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Lucia Garay

Honors English Period 5

Ms Gardner

April 26, 2018

Indigenous Injustice:

Environmental Abuse of Native Communities in the Americas

Climate change has an affect on all races, demographics, and ethnicities; although, it does

scope of effects differs throughout all of these groups. Reflecting the devastating statistics that

prove Indigenous Americans are more likely to be sexual assaulted, live in poverty, be

unemployed, lack a steady job, never be educated beyond high school, and die from an opioid

overdose than nearly any other demographic (“Facts”); evidence suggests that misuse of the

environment and depletion of natural resources brutally impacts not only the health and safety of

indigenous communities, but their cultural fabric as well. As one of the world leaders in the

production of natural resources like coal, natural gases, lumber, uranium, and other minerals;

much of the natural heritage and ecosystems of the United States are currently being threatened

by poor environmental management and resource depletion. Because many of these remaining

resources are located on or near land that is either owned by or sacred to Native American

culture, these communities are often devastated and abused by corporations in their pursuit of

profit and they arguably bear the greatest burden of environmental racism in the country.

Beginning in the 19th century, the United States has been making progress towards conserving

the environment; since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, however, the nation has

experienced an erosion of previously established measures meant to protect resources and nature
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and a major disregard of the human rights elements related to these issues. From the 85%

reduction of Bears Ears National Monument, home to Native American artifacts and monuments,

to the endorsement and protection of the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline, which runs through Native

American territory, indigenous rights and environmental conservation are being increasingly

dismissed and destroyed. The rights of indigenous people in America in relation to the

destruction of the environment need to be protected because these communities are grossly taken

advantage of by those seeking profit, irresponsible resource extraction can harm the health and

safety of the communities, and without their unique cultures the nation could lose a vital part of

its heritage and essential voices in the conservation act.

Contrary to these dempgraphics, many would argue that natural preserves and

conservationist laws waste resources that should be extracted and used for the betterment of the

American economy. Supporters of removing federal protection from national monuments claim

that the land should be more available to locals who know best how to protect and use the land.

“The recommendations I sent to the president on national monuments will maintain federal

ownership of all federal land and protect the land under federal environmental regulations,”

claimed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke of his recommendation to President Trump to drastically

reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. “and also

provide a much needed change for the local communities who border and rely on these lands for

hunting and fishing, economic development, traditional uses, and recreation" (qtd. in Eilperin).

Stephen Moore and Jackson Coleman, policy analysts for the ​Weekly Standard​, suggest that a

“pro-drilling energy strategy” would raise gross domestic product, and reduce U.S. trade deficit,

unemployment, and cost of oil. Those who do not support environmental conservation and
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protection by the federal government allege that opening the resources found on this land to the

public and to corporations will benefit the American economy. Although it is true that natural

resources are one of America’s most valuable commodities, the human and civil rights violations

related to improper use of the environment is too high of a price to pay for the revenue,

especially for the priceless protection of Native American communities.

While it must be admitted that extraction of natural resources can provide profit to the

American economy, and many industries give back to the indigenous communities whose land

they are using through payments, infrastructure, and job opportunities. Even so, many indigenous

communities in the United States and South America feel their rights to the land are being

ignored by profit-seeking corporations. ​Washington Post​ reporters Todd C. Frankel and Peter

Whoriskey​ ​observe that “faraway companies [profit] from mineral riches while the communities

that own the land struggle to pay for sewage systems, drinking water and heat for schools”.

Bruno Fornillo, a researcher at Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council,

remarks that companies mining for lithium on land sacred to the aboriginal communities “really

think the indigenous are like stones in the road. If there's a problem, they have to kick it aside”

(qtd. in Frankel). The irresponsibility and disregard of indigenous rights by mining companies in

South America are an example of the discrimination faced by indigenous communities with

access to resource-rich lands everywhere. Land sacred to native culture and livelihoods is

drained and used for profit, but the communities that are most affected see little to none of the

gain. If the land of indigenous people is to be used, it should be done respectfully and

responsibly, so that affected communities benefit and their health, safety, and dignity is not

compromised.
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In addition to the exploitation of indigenous communities by companies working to

extract raw resources, the irresponsible actions of corporations and the federal government have

been known to endanger the health and safety of native communities with little regard to their

basic human rights and cultural claim to the land. It has been reported that mining companies

deplete resources vital to indigenous people. For example, in the example provided earlier in

"The Price of 'White Gold' Mobile Power, Human Toll", companies mining for lithium in the

sacred Olaroz-Cauchari Salt Flats owned by aboriginal Argentinians caused some of the

aboriginals to be deeply concerned that lithium mining will worsen the already devastating water

shortages. "It is clear that both companies are violating rules regarding the use of water for

extraction of lithium," Marcos Espinosa, a member of the country's Chamber of Deputies, points

out: “the environmental problems that we have in the Salar de Atacama would not have

happened" (qtd in Frankel). In addition, the federal government often causes and the ignores the

environmental hazards faced by indigenous communities. ​Arizona Republic ​reporters Lauren

