Spotlight On: Indigenous Leadership in the US Environmental and Climate Justice Movements

• This video is from a panelist event spotlighting four Indigenous activists who share their perspectives on environmental justice, climate justice, and their work in that space.
• The video introduces students to different forms of Indigenous knowledge, the critical role Indigenous peoples play in protecting the environment and solving climate change, and the teachings of various tribes in North America.

Positives

• The panelists include a range of Indigenous individuals from different tribes, regions, and age groups.
• The video presents numerous firsthand accounts of Indigenous-led climate action and how Indigenous peoples are affected by land encroachment and climate change.
• This is a fantastic way to introduce students to Indigenous knowledge and how to support Indigenous communities.

Additional Prerequisites

• The panelists introduce themselves in the first half of the video, and in the second half, the panelists answer questions.
• Certain terms like sovereignty, land rights, and land titling may need to be defined for students.

Differentiation

• Considering the length of the video and the amount of information presented, students should be encouraged to take notes, or the video can be paused every few minutes for reflection as a class.
• Have students reflect on the importance of Indigenous involvement and leadership in the fight against climate change.
• As a follow-up activity, have students research Indigenous-led environmental initiatives in their area.
• This video can also be used in American history classes during lessons about the treatment of Indigenous peoples by the American government and in economics classes during lessons about how efforts to maximize economic prosperity have resulted in climate and environmental injustices.
• As an extension, have students watch this video to learn more about Indigenous solutions to climate change and read this article to learn more about the potential of Indigenous land tenure to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.