Anti-pipeline activists feel energized after the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline announced it would terminate the project following a more than decade-long battle.
For the Isleta Pueblo, that could mean funding for advanced irrigation or new sustainable revenue streams.
âWeâve been dealing with drought for decades. But this summer is actually going to be really, really dire for lots of indigenous, but also people of color farmers,â said Jade Begay of the NDN Collective, an indigenous-led justice organization that advocates for access to clean water.
Done right, experts say, the Justice40 program could designate millions or billions of dollars to communities in need and employ extensive planning and analysis. Done wrong, it could turn into a slush fund for pet projects that donât necessarily reduce inequality. Just sending money to communities might not necessarily lead to local pollution reductions and to new, more sustainable jobs for the people who need them most.
Administration is pledging to send 40 percent of the benefits of climate and environment spending to disadvantaged communities, but getting it right will be difficult.
Apr 22, 2021
Tribal citizen installs solar system for family on the Picuris Pueblo, Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund. (Photo courtesy of Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund)
Itâs not an easy answer #EarthDayEveryDay
Indigenous nations can combat climate change by noticing environmental changes, having leadership acting on it and, maybe, by just listening to grandma.
“Conservation comes more (naturally) to a Navajo grandma cause she’s always conserved her whole life. They lived through world wars, they know how to not use a lot of things and really hold things back until they really need it,” Sandra Begay-Campbell said. “You had to do with the minimal amount you had.”