In 2015, the Gold King Mine Spill carried three million gallons of contaminated mine water from Silverton, Colorado, through the San Juan River to Ute and Navajo reservations. This contaminated water had lead, arsenic and other heavy metals. Because of this spill, crop yields were severely impacted due to a lack of irrigation water. Since the relocation of Native American Tribes, it is evident that reservations have taken on the brunt of environmental risks. Relocating tribes to undesirable land while colonizers settled and stole “good land” has led to Native Americans getting the short end of the stick. Solving these issues to support Native Nations requires policy improvements, land rights and equal access to resources, requiring advocacy and initiatives promoting environmental justice.

We can think of these issues relating to Environmental Justice, which is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies,” according to the EPA. Just in 1990, there were an estimated 1,200 waste sites in or near Native American Reservations, including risks like cyanide heap-leach mining, acid rain from power plants, heavy metals in vegetables, strip mining and PCBs being found in breast milk of nursing mothers.

Studies have shown that Colorado Plateau Native American miners had a higher mortality risk while mining. The majority of the underground workers for uranium mining were Native Americans, which is what caused the increased risk for lung cancer and mortality. Around 4,000 Navajo men died because of lung cancer from mining. This essentially wiped out a generation of Navajo people in some areas and left many with environmental trauma.

Furthermore, we have seen environmental damages to other tribes along the Colorado River that are unfair. A lack of clean water and increased exposure to hazards plague many Native American reservations. The Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the United States. One-third of the tribe does not have running water, yet they use eight to 10 gallons of water a day per person. This is one-tenth the use of water compared to the average American. The Nation argued that the federal government has a duty to keep supplying an adequate water source. A Supreme Court case in March 2023 and in June 2023 denied the Nation access to water from the Colorado River. Along with that, the Mojave tribe was placed along the Colorado River in the Southwest after The Indian Removal Act. Now, the tribe experiences 62 more days of extreme heat compared to their ancestors and more than half of the tribe faces an increased risk of wildfire exposure.

While learning about environmental risks that have disproportionately affected Native Americans, I believe giving space for tribes all around the United States would allow them to advocate for their rights. This would mean integrating people from tribes to participate in policy-making, introducing a Native American perspective that would create space for advocacy for land rights and the sovereignty of tribes. Gaining the perspective from a higher sector would lead to reforming environmental policy to reduce hazards that affect Native American reservations. Creating and promoting initiatives that focus on environmental justice for these marginalized communities could help supply resources for Native American Nations.

A top-to-bottom approach would be the most effective because it would be able to address the issues that have been placed on Native Americans institutionally and systematically. However, it is also important to allow for a bottom-up approach and to take individual action with an issue like this. It is important that we all support Native policymakers and activist groups. This can be the start of educating yourself about the injustices that have marginalized Native Americans, allowing you to use your voice to support these communities.

Kiara Bonilla lives in Boulder.