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By: Marissa Heard
Marissa is a Nutrition Science student at South Seattle College with plans to earn a Public Health degree at a four-year university. She combines her academic work with her dedication to advocacy and community care. Land holds stories written in rivers, rooted forests, and whispered through the wind before a storm. For Indigenous Peoples, those stories stretch across generations. It holds the memories of their ancestors, the lessons of survival, and the promise of future generations. Land is not simply a resource; it is a relationship, identity, and legacy. Climate justice is impossible without land justice and ignoring that truth is ignoring the roots of the crisis. “Land Back” is not a slogan; it is a demand to return stolen land to its rightful stewards, restoring relationships that have been fractured by centuries of colonization. It means shifting from extraction to reciprocity, from profit-driven exploitation to connection and stewardship. The evidence is clear: where Indigenous communities govern their territories, ecosystems thrive, and biodiversity endures. In 2022, the Rappahannock Tribe reclaimed 465 acres of its ancestral land at Fones Cliffs in Virginia. Once stripped for industrial agriculture, the land is now being restored. Native trees planted, oyster beds rebuilt, shad runs revived. These acts do more than heal the ecosystem; they strengthen natural defenses against sea-level rise, improve water quality, and preserve cultural connections. In the Amazon, Indigenous territories hold over half the rainforest yet account for only about five percent of deforestation. These lands are vital carbon sinks, regulating climate and sustaining one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Protecting Indigenous land rights is a climate imperative. Without returning stewardship to those who have safeguarded these ecosystems for millennia, global climate goals will remain out of reach. When land is reduced to a commodity, it becomes something to be taken, sold, and depleted. When treated as a relative, it’s cared for, defended, and passed down in health to future generations. Indigenous knowledge systems have long embodied this understanding, offering models for resilience in a rapidly changing climate. Recognizing, respecting and adopting these ways of knowing is essential if we are to create solutions that honor both the people and the planet. Land Back is not about returning to the past but rectifying it. It’s about building a just and livable future. Climate justice demands the return of land, the honoring of treaties, and the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. The path forward is clear: restore the land to those who have always protected it, and in doing so, protect the planet for all. Anything less is not just a failure of policy but also a failure of justice. References
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By: Emily Jeong
Emily Jeong is a student passionate about environmental justice and advocating for the rights of marginalized communities. When we think about strategies for talking about climate change, the conversation usually turns to technology- like, solar panels, electric vehicles, less plastic or something else similar. All of which are good. But one of the most powerful solutions doesn't come from any lab or factory. It comes from the land itself, and from the people that have been caring for land for millennia. This is simply giving land back to Indigenous communities--not as some act of charity, but because they are the better stewards of the places, we all rely on. A story that I think about consistently is Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. For years, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition advocated for this sacred place against harmful development efforts. They didn't simply have political resistance to deal with, nor corporate interests, nor the ongoing protection of the health of the land. Instead, in 2021 they not only regained federal protections, they also gained a direct seat at the table to co-manage the landscape. Now, their traditional knowledge of land is shaping the future of that landscape yet again: different cultural burns (to mitigate catastrophic wildfire), continual sustainable grazing and soil health, and management of sacred sites. It is a living example of the potential that exists when Indigenous-led stewardship is permitted to thrive. For Indigenous and frontline communities, land is more than dirt and trees. It is a memory. It is medicine. It is where identity and belonging are grounded. Losing land is more than losing a location. It means losing language, losing tradition, losing the knowledge that balanced ecosystems for centuries. Climate justice cannot be accomplished by simply cutting emissions. It must grapple with the root wound: stolen land and stolen authority. The fact is that the climate movement will fail without Indigenous people at the center of it. They have been defending Mother Earth long before 'climate action' was in the public interest. Land Back isn’t a trending topic—it is a real climate solution. References:
By: Hamdi Elmi
