|
|
|
It’s that time of the year! Happy Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah! Thank you for accompanying us along Loka’s journey through the year. As a small (but mighty!) team, we could not do this work without the generosity and encouragement of our donors, the trust and collaboration from our partners, and the active engagement and support we receive from our community of friends, well-wishers, and followers. Here are some key highlights of this year that we wanted to celebrate with you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photo credit: nisch neupane
|
Our team grew this year! We are so grateful that nischal (nisch) neupane joined us in the spring as Program Manager. His kindness, clarity, and laughter have brought a beautiful energy to our team, grounding our work with both direction and heart. nisch brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit program and grants management, a Master’s in the Human Dimensions of Environmental Conservation, and a deep passion for compassion- and justice-centered climate work. We couldn’t imagine Loka without him!
|
|
|
|
We are also thrilled to introduce Jackie Chalghin, who joins us as our Administrative Assistant. Jackie holds a BA in English from Connecticut College and an MFA in Fiction from UW-Madison, where she was also the ’24–’25 Hoffman-Halls Emerging Artist Fellow. Her arrival marks an exciting new chapter for our operations; as she steps into this vital role, her support is already helping us move our mission forward with greater ease and efficiency.
|
|
Photo credit: Jackie Chalghin
|
|
|
|
Both Nisch and Jackie represent the heart of what we do—blending professional expertise with a deep commitment to inner, community, and planetary resilience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SACRED WISDOM SACRED EARTH
|
After four years of work, the Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth documentary launched with great enthusiasm from our production partners and Tribal community leaders this summer at the Menominee reservation! We screened it mainly to Native audiences throughout the fall in joyful, intergenerational celebrations of Tribal storytelling, nourishing food, music, and culture! The documentary is a compelling feature-length documentary on how the efforts of Wisconsin’s Native American tribes to restore their spiritual, cultural, and environmental resilience is rooted in their sacred connection to the land and waters of the Great Lakes. It features 13 elders, knowledge holders, and youth from seven Tribal nations across Wisconsin who share teachings on cultural resilience, language revitalization, and the sacred relationship between Native peoples and the natural world. When speaking of the film’s meaning, one of the documentary’s featured culture keepers, Mark Denning (Menominee and Oneida), captured its essence beautifully:
|
“This documentary is Our Superman movie. Out there in the non-Native world, the superhero story is about one individual who shows kindness. For us and our culture, we have so many figures that are kind, that help us understand who we are and how we are. It’s not just one person. This movie stands apart because it is about the collective We.”
|
The Loka Initiative recognizes the inherent sovereignty of the Tribal Nations of Wisconsin and upholds their right to self-governance, cultural preservation, and control over their intellectual and cultural property. We are proud that the Great Lakes Intertribal Council, Inc, which represents the leadership of all 12 tribes in Wisconsin, is a production partner for the Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth documentary and will be the long-term repository for the film. Our next steps include continuing to screen the documentary with Native audiences in Wisconsin, and expanding to national audiences in 2026. We will also partner with Native educators to create age-appropriate curricula that will accompany the film and be available to all educators in the future.
|
|
Photo credit: Ben Jones @ Boldland Creative
|
|
|
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DEEP RESILIENCE (PDR) COURSE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2026:
PREPARING RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS
(PREP) COURSE
|
In response to the many inquiries we receive from faith leaders about building environmental and climate projects, Loka is excited to announce that we are launching a course program to help them do exactly that! PREP is constructed specifically for faith leaders to learn environmental project design that will directly shape their religious institutions and communities. The course will culminate in a spring 2026 in-person convening in Madison, Wisconsin. This project is dear to our hearts (we have been working on the design for the last two years) and is ready to launch in January. Applications close this weekend - we are so excited to have received so many from all over the world!
|
|
The Loka Team thanks you deeply for all your support!
|
We are truly grateful to have you walking this journey with us. Thank you for an incredible year, and we look forward to the meaningful things we will create together in 2026!
|
|
|
|
Dekila Chungyalpa
Director, the Loka Initiative at the Center for Healthy Minds
University of Wisconsin–Madison
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Updates & Stay Connected!
|
|
|
|
Hashtags: #LokaInitiative #Loka🌎
|
|
|
|
Loka is an interdisciplinary collaboration among different programs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It is housed in the Center for Healthy Minds in collaboration with:
The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s and don’t reflect the opinions or beliefs of
UW-Madison, the Center for Healthy Minds or their affiliates.
|
|
|
|
|
