Tribal Nations at the forefront of environmental sustainability

Background/Question/Methods

The opportunities for green jobs on the Navajo Nation are vast and we have the potential to be at the forefront of this movement to model what sustainable communities should look like.  Black Mesa Water Coalition has been one of the lead organizations and is a founding member of the Diné Binaanish Ya'aah'teehgo Nooseel (DBYN translated: Navajo people working together to build positive and healthy jobs for all), formerly called the Navajo Green Economy Coalition. As a part of DBYN we have developed the first "green jobs" policy to be adopted by a Tribal Nation. DBYN has made great strides in a precedent setting approach to address both the local concerns of economic development and environmental justice – "Green Jobs".  The driving force behind the Navajo Green Jobs work has been community empowerment. Over the past two years BMWC has spent a significant amount of time presenting a green jobs plan to communities and garnering input in creating a "best-fit" plan to address the needs of tribal communities.

Results/Conclusions

We have received over 22 chapter resolutions of support and two unanimous resolutions of support from the Western Agency (15 chapters) and the Eastern Agency (27 chapters). We held a "Power Shift to Navajo Green Jobs" Summit for youth & community members to learn more about the opportunities and ways to get involved in the campaign. This event was a huge success as it brought together experts, community members and young people to deepen the dialogues on a Navajo green economy. In addition, we worked with the tribal government to host a 2-day work-session for council members on Green Jobs. We have been instrumental in facilitating discussions about job creation outside those that continue to exploit both our lands and our people.