taken women to
the Pacific Ocean each Full Moon for the Women's Ocean Ceremony. Offerings are made to Yemaja for the healing
of the waters around the world. Shri natha Devi is a Universal Teacher for World Peace, and her small Center in
south L.A., and her Queen of Peace retreat center in Joshua Tree, CA, are very quietly making a significant impact
on raising consciousness on the planet. She has been featured on the California page of The Los Angeles Times and
has received many honors for her work.





No. 10 (Afro-Latino) NYC
Name: Joaquin Malik Sandino
Organization: Ross Global Academy/ International Youth Leadership Institute
Title: Coordinator of School Culture/ Co-Director

Brief Bio: Joaquin Malik Sandino Noguera Mujica was born on the Caribbean island of Grenada during the nation’s
revolution to a Peruvian mother and father of Jamaican, Trinidadian and Venezuelan roots. Raised in the politically
conscious environment of Berkeley, California, Joaquin followed the path of his activist parents and has long been
a proponent of social justice. After gaining experience working on various initiatives as a youth leader in Berkeley,
Joaquin further honed his skills working with underrepresented peoples through various organizations at UC
Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, and New York University before beginning his practice as a teacher in New York City and
heading a youth leadership organization.
th
Having taught all grades from kindergarten through 12 grade, Joaquin now serves as the Coordinator of School
Culture for a New York City public charter school, Ross Global Academy, while acting as Co-Director of the
International Youth Leadership Institute (IYLI). With IYLI Joaquin has had the privilege of taking students on
educational trips abroad to Egypt, South Africa, Puerto Rico, and Brazil, living by the philosophy that travel is the
best education, with the hope of acting as a catalyst in the evolution of human consciousness and helping his
students see themselves as agents of change. Joaquin humbly, and gratefully, joins his compadres/madres in
Bolivia with the hope of learning and sharing plenty, making many strong and lasting connections, while being
equipped with tools and strategies to positively stimulate ongoing, practical, and sustainable change in the many
communities he works with.

No. 11 (Chappaquiddick Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation) Massachusetts
Name: PENNY Diane Lee Williams
Title: Executive Director
Organization: OHLKE Cultural Network
Contact Web sites:
www.talkingfeatherradio.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/talkingfeather
http://www.pennygamblewilliams.com

Brief Bio: OHKE is a Wamponoag word for Mother Earth. For the past 11 years Penny has devoted herself as
broadcast journalist to elevating the voice of Indigenous people globally. She conceptualized, proposed and co-
curated a major exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian, "IndiVisible" which celebrates the

6



intersection of the native Americans and Africans. She showcased Indigenous knowledge and practices in our
Global Village. Spirituality and the bond of indigenous people with the land is embraced and celebrated.

For over thirty years Penny Gamble-Williams has been an activist involved in Native American land, freedom of
religion and sacred site issues, Indigenous and environmental rights. She was instrumental in re-constituting the
Chappaquiddick people, monitoring repatriation issues in respect to the Chappaquiddick, reviving the ceremonies
and language. Penny served for seven years as Sunksqua, (Chief). Since 2002, Penny has served as Spiritual Leader
for the Chappaquiddick people.

Through her non-profit organization, Ohke Cultural Network, Inc., Ms Williams conducts teacher training
workshops in public and private schools and works with children of all ages throughout the Washington, DC
metropolitan area. Penny Gamble-Williams produces and hosts a radio talk show called the “Talking Feather.”
The talk show explores critical issues and concerns dealing with health, environmental matters, history and culture
of Native Americans, African Americans and Indigenous People around the world. Penny has produced other radio
programs dealing with Native American women in the arts and Native American spirituality on WPFW FM Pacifica
Radio.

She co-founded a storytelling collective called “The Painted Gourd, Red and Black Voices.” The group comprised of
four Indigenous people, performed and lectured on the historical connection of Native American and Africans
before Columbus to the present. They presented their program in public schools, libraries, colleges and
government institutions throughout the East Coast. As a cultural presenter, Penny has presented at University of
Maryland, Howard University, Brown University, American University, Georgetown, George Washington University,
and George Mason.

No. 12 (Indigenous) San Francisco
Name: Roberta Salazar (Bobbie)
Title: National Organizer and Activist

Roberta (Bobbie) Salazar’s origins come from 14 generations in New Mexico. She has traveled around 6
continents, spending extended time in India, Afghanistan, Iran, Eastern Europe, Central and South America.

She returned to the U.S. got involved in local and state-level politics. She helped in a number of Presidential races
including the Presidential Campaign for Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, and Dennis Kucinich. She has volunteered
in field work in California, Nevada, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. She did outreach to
major community organizers/organizations within Latino communities, canvassed and did GOTV work in diverse
demographic areas. She is currently the Northern vice Chairwoman for the California Chicano/Latino Caucus and
an active member of the Progressive Caucus.

7



In 2006, she attended the World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela and 2004, attended the World Social Forum
in Porto Alegre, Brasil. She is very humbled to able to attend the World’s Peoples Conference on Climate Change
and the Rights of Mother Earth.

No 13 Washington D.C.
Name: Levy Schroeder
Organization: The Farmworker Health & Safety Alliance
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
Title: Director National Organizer & Activist

Levy Scroeder is Director of the Farmworker Health & Safety Alliance, a project of the Association of Farmworker
Opportunity Programs. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for migrant farmworkers and their families.
She directs the operations of three National farmworker safety programs involving pesticide safety education for
migrant and seasonal farmworkers. This involves training of trainer projects, monitoring and evaluation, policy
advocacy, fund development, capacity building/leadership, and social network management. Her professional
interests lie in making positive changes in policy, public awareness and consumer choices that address problems
within environmental, human rights and food production issues. She is a seasoned advocate in women's rights and
environmental advocacy, with experience in NGO management and leadership, community organizing, coalition
building and issue-oriented education.

Link in to any one of these sources to follow the diverse voices of the Eco-Hermanas Group at the WPCCC.
FACEBOOK:
Being Latino Facebook Fan Page: http://bit.ly/bHwobQ
La Trenza Leadership Fan Page: http://bit.ly/7h9VoY
Citizen Media Cochabamba Community Page: http://bit.ly/dmtg3A
GOOGLE GROUPS: WPCCC and WorldPCCCAllies
TWITTER HASTAGS: #PWCCC #CMPCC #LATISM #Cochabamba @WPCCC @KetyE @BeingLatino @DancingSparrow
BLOGS:
http://www.citizeninspired.blogspot.com/, http://ketyesquivel.blogspot.com, http://beinglatino.wordpress.com/
TALKING FEATHER BLOGTALK RADIO: www.blogtalkradio.com/talkingfeather

8

La Trenza Leadership Eco Hermanas WPCCC Group bios

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to La Trenza Leadership Eco Hermanas WPCCC Group bios

Similar to La Trenza Leadership Eco Hermanas WPCCC Group bios (16)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (13)

La Trenza Leadership Eco Hermanas WPCCC Group bios