Environmental Racism In Land

Native Americans have endured a long history of environmental racism; beginning with the destruction of native ecosystems in the late 15th century through the Spanish introduction of non-native plants and animals, the indigenous population of the US has not been unfamiliar with disproportionate levels of pollution, land degradation and resource extraction on their lands. This form of racism has been exemplified in the Black Mesa area, home to both Navajo and Hopi tribes, in which the natural resource corporation Peabody Energy has, until recently, extracted vast amounts of coal and water from the Black Mesa plateau. Peabody’s actions have resulted in a severe decline in aquifer levels and the contamination of water sources. However, due to …show more content…
However, this dilemma sparked new forms of activism among the two tribes, namely, the drive to transition to a sustainable economy that is more culturally relevant and environmentally sound. One of the most influential organizations in this process has been the Black Mesa Water Coalition, an inter-tribal organization “dedicated to preserving and protecting Mother Earth and the integrity of Indigenous People’s cultures, with the vision of building sustainable and healthy communities.” Emphasizing the fact that a fossil fuel base economy makes tribes dependent on their own “cultural destruction” by ignoring traditional Navajo and Hopi teachings of environmental stewardship, the BMWC aims to offset the economic burden of lost coal royalties and jobs by reinvesting the annual revenues from the sale of pollution credits into renewable energy on tribal lands, such as wind and solar …show more content…
Though the community-led drive to shut down the destructive practice made starkly clear the tribes’ dependence on fossil fuel extraction for economic development and income, this difficult situation has allowed community groups such as the Black Mesa Water Coalition to rethink the tenets tribal economies are based on. Rather than going against traditional tribal beliefs and continuing destructive natural resource extraction, these organizations are at the forefront of creating a ‘just transition’ from fossil fuels to one based on environmental sustainability, resilience and cultural heritage. Though a herculean effort is needed to overcome centuries of economic, social and environmental deprivation as a result of ethnocentric policies of the US government and corporations, organizations such as the BMWC are showing that through community empowerment, the scars of environmental degradation can be