Organizing for Sovereignty & Land Justice in New York
Following the leadership of Indigenous Nations in the territory of New York State, NY Renews works to ensure that our fight for a Just Transition is aligned with Indigenous environmental justice, land justice, and sovereignty.
Indigenous communities in New York State are on the frontline of direct impacts from climate change, have unique historical and contemporary relationships to the land, and understand best practices for land care. They have also been at the forefront of climate change organizing, from the fight to ban fracking, to movements for fossil fuel divestment, to efforts exposing nuclear power as a false solution, to solidarity with Standing Rock. Their voices are critical to ensuring that we not only meet the mandates of New York’s Climate Law but do so by investing in Indigenous-led solutions, such as Land Back and kelp farming. Addressing climate change necessitates the centering of Indigenous sovereignty, worldviews, and initiatives. Our collective efforts to implement the law will be a failure if we do not act with this understanding.
A Just Transition is impossible on stolen land under our current conditions. It can be achieved by bridging non-Native coalitions with Indigenous leadership to advance climate justice and Indigenous sovereignty. Non-Indigenous peoples and formations must ally with and center the leadership of Indigenous People in order to transform the settler colonial mindset and conditions that are at the root of our current state of environmental injustice. We can and must do more to uphold our treaty responsibilities as occupants of this land.
Our work is not about speaking for the Nations in NY. It’s about responding to requests and needs in solidarity. We share what we’ve been guided to say. We do not take the lead. We take direction from Nations and longtime Indigenous community organizations, with accountability to sovereign Indigenous governance structures being of the utmost importance. We work to be accountable to both the traditional and elected Haudenosaunee governments, as well as the Tribal Councils of the Unkechaug, Shinnecock, Montaukett, and Setalcott Nations. Our work includes:
Supporting efforts to achieve energy sovereignty for the Nations
Working to stop the harms from industry and other polluters impacting Nation territory
Ensuring proper consultation between NYS and the Nations in the implementation of our Climate Law
Passing legislation aligned with Nation priorities
Supporting Indigenous funding priorities, including for schools, health clinics, and elder care programs
Including Nation priorities in our public comments to state agencies and lawmakers