In 2021, Indigenous conservationist and political activist, Seth Penn, led the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama to pass a resolution recognizing Israel as a sovereign Jewish nation and Jerusalem as its eternal, undivided capital. In November 2023, when a “Walkout for Palestine” protest was announced at Western Carolina University, Seth stood alone at the center of campus holding an Israeli flag. As Jewish students and allies joined him, he passed them the flag, encouraging them to stand strong and unafraid. As chairman of the university’s Indigenous Student Association at that time, Seth affirmed that the Jewish people are Indigenous to Israel and have the right to defend their sovereignty. Thank you, Seth for using your strong moral compass, having the courage to stand on the right side of history and for being an enduring ally to the Jewish people and to Israel.
