Green Fire Times | July / August 2024  

Sovereign Energy

Advancing a Tribal-Led Regenerative Energy Future

BY MARISSA NARANJO

Since time immemorial, tribes and Indigenous communities have cultivated specialized knowledge and deep relationships with the energy sources, lands, wildlife, natural resources and cycles of their ever-changing environments. The onset of colonization, with its Western approaches to land, natural resources and energy development, profoundly impacted tribal communities’ traditional stewardship, systems, practices and overall Native nation-building efforts. In addition, climate change, accelerated by the Industrial Revolution and persistent greenhouse gas emissions, has added another intersecting layer of urgent challenge and complexity. Tribal nations continue to be severely hindered in their ability to effectively prevent, adapt to and mitigate worsening climate impacts, due to federal Indian policy that resulted in the dismantling of traditional social systems and knowledge, systemic economic disenfranchisement and other significant barriers.

Despite these challenges, through Indigenous ingenuity, collaboration and community-led solutions, tribes across the nation and world continue to forge impactful paths toward transformative climate leadership and environmental management. These efforts are marked by historic collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries, informed by traditional ecological expertise and contemporary environmental sciences and guided by respect for the interconnected nature of land, energy, natural resources, culture and the wellbeing of present and future generations. Tribes are working individually and collectively on projects that prioritize interdependence and sustainability. As national and global populations seek a just transition to address the climate crisis, there is a continual need to support Indigenous leadership, strategies and management to ensure the health of the world, our cultures and communities.