Book Review: Defending Mother Earth

Jace Weaver ed.. Defending Mother Earth: Native American Perspectives on Environmental Justice. New York: Orbis Books, 1997.

The survival of Mother Earth and Native American peoples depends on the global adoption of Native American perspectives on environmental justice. As Russell Means warns in the forward of this book, "If humanity keeps abusing Mother Earth, she will retaliate, and her abusers will be eliminated." Many Native American prophecies have already come true, and it is only a matter of time, if mankind does not heed the warnings, before this world will cease to exist. This book asserts that with a holistic Native American approach to environmental justice, which includes traditional ecological knowledge, spirituality, and incorporation of national environmental laws, and collaboration with environmental organizations that Mother Earth can be defended from the destructive capitalistic greedy who threaten all of our survival.

In March of 1995, a conference, The North American Native Workshop on Environmental Justice, was held at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver Colorado. This conference brought together people from the United States, Canada, and Mexico who had different religious backgrounds, from traditional to Catholic, to discuss environmental issues. All the participants, there were twenty in this conference were Native Americans, presented papers for discussion at the conference.

The purpose of this book is to rekindle the fire of those native people who have worked so hard to protect the environment, but have burned out, and to educate non-natives to have a better understanding of environmental issues impacting the people, natural resources, and the spirit of all people. In the forward, Russell Means conveys to the reader a very interesting message when he implies that Native Americans need to talk to white people patiently in terms they will understand, which means in capitalistic business terms. While this is so simple a message, it is extremely profound and may prove to be a good strategy to employ.

The book presents ten case studies that show the impact of environmental racism that has further oppressed the Native American people and has significantly damaged their cultural life ways, which has led to devastation of the Mother Earth and the people. The first chapter, The Struggle for Our Homes: Indian and White Values and Tribal Lands written by Donald Fixico is an excellent way to start the book because it states the problem simply that Indians and Whites have different values concerning Mother Earth. Fixico imparts upon the reader, as do other contributors in this book, that whites must stop thinking of earth as a commodity, they must stop their capitalistic greed and think about the well being of the global environment before it is too late.

The case studies expose the reader to numerous environmental injustice and disasters being committed on Indian land. The book is quick to point out that "Environmental destruction is simply one manifestation of the colonialism and racism that has marked Indian/ White relations since the arrival of Columbus in 1492." In chapter two, Grace Thorpe, brings to light the United States government's attempt to use Indian reservations because they are usually remote from the general population as nuclear and other hazardous waste dumps, which she calls "Radioactive Colonialism." Not only does Thorpe discuss the effects of uranium on miners, who died of lung cancer, giving the reader alarming statistics that 133 Navajo miners died out of 150 workers, but she further educates the reader to the effects of environmental degradation when she talks about jelly babies. Jelly babies are those infants born without any bones, due to environmental contamination. I do not know how any intelligent human being with a conscious could read this book without moving towards helping to stop these acts of environmental oppression, racism, and genocide.

In Chapter four, Norma Kassi a Gwich'in discusses how because of the remoteness of the Arctic it has been used as a dumping ground for dangerous industrial waste like DDT, PCBs and Mercury, as well as nuclear waste. Not only is the Arctic effected by pollution that migrates from South America, but their soil tests positive for compounds that are found in Agent Orange, which was just spread over the people to defoliate for military reasons. When the people used the dried and brittle wood for fires and smoking meats it further added to their health ills. Kassi reports that the Inuit have high levels of PCB's in their breast milk, people are getting diabetes, which can occur from high exposure to PCBs, and the fish and animals are dying, which in turn is killing the people and the culture.

This book goes on to describe other case studies of environmental degradation and the effects on the people, the Natural World, and the culture, which need to be read, and solutions need to be developed to deal with this environmental racism. Many of the contributors to this book offer interesting solutions. Grace Thorpe contends that it is environmental racism for the United States to want to use Indian reservations as Nuclear and other hazardous waste dumps "'simple because no one else is willing to do so.'" Her solution is to educate people to the effects of hazardous waste dumps within Indian Country. She suggests educating Indians and Nations to the ramifications of becoming nuclear waste dumps. Thorpe asks Indian Nations to express their sovereignty and their commitment to the environment and the people by deeming their reservations Nuclear Free Zones. Phyllis Young a Standing Rock Sioux criticizes western water law because it does not include traditional Indian law and, therefore, shows us that one solution is to join forces with environmental groups to protect Indian rights, sovereignty, and culture. Young's paper discusses how the Missouri River is intricately tied to the culture of the people. Once the rivers are dammed and the great Circle of life impaired, the culture erodes and the ills of alcoholism, of drug abuse, and suicide begins. Young also believes that an international tribunal to deal with water violations needs to be created to insure environmental justice. Jace Weaver's chapter discusses the interplay of the three powers, federal, state, and tribal governments. This chapter argues that sovereignty needs to be promoted, for it is the best defense to environmental exploitation and that racism, eco-justice, and colonialism needs to be discussed together to provide the best environmental justice.

Perhaps the best solution to environmental injustice is expressed in chapter nine entitled, TEK Wars, which was written by Duane Good Striker. Good Striker talks about the importance of using traditional ecological knowledge when developing environmental policies, manuals, and procedures. This TEK would be different for each tribe, but the manual would contain information that could be used across Canada. Their goal is to have complete regulatory jurisdiction within their reserves, for it is imperative to the protection of the environment and culture for the future generations.

I recommend this book, for the stories of these Native people need to be heard, heeded, and resolved. This is book is written for a general audience, so people without specialized knowledge will be able to read and understand this book. My only qualm with the book is that the westernized religious thinking that peaks out occasionally taints the book somewhat. For example, while George Tinker does criticize the western religions, he also says we need to have a holistic strategy including "religion" as we move towards restoring environmental justice. However, his statement makes me think that he does not understand nor respect Native American spirituality (religion) for it is tied to the environment and in everything we do as Indian people. I guess this is a big struggle for Native Americans who have forsaken, sometimes not on their own accord, their traditional teachings. To me Native American spirituality is environmental justice.

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Created December 22, 1999; Updated August 2001