Hamdi Elmi is a student enjoys learning about enviornmental justice and recognizing Indigenous struggles for land rights. When we discuss the climate crisis, we often focus on technology and carbon emission. However, it's important to look at who has been removed from it, and who is struggling to protect it. Land is not just about territory or resources, for many Indigenous and front-line communities land is identity, memory, and medicine. If we do not begin the process of returning land to its rightful stewards there is no clear path to climate justice. The Land Back movement is a demand, not a slogan. It calls for repair, it means return stolen Indigenous land and accord deep respect to the knowledge Indigenous communities have about how to exist with the earth. That knowledge is not hypothetical, it has been practiced as a lived experience for generations and it sustained ecosystems long before colonialism and capitalism disrupted them. When we give land back, caretaking can begin again. A powerful example is the return of Blue Lake and over 48,000 acres surrounding it to the Taos Pueblo people in New Mexico. For decades, the Pueblo resisted the government trying to take back their sacred lake. The U.S.government had taken their lake and added it to their national forest. After years of advocacy, the U.S.government finally restored land for the Pueblo in 1970. Since that time, the Taos have protected Blue Lake from logging, pollution, and overdevelopment, and they have treated Blue Lake like a living relative instead of an extractable resource. This stewardship is a cultural necessity and climate solution, protecting biodiversity and protecting intact ecosystems. Frontline communities experience the most severe consequences of climate change yet are by far the most consistent caretakers of nature. In preserving forests and water systems, they prevent climate change and preserve life. Genuine climate justice demands that we recognize the colonial histories that have dispossessed and hurt frontline communities, honor Indigenous control, and helps land back initiatives. Land rights do not come after other considerations. They are at the absolute center of any just and sustainable climate resolution. References:
By: Yalined Rohena
Yalined Rohena is a student at South Seattle College, passionate about how environmental policy intersects with social justice and Indigenous rights. As I start my journey into environmental sciences classes, I realize climate change is a huge problem, and it's not just about melting ice caps. It's also about fairness, human rights and colonialism. When we talk about climate justice, we're really focusing on how climate change affects people, especially those who are the most vulnerable. A big part of this conversation involves land rights because fair land rights can directly help both climate mitigation efforts or hurt them. Without land ownership and autonomy, communities become more vulnerable to climate impacts and struggle to recover from damages. Also, the fight for natural resources would increase dramatically. This brings us to the "Land Back" movement, which isn't just about returning land to Indigenous peoples; it's about giving back Indigenous decision-making power and independence over their traditional territories. This movement is crucial for climate solutions because Indigenous stewardship of land has historically been centered in sustainability and restoration to protecting biodiversity and food stability. Their traditional knowledge and practices are vital for environmental conservation and addressing the climate crisis. The ongoing conflict over Oak Flat in Arizona perfectly illustrates this connection between land rights and climate justice. Oak Flat, known to the Apache people as “Chi’chil Biłdagoteel”, is a sacred site used for religious ceremonies by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Indigenous communities. However, a proposed copper mine by Resolution Copper, owned by multinational companies BHP and Rio Tinto, threatens to destroy this land. This project would create a crater approximately 2 miles wide and 1,000 feet deep, obliterating the spiritual and environmental significance of Oak Flat. The mine also poses significant environmental risks, including depleting ground and surface water, harming rare wetland habitats, and threatening endangered species like the hedgehog cactus and ocelot. They also point out that the mine would generate 1.37 billion tons of toxic mining waste that would poison their water. Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by climate change and environmental destruction, despite contributing the least to it. They often live in high-risk geographical areas and rely heavily on natural resources, making them highly vulnerable. The fight for Oak Flat is a clear example of environmental racism and coloniality, where Indigenous rights are ignored and ancestral lands are exploited for corporate profit. Let’s advocate for these amazing communities that are at the front lines of our environmental crisis battles. References:
By: Sequoia Wells
Sequoia Wells is a student interested in climate justice and the intersections between land, history, and responsibility. As a white girl, whose grandfather directly referred to her as a pilgrim, I have always felt like a part of the problems I witness so much protest aiming to end. When I am in the company of Indigenous land acknowledgments, emotion is demanded from me, and thought is provoked. I do not have land, or other assets; what shall I offer? I do not wonder about solutions; I do not envision Indigenous land being returned or restored. I see people trying to appease the obligation they feel to act in a dignified manner. We thank Indigenous people for the land we have, but our thanks do not help them—why would they welcome us destroying the planet? The western age has discredited many traditions, for the application of science. We