Defending Indigenous Sovereignty amid the latest attacks on our Lands
This administration has already begun to attack our Alaskan relatives’ lands and sacred sites.
We are already witnessing a brazen and grave attack on our lands, our communities, and our sovereignty, particularly at the intersection of climate justice. This has been ongoing since the first colonization of Turtle Island, but President Trump’s administration has accelerated us onto a path toward Termination Era policies since re-taking office.
How is he threatening us exactly? Let’s break it down:
EO Declaring a National Energy Emergency
This executive order is set to unlock new powers that will suspend current environmental rules and expedite the permitting processes for energy and mining projects. It will force leases for extraction, mining, and refining purposes, thereby enabling the government to unleash widespread eminent domain, which is the “right” of the government to take land.
Most alarmingly, this executive order directs government agencies to call upon the National Guard, military, or other relevant law enforcement agencies in case that the public does not comply with eminent domain. It is not coincidental that we are experiencing the further militarization of the police as the climate crisis worsens.
The executive order alarmingly does not provide any detail on how this will impact Tribes.
This executive order compliments the energy emergency EO and is essentially a nationwide regulatory rollback. Given that existing federal regulations are not nearly strong enough to fully protect our lands, air, waters, or communities, this could severely impact the Indigenous lands and lifeways.
This order also expedites permitting processes, which is already insufficient for true consultation with impacted Tribal nations. It also provides the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) with the directive to develop a proposal within the month that will expressly rescind CEQ’s NEPA regulations. This element specifically could have a grave impact on Indian Country.
Additionally, this EO includes a directive for the build out of more so-called critical energy infrastructure like oil and gas pipelines. We anticipate the administration and its allies in certain states might also use so-called critical infrastructure bills, many of which were enacted following Standing Rock, to harshly punish anyone who tries to impede these projects.
EO Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential
This administration has already begun to attack our Alaskan relatives’ lands and sacred sites. This order lifts restrictions on oil and gas extraction, notably rescinding previous and hard fought for protections for ANWR, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and enables mining and timber industries to operate on federal lands.
It’s important, however, to remember among all of these threats that the U.S. government has a unique trust responsibility to Tribes. Tribes are sovereign nations with a special political relationship that has been outlined in the Constitution and enshrined through generations of law.
Tribes are not a racial category but a political category. It’s ever more critical that we assert these rights as the Trump administration asserts white supremacy under the guise of eradicating DEI.
Because of this special relationship between sovereign Tribal Nations and the United States government, we are aptly and uniquely positioned to leverage our political status to assert and reaffirm tribal sovereignty while also advocating for others. We know tribal sovereignty is good for everybody.
It’s time for our Tribal leaders to stand up and lead, to assert our sovereignty, protect our lands, waters, and resources on behalf of all life, and prevent the federal government from veering toward tyranny. Many are already. We want to assure you the people will stand alongside and behind you!
We also need to continue the work of truly becoming sovereign nations that can exist and thrive with or without the federal government’s intervention. We can simultaneously demand the treaty rights our ancestors fought and died for while also paving a pathway toward true sovereignty, liberation, and right relationship for all Indigenous peoples.