10.3 Indigenous environmental activism

Indigenous environmental activism is rooted in traditional worldviews that emphasize interconnectedness and responsibility to the Earth. It focuses on protecting Indigenous lands, waters, and communities from environmental threats through strategies like direct action, legal challenges, and media campaigns.

Key issues include land rights versus resource extraction, water protection, biodiversity loss, and climate change impacts. Indigenous activists assert their rights to ancestral territories, demanding a say in land management while advocating for climate justice and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in environmental strategies.

Indigenous environmental activism

• Indigenous environmental activism focuses on protecting Indigenous lands, waters, and communities from environmental threats and degradation
• Rooted in traditional worldviews that emphasize the interconnectedness of all living beings and the responsibility to care for the Earth
• Utilizes a range of strategies, from direct action and legal challenges to media campaigns and alliances with non-Indigenous allies

Key issues in Indigenous environmental activism

Land rights vs resource extraction

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• Indigenous lands are often targeted for resource extraction projects (mining, logging, oil drilling) without the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous communities
• Extraction projects can destroy sacred sites, disrupt traditional livelihoods, and cause pollution and health problems
• Indigenous activists assert their inherent rights to their ancestral territories and demand a say in how their lands are used and managed

Water protection vs pollution

• Many Indigenous communities rely on clean water sources (rivers, lakes, aquifers) for drinking, fishing, and cultural practices
• Industrial activities, such as mining, oil pipelines, and agricultural runoff, can contaminate water sources and harm aquatic ecosystems
• Indigenous water protectors, such as those at Standing Rock, have led high-profile campaigns to stop projects that threaten their water sources

Biodiversity loss in Indigenous territories

• Indigenous lands are home to a disproportionate amount of the world's biodiversity, including many endangered species and unique ecosystems
• Deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change are driving rapid biodiversity loss in many Indigenous territories
• Indigenous environmental activists work to protect biodiversity through land conservation, sustainable resource management, and asserting their rights to govern their territories

Climate change impacts on Indigenous communities

• Indigenous communities are often on the frontlines of climate change, facing impacts such as rising sea levels, melting permafrost, and more frequent extreme weather events
• Climate change can disrupt traditional food systems, force relocation from ancestral lands, and exacerbate existing social and economic inequities
• Indigenous activists advocate for climate justice and the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies

History of Indigenous environmental movements

Early resistance to colonization and land theft

• Indigenous peoples have resisted colonization and the theft of their lands since the arrival of European settlers in the Americas
• Early examples include the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico and the resistance of the Mapuche people against Spanish and Chilean encroachment on their lands

Rise of Red Power movement in 1960s-70s

• The Red Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s saw a resurgence of Indigenous activism and self-determination efforts
• Environmental issues were a key part of the movement, with activists protesting against strip mining, oil drilling, and the construction of dams and highways on Indigenous lands
• The occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969-1971 and the Longest Walk in 1978 brought national attention to Indigenous land rights and environmental concerns

Anti-nuclear and anti-mining activism

• In the 1970s and 1980s, Indigenous communities led campaigns against uranium mining and nuclear waste dumping on their lands
• The Navajo Nation and other Indigenous groups in the American Southwest fought against the health and environmental impacts of uranium mining, which contaminated water sources and caused high rates of cancer and other illnesses
• In Canada, the Inuit and Cree peoples opposed the James Bay hydroelectric project, which flooded vast areas of their traditional hunting and fishing grounds

Prominent Indigenous environmental activists

Winona LaDuke of White Earth Nation

• Winona LaDuke is an Anishinaabe activist, writer, and two-time Green Party vice presidential candidate
• She is the founder of Honor the Earth, an organization that works to raise awareness and support for Indigenous environmental causes
• LaDuke has led campaigns against pipelines, mining, and genetic engineering, and advocates for renewable energy and sustainable development in Indigenous communities

Sarah James of Gwich'in Nation

• Sarah James is a Gwich'in elder and activist from Alaska who has worked to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling
• The Gwich'in people rely on the Porcupine caribou herd that calves in the refuge, and James has testified before Congress and the United Nations to advocate for the herd's protection
• In 2002, James received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work to defend the Arctic Refuge and the Gwich'in way of life

Tom Goldtooth of Indigenous Environmental Network

• Tom Goldtooth is a Diné and Dakota activist who serves as the executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)
• IEN is a leading Indigenous-led environmental justice organization that works to address climate change, energy development, and other environmental issues affecting Indigenous communities
• Goldtooth has been a vocal advocate for Indigenous rights in international climate change negotiations and has worked to build alliances between Indigenous and non-Indigenous environmental groups