do not study Indigenous practices or broadcast their effectiveness throughout the nation; we do not fund their efforts. We see that Indigenous people are responsible for rematriating Superfund sites and neglected wastelands turned over to them by default of our negligence and lack of tact. We profit from our businesses and corporations because we still breathe thanks to the oxygen afforded to us by those standing in the way of nature's foreseeable collapse. The underlying theme is that governments in place have not been able to work in unison, or even cooperation, with the Indigenous. The Niimíipuu tribe rehabilitated the coho salmon population in the Snake River, without any help from the state officials singlehandedly contributing to the decline—but they have certainly profited from the upsurge, evading their responsibility to credit those who facilitated the accomplishment. In the end, it is only fair to give credit where it is due. We have to stop looking to elected officials who lead us astray. We eventually have to acknowledge that many of us living on land in the U.S. and Canada do not belong. It may not be realistic to up and leave, but it is important to promote Indigenous practices and voices, and learn about any aim for which we can assist. I do not know what the ideal turnaround for the States would look like, and I do not think I can even imagine a world where everyone in this country can work together for a common goal—that is how distraught things are. I think if we support the Indigenous efforts in ways we can, by paying dues in tribal tax and not taking up acres and acres of space as if we are entitled, we are in good hands as a community. And the more resources Indigenous people have, the more access we will all have to strategies that help matters for the sake of the environment and civilization as a whole. References:
By: Sheila Meshel
Sheila Meshell is an environmental advocate and writer with a background in Indigenous studies and climate justice, focusing on land sovereignty, ecological restoration, and community-led solutions. When we confront the urgent issue of climate justice, we must not limit our discourse to carbon emissions or green technology. The conversation must also encompass the fundamental question of land—who governs it, who nurtures it, and who has been uprooted from it? Land is not merely soil or territory for Indigenous Peoples and frontline communities worldwide. It is culture, memory, responsibility, and survival. True climate justice can only be achieved by restoring land to its rightful stewards. Indigenous Peoples are essential for a comprehensive solution. Communities have managed and protected these lands for. Their unique knowledge and practices are indispensable for effective environmental management. Ignoring their rights and insights undermines potential solutions and continues a cycle of historical injustice. Involvement is crucial in any meaningful effort to achieve climate justice. Engaging Indigenous voices respects their sovereignty and fosters a more equitable and prosperous model for environmental stewardship. While it is true that climate justice encompasses a variety of approaches, returning land to the Indigenous is a critical component of a holistic solution. Indigenous communities have been stewards of the land for thousands of years, and their traditional knowledge and practices are vital for effective environmental management and restoration. Ignoring their rights and perspectives diminishes the potential for sustainable solutions and can perpetuate historical injustices. It is a roadmap for ecological survival. It calls for the return of ancestral lands to the First Peoples of this land. Studies consistently show that Indigenous-managed lands have higher biodiversity and lower deforestation rates than lands governed by state or corporate entities. When Indigenous people lead, ecosystems thrive and stay healthy, producing what they use and more. A powerful example is the Wet’suwet’en resistance in British Columbia, Canada. Despite never ceding their territory through treaty, Wet’suwet’en leaders have fought against constructing the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their unceded lands. This resistance is not just a defense of their sovereignty but a crucial act of climate resistance. The pipeline, which is being built without their consent, threatens the waterways, forests, and wildlife that sustain them. It is a stark reminder of the challenges Indigenous communities face in defending their land rights and the environment. Land rights are climate rights. Indigenous and frontline communities are often the first to feel the effects of environmental destruction and the first to mobilize in defense of life. They are not just on the frontlines of climate impact but also of solutions. Their traditional knowledge and practices, honed over generations, are vital for effective environmental management and restoration. By returning land to these communities, we empower them to continue their crucial role in climate solutions. Justice is not just a concept; it is a call to action. It looks like returning land, respecting Indigenous governance, and listening to the voices that have been silenced for too long. The climate crisis is not just a standalone issue but inseparable from colonization. Healing the planet requires healing our relationship with land and each other. Land Back is not just a slogan; it is a climate strategy and a moral imperative we cannot ignore. References:
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