Four Indigenous Activists Making Environmental Health History
November is Native American Heritage month! This and all months, we celebrate and honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Native American heritage. To celebrate, we want to highlight a few outstanding individuals making history in environmental health and justice. Follow along with their work!
Winona LaDuke
Combining economic and environmental approaches, Winona LaDuke has dedicated her life to advocating for Indigenous control of their homelands. In addition to her many environmental contributions, she is also the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which seeks to recover land for the Anishinaabeg people and develop programming towards sustainability.
Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh Martinez
Former youth director of Earth Guardians, which uplifts diverse youth to be leaders in environmental and social justice movements, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez inspires through his hip-hop and activist work. An up and coming artist as well as a dedicated activist, Martinez is at the forefront of youth environmental activism.
Quannah Chasinghorse
A prominent member of the Alaska Federation of Natives Climate Task Force, Quannah Chasinghorse lobbied for the preservation of Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge. As a model, at events such as the Met Gala, Chasinghorse has utilized her significant platform to promote indigenous rights and climate activism, constructing images and storytelling which uplifts land and wildlife preservation.
Tara Houska
Tara Houska (Couchiching First Nation) is a tribal attorney, and land defender who advocates on behalf of tribal nations at the local and federal levels. Recently, Houska spent six months fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline. As co-founder of Not Your Mascots, Houska helps educate the public about the harms of stereotyping Native Americans in the public sphere.