Video

‘Under the Pala Pala​’​: Episode 1

In this episode, Violet Sage Walker from the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and Rep​. Sheila Babauta from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ​(D) discuss Indigenous women in ocean leadership.

Part of a Series

​A “​pala pala” is a small structure in Chamorro culture that is used as shelter from the sun and rain. There is usually one on a farm or ranch, and after working all day, people come in for lunch to share conversations and laughs. “Under the Pala Pala” is a new video series that brings together Indigenous​ ocean advocates to discuss front-line conservation efforts across the United States. In the first episode, Violet Sage Walker from the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and Rep. Sheila Babauta from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands​ (D) join Angelo Villagomez, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, to discuss Indigenous women in ocean leadership.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Authors

Angelo Villagomez

Senior Fellow

Margaret Cooney

Senior Campaign Manager of Storytelling, Energy and Environment Campaigns

Zainab Mirza

Former Research Associate, Ocean Policy

Producer

Toni Pandolfo

Video Producer, Production

Team

Conservation Policy

We work to protect our lands, waters, ocean, and wildlife to address the linked climate and biodiversity crises. This work helps to ensure that all people can access and benefit from nature and that conservation and climate investments build a resilient, just, and inclusive economy.

Explore The Series

This image is a graphic depicting an illustrated pala pala, or a small structure used as shelter from the sun and rain, with two figures beneath it, with the sun setting over water and mountains in the background.

In this video series, Indigenous advocates join Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Angelo Villagomez to discuss front-line conservation efforts across the United States. A “pala pala” is a small structure in Chamorro culture that is used as shelter from the sun and rain. There is usually one on a farm or ranch, and after working all day, people come in for lunch to share conversations and laughs. Season 1 focused on six themes of Indigenous-led conservation: identity, knowledge, values, responsibility, advocacy, and allyship.

Next

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.