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by Staff Writer
Washington, DC--Native American leaders in the emerging green economy
traveled to our Nation's capital to lobby representatives, network,
and work together to demand good and green jobs, careers, and
communities for Indian Country. Representatives from the Navajo,
Acoma, Oglala Sioux, Ojibwe, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations
participated in the Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference in
Washington DC this week.
"We are here to ensure that Indigenous communities and Nations will be
a part of the emerging green economy", says Jihan Gearon, Native
Energy Organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network and member
of the Navajo Nation. "More so than mere participation and
tokenization, we are here to ensure that in this emerging economy, our
communities truly benefit and lead. There are numerous opportunities
in Indian Country to do so".
The Navajo Green Economy Plan is one such example. The Plan would
generate hundreds of green jobs across the Navajo Nation and support
local, community led, owned and operated initiatives such as small and
large scale renewable energy development, green manufacturing textile
mills, weatherization projects, weavers coops, traditional and organic
agricultural markets, and green jobs training programs.
"With millions of federal dollars ready to be distributed across the
country to support green jobs, we are prepared to support our local
community and in doing so lead the Nation in creating sustainable and
just societies", says Kelvin Long, member of the Navajo Green Economy
Coalition and the Navajo Nation.
Native American lands, as well as Indigenous territories worldwide,
have been historically and systematically targeted for fossil fuel,
coal, oil and gas development, which has resulted in the
contamination and depletion of water, land and community health".
Solutions to energy independence and climate change in the U.S., such
as nuclear power and clean coal, pose the threat of exacerbating these
negative affects.
"Green jobs must not include jobs for industries that will drag out
the use of dirty and unsustainable energy", says Petuuche Gilbert of
Acoma pueblo in New Mexico, a community affected by uranium mining.
"In this new economy, we must break the cycle of being marginalized
people and forced to choose between economic development and
preservation of our culture and lands. We are against renewed uranium
mining. Nuclear is not green".
Tribal lands have an estimated 535 Billion kWh/year of wind power
generation potential, about 14% of U.S. annual generation. Tribal
lands also hold an estimated 17,000 Billion kWh/year of solar
electricity generation potential--4.5 times total U.S. annual
generation. As Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth
and member of the Ojibwe Nation points out, "The reality is that the
most efficient, green economy will need the vast wind and solar
resources that lie on Native American lands. And we are prepared to
lead".
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