Indigenous Environmental Network

Native Energy & Climate Programs:

Indigenous peoples in the United States, Canada and the Americas have experienced systematic and repeated violations by oil, gas, and mining industries infringing on our inherent right to protect our traditional lands and our treaty rights. These industries violate our human rights and create unconscionable destruction to traditional territories that have sustained us for time immemorial.

Oil and gas developments are neither sustainable nor renewable.

Statement of Fact on Energy Policy and its Impact to Indigenous Communities of North America Indigenous peoples in Canada, the United States and throughout the Americas hold valuable land and water resources that have long been exploited by the provincial, state and federal governments and by corporations trying to meet the energy needs of an industrialized world.

Indigenous peoples have disproportionately suffered impacts due to the production and use of energy resources - coal mining, uranium mining, oil and gas extraction, coal bed methane, nuclear power and hydropower development - yet are among those who benefit least from these energy developments. Indigenous peoples face inequity over the control of, and access to, sustainable energy and energy services. Territories where Indigenous peoples live are resource rich and serve as the base from which governments and corporations extract wealth yet are areas where the most severe form of poverty exists.

FACTS ON THE IMPACTS OF FOSSIL FUELS

Human consumption of oil, gas, coal bed methane and coal (fossil fuels) increases the production of greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide (CO2) that is a major cause of climate change, global warming and changes in weather patterns.

Oil drilling and related activities fragment the landscape, leading to increased symptoms of neo-colonization, development, and deforestation. It also pollutes the land and water causing irreparable damage to fragile ecosystems. Read or print the rest of this document

Note: To save any of the documents on our site, simply copy and paste into a Word doc or other text program. You can also print by using the "Print Screen" function on your keyboard.

Archives :

The following are links to documents, position papers, press releases, etc., that have been issued by IEN, and community groups effected by fossil fuel production.

Oil:
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN INDIAN COUNTRY ON THE UPSURGE WITH CONCERNS FROM TRIBAL GROUPS

Bemidji, Minnesota - Energy development in Indian country is again becoming big business. The Osage in Oklahoma and Crow tribes are pursuing coal-bed methane projects, while the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota are entering the oil refinery business. The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes in Colorado are pursuing oil development with an eye towards coal-bed methane development. The Fort Mohave tribe along the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California are leasing their land to California based energy company, Calpine Corporation, to build a natural gas electrical generating plant. Easements allowing the building of electrical transmission lines throughout Indian country are being negotiated, often without adequate input from grassroots tribal members. Read the rest of this document.

Gas:
Nine Mile Canyon, UT: Drilling for gas seen as threat to rock art

Concerns about protecting archaeological treasures are pitted against hopes to develop natural gas leases in Nine Mile Canyon. Drilling gas exploration wells could damage pictographs and other ancient treasures in the canyon and a tributary, according to the curator of archaeology at the College of Eastern Utah museum, Price.

Indian art on the canyon walls covers three cultures - the archaic, Fremont and Ute. The earliest may be 2,000 years old. Agency officials say they mailed copies of the assessment to 30 groups and individuals. They also posted a brief notice on the state BLM web site. Read the rest of this document.

Coal bed methane project worries ranchers, irrigators

Some South Dakota and Wyoming ranchers and irrigators are worried about an oil company's proposal to dump millions of gallons of water from Wyoming coal bed methane wells into the Cheyenne River drainage. They say the water will be high in sodium bicarbonate and other salts, which could ruin irrigated land and harm aquatic life, streamside vegetation and wildlife. They also say the higher water levels would disrupt river crossings for landowners. Read the rest of this document.

Native News Links