The Environmental Crisis on Native American Lands

At 3 Generations, we have long believed it important to bring worldwide attention to the degradation of Native American lands due to oil extraction. To that end, we made, and are still distributing the film A Different American Dream. We were distressed to learn that climate change is also having a negative impact on those same stunningly beautiful lands. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home to the Oglala Sioux Nation, has been hit with a weather-induced humanitarian disaster.  As The New York Times recently reported, massive amounts of snow have produced terrible flooding and created a state of emergency in South Dakota. Residents do not have the resources to deal with a crisis of this magnitude, and outside help has also been “conspicuously low”. This flooding has been the worst the reservation has seen in at least a generation.

This environmental disaster is exacerbated by the challenges that already plague Native Americans all over the U.S. Half of Pine Ridge’s residents live in poverty and the unemployment rate is 20 percent. Circumstances that have made the situation in Pine Ridge a perfect “collision of nature, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure”.

Unfortunately, these are not coincidental nor surprising given our country’s treatment of Native Americans. Evidence shows that climate change is taking the largest toll on poor and vulnerable people. And much of the harm is not by accident, but because of the failure of governments to close the development gaps that leave Native Americans, at risk. Governments have the power to redress these inequalities and build climate change resilience. Until that happens it is incumbent upon us to bring attention to these crises.

Ultimately it is the youth on reservations will be most adversely impacted by climate change.  Thus, at 3 Generations, we are making a commitment to create and support programs that focus on empowering Native American youth. These include helping the next generation of Native filmmakers and activists find their own voice to fight for change. Watch this space for upcoming details about these programs. In the meantime, our films A Different American Dream and Native Silence are available for educational and community screenings.