Building Community and Sharing Stories

On May 30, 2023, Families for a Livable Climate gathered with partners, storytellers, and community members to share and hear stories of hope, grief, loss, strength, solutions, and courage at our live Montana Climate Stories event in Missoula. Watch the event recording above or through this link.

Climate change is big. It is scary. Faced with so much unknown, it is easy to feel lost and hopeless. But it is in community that we are found. It is in relationship that we are held. It is through collaboration that we come into our power. It is through connection that we find joy and healing.

As storyteller Shauna Yellow Kidney shared,

“What we’re doing here in this room is POWERFUL. We’re coming together, we’re assuming that we don’t have all the answers, and we’re trying to collaborate in a good way for our community.”

Our existence is shaped by stories. We are honored to be part of this effort to tap into the deeply human practice of storytelling to break climate silence, bridge divides, and inspire action and solutions.

Huge thank you to our storytellers and the beautiful stories they shared: Ben Catton, Josh Slotnick, Serena Sue Carlson, Shauna Yellow Kidney, and Kate Wilburn. Shout-out to our emcee, Amber Shaffer; event-planner extraordinaire, Caitlyn Lewis; and all our event partners: All Nations Health Center, Climate Smart Missoula, and Missoula County. Many thanks also to MCAT for live-streaming and recording last night’s event; to Britt Arnesen for sharing her musical talents; to the Missoula Public Library for providing a beautiful gathering space; to Good Food Store for donating refreshments; and to all of you for attending and supporting this project.

Thank you for connecting through our shared experiences and envisioning a thriving, healthy community with us.