Kaljur and Macee Beheler write of one tribes fight for clean water funding. Apsaalooke Nation

member John Doyle noticed signs of obvious contamination in the river “from which tribal

members would drink, swim and practice religious ceremonies,” Doyle took this information to

the Bureau of Indian Affairs over several years with no results, or even an interest. Eventually

Doyle was forced to raise funds to clean the river himself, a circumstance which is not entirely

uncommon, as Kaljur and Beheler report that “tribal water systems averaged about 60 percent

more water-quality violations compared with non-tribal water systems.” This article also claims

that these dangerous water-quality violations are a result of “extensive mining and farming

activities on or near their land, whether approved by the tribe or not.” This obvious neglect is an
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example of the discrimination and environmental racism indigenous people must face on a

regular basis. Because they are a minority, the health and safety of Native Americans and the

environments in which they live are not prioritized with the intensity that they should be.

Contrary to this behavior, the health of Native American communities should be treated as an

indicator of the state of environmental conservation across the country: if our most vulnerable

communities are not being protected, conservation in the United States is severely lacking.

Finally, the protection of indigenous communities and culture is vital to learning how to

make environmental conservation in the United States more successful. Environmental issues do

not solely affect Indigenous communities; protecting the environment should be a major concern

or every citizen and recognizing and working to solve issues facing indigenous communities

would prove beneficial to the nation as a whole. Scientists and conservationists have been taking

major cues from indigenous communities on how to better restore and steward America’s

Natural heritage. Felicity Barringer, a national environmental correspondent for the Bill Lane

Center for the American West, provides an example of this relationship in her article ​Native

Fishing Rights Take on a Role as Environmental Protector​, which details the restoration of water

habitats in the Pacific Northwest as a result of several native tribes working to protect their rights

to practice traditional fishing. Joseph Dussault of the ​Christian Science Monitor​ argues that “ a

cooperative effort – one that combines the explicit, "that" knowledge of professional

conservationists with the tacit, "how" knowledge of indigenous peoples – could produce

healthier social-ecological systems in the long run.”​ ​Dussault goes on to say that “environmental

stewardship could also mean political empowerment for indigenous communities who have been

historically taken advantage of by governments and commercial interests.” The acts of

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indigenous people simply fighting for their rights or for cleaner homes have been known to result

in major conservation and restoration projects. By taking cues from indigenous people, the

scientific community has better learned how to effectively protect the environment while also

meeting the needs of the people that live there. In essence, to protect indigenous culture is to

protect the interests of our environment.

In short, it must be recognized and dealt with that indigenous communities must be

protected from the extreme strain of environmental racism they face because these communities

are continually taken advantage of, their health is threatened by irresponsible resource extraction,

and without these cultures the nation will lose an important aspect of improving environmental

restoration. "By taking stock of the ways that people have historically lived in sustainable ways,

we can elevate and validate those approaches," says Ashwin Ravikumar, an environmental social

scientist at Amherst University. "We can give communities pathways to insist, to government

actors and folks who are trying to work in their landscape, that they are good stewards of natural

resources" (qtd. in Dussault). People must be made aware of this information so they can take

action to defend and support indigenous rights as one of the most disadvantaged demographics in

the country.
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Works Cited

Barringer, Felicity. “In the Pacific Northwest, Native Fishing Rights Take on a Role as

Environmental Protector.” ​The Bill Lane Center for the American West​, Stanford

University, 7 Dec. 2016,

west.stanford.edu/news/blogs/and-the-west-blog/2016/pacific-northwest-native-fishing-ri

ghts-take-role-environmental-protector.

Dussault, Joseph. "Is Culture Missing from Conservation? Scientists Take Cues."​ Christian

Science Monitor​, 24 Nov, 2017, pp. n/a​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks.sirs.com.

Eilperin, Juliet, and Darryl Fears. "Interior Urges Shrinking 3 National Monuments."

Washington Post​, 25 Aug, 2017, pp. A.1​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks.sirs.com.

"Facts for Features: American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2015."

United States Census Bureau​, 2 Nov. 2015,

www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2015/cb15-ff22.html. Accessed 23 Apr.

2018.

Frankel, Todd C., and Peter Whoriskey. "The Price of 'White Gold' Mobile Power, Human Toll."

Washington Post​, 20 Dec, 2016, pp. A.1​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks.sirs.com.

Moore, Stephen, and Jackson Coleman. "Untapped Revenue."​ Weekly Standard​, Apr, 2017, pp.

16​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks.sirs.com.

Kaljur, Lauren, and Macee Beheler. "Tribes Fight for Water, Funding."​ Arizona Republic​, 03

Sep, 2017, pp. A.21​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks.sirs.com.