ENVS 014. Environmental and Climate Change Issues in Native American Communities

Native American communities face environmental issues and are experiencing direct impacts of climate change on their contemporary lives and cultural lifeways that are deeply connected to the land and surrounding ecosystems. Using illustrative case studies, this class will examine environmental issues and climate change impacts on Native American communities, current conflicts over tribal lands and natural resources, environmental racism, place-based Native activism, and tribal responses to ecological issues and problems. Specific topics will include Indigenous knowledge systems, Indigenous land stewardship, land tenure, treaty rights, politics and policy, energy development on tribal lands, conflicting land-use interests and values, tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and Indigenous environmental justice.
This course counts as an elective for the ENVS major/minor.
1.0 credit.
Eligible for ENVS, ESCH, PEAC.
Fall 2025. Benally.
Catalog chapter: Environmental Studies
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/environmental-studies

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