Land Belongs to Its Stewards

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:

• ​Schneider, L. (2021, July). Why restoring Indigenous land rights is good for the planet [Video]. TEDxMileHigh. https://www.ted.com/talks/lindsey_schneider_whose_land_are_you_on_what_to_know_about_the_indigenous_land_back_movementLinks to an external site.