Date of Award
Spring 6-7-2024
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of arts (BA)
Department
Global Honors
First Advisor
Danica Miller
Abstract
Since time immemorial, Indigenous communities worldwide have practiced what I will refer to as “Indigenous environmentalism.” This type of environmentalism is adapted to the indigenous communities’ specific geographies. Ever since the white settlers exploited them and their land, white environmentalism and its colonial mindset has attempted to erase many of Indigenous communities and their lifestyles, especially in relation to the natural world. Many traditional practices revolve around Indigenous people’s close relationship to their homelands.
The problem of the domination of white environmentalism remains in the 21st century as human-induced climate change has become a hot topic amongst modern environmentalists and politicians. We must understand and acknowledge the long and painful history of Indigenous communities and their relationship to white environmentalism. To support my thesis, existing literature will be reviewed, some by Indigenous writers, due to them and their ancestors living through white environmentalism. This will help to fill in the gaps, due to environmental discourse being dominated solely by colonial perspectives.
As for the structure I will work in chronological order, starting with Indigenous environmentalism, practiced for thousands of years, and varied worldwide. Next, information when the white settlers came to the New World to “tame the wilderness”, during the early and mid-periods of North American colonization. After, I will provide examples of white environmentalism harming Indigenous livelihoods, such as the Makah. Lastly, I will discuss ways to move forward whilst collaborating with Indigenous communities for environmental issues such as climate change.
By understanding the intersection between Indigenous communities and white environmentalism, we can bridge gaps in Western (white) scientific literature, with traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge. It’s not just about supporting Indigenous communities. Sustainable ideas based on thousands of years of traditional ecological knowledge brought forth could allow us to produce more sustainable practices in the face of many environmental issues. After all, Indigenous communities have sustained the land and sea during many ecological changes.
Recommended Citation
Rawlings, Catherine, "From Colonialism to Collaboration: A History of U.S. Environmentalism with Indigenous Communities" (2024). Global Honors Theses. 96.
https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gh_theses/96