Indigenous environmental organizations

Indigenous Environmental Network

• Founded in 1990, IEN is a network of Indigenous peoples, communities, and organizations working to protect the environment and promote sustainable development
• IEN works on a wide range of issues, including climate change, energy development, toxics and environmental health, and sustainable communities
• The organization provides training, resources, and support for Indigenous environmental activists and helps to amplify Indigenous voices in national and international environmental policy discussions

Honor the Earth

• Honor the Earth is an Indigenous-led organization that works to raise awareness and support for Native environmental issues
• Founded by Winona LaDuke and the Indigo Girls in 1993, Honor the Earth provides grants and other resources to Indigenous communities working on renewable energy, sustainable development, and environmental justice issues
• The organization has led campaigns against pipelines, mining, and other extractive industries, and works to promote Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination

Idle No More movement

• Idle No More is a grassroots Indigenous movement that began in Canada in 2012 in response to legislation that weakened environmental protections and infringed on Indigenous rights
• The movement quickly spread across Canada and beyond, with rallies, protests, and round dances held in solidarity with Indigenous communities fighting against environmental destruction and colonialism
• Idle No More has helped to galvanize a new generation of Indigenous environmental activists and has brought international attention to issues like tar sands development, pipeline construction, and the ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples and lands

Strategies of Indigenous environmental activism

Direct action and civil disobedience

• Indigenous activists have often used direct action tactics, such as blockades, occupations, and protests, to physically stop or delay destructive projects on their lands
• Examples include the Unist'ot'en Camp in British Columbia, which has blocked pipeline construction through Wet'suwet'en territory, and the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota

Legal challenges using treaty rights

• Many Indigenous nations have used their treaty rights and inherent sovereignty to challenge environmental destruction and assert their rights to manage their lands and resources
• For example, the Lummi Nation in Washington state successfully used their treaty fishing rights to stop a proposed coal terminal that would have harmed salmon habitat and their way of life

Media campaigns and public awareness

• Indigenous activists have used media campaigns, documentaries, and social media to raise public awareness about environmental issues affecting their communities
• The "Warrior Up" campaign, for example, uses music and art to educate people about the impacts of tar sands development on Indigenous communities in Alberta, Canada

Alliances with non-Indigenous environmentalists

• Indigenous environmental activists have often formed alliances with non-Indigenous environmental groups to build broader support for their campaigns
• For example, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in British Columbia has worked with Greenpeace and other environmental groups to oppose the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project

Worldviews underlying Indigenous environmentalism

Interconnectedness of land, water, living beings

• Many Indigenous worldviews emphasize the interconnectedness of all living beings and the land, water, and air that sustain them
• This holistic perspective sees humans as part of, rather than separate from, the natural world and emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance and reciprocity in our relationships with the environment

Responsibility to protect for future generations

• Indigenous environmental activism is often motivated by a sense of responsibility to protect the land, water, and living beings for future generations
• This long-term perspective recognizes that the decisions we make today will have impacts that ripple far into the future and that we have an obligation to be good stewards of the Earth for those who come after us

Critique of Western exploitation of nature

• Indigenous environmental activists often critique Western worldviews that see nature as a resource to be exploited for human benefit
• This commodification of the natural world is seen as a root cause of environmental destruction and a violation of Indigenous values of respect, reciprocity, and reverence for the Earth

Successes of Indigenous environmental activism

Stopping or delaying destructive projects

• Indigenous environmental activists have had many successes in stopping or delaying destructive projects on their lands
• Examples include the defeat of the Keystone XL pipeline, the cancellation of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline in Canada, and the delay of the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona

Asserting Indigenous sovereignty and land rights

• Indigenous environmental activism has also been successful in asserting Indigenous sovereignty and land rights
• For example, the Tsilhqot'in Nation in British Columbia won a landmark Supreme Court case in 2014 that recognized their title to their traditional territory and their right to decide how their lands are used and managed

Revitalizing traditional ecological knowledge

• Indigenous environmental activism has helped to revitalize traditional ecological knowledge and practices that have sustained Indigenous communities for generations
• For example, the Karuk Tribe in California has been working to restore traditional burning practices that promote biodiversity and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires

Ongoing challenges for Indigenous environmentalists

Continued threats from extractive industries

• Despite many successes, Indigenous environmental activists continue to face ongoing threats from extractive industries (mining, oil and gas, logging) that seek to exploit their lands and resources
• These industries often have deep pockets and political influence, making it difficult for Indigenous communities to resist their advances

Limited resources vs well-funded opponents

• Indigenous environmental activists often have limited financial and organizational resources compared to the well-funded corporations and governments they are up against
• This power imbalance can make it difficult for Indigenous communities to sustain long-term campaigns and to have their voices heard in decision-making processes

Balancing development and conservation needs

• Indigenous communities often face difficult choices between economic development opportunities and the need to protect their lands and resources for future generations
• Finding ways to balance these competing needs in a way that is culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable is an ongoing challenge for many Indigenous environmental activists