Land Back: The Perfect Topic for Environmentalists to Bring up at Thanksgiving

By Sarah Shahabi

This upcoming Thanksgiving, there is one thing we should all be discussing at our dinner tables this year – Land Back. Indigenous peoples in the United States have been very clear that the key to decolonization is returning land to the Indigenous communities from which it was stolen. Returning land and respecting the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples provides significant restitution for the hundreds of broken treaties and the countless human rights violations committed by the United States of America. The movement, Land Back, also promotes making the world a healthier and safer place. The motivation for decolonization should focus on the benefits to Indigenous peoples and the restoration of justice. At the same time, Land Back is an excellent environmental policy. As if we needed another reason to support the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples in the United States, now you can add combatting climate change and improving human health to the myriad of reasons Indigenous communities should be central to environmental decision making.

In deciding if I should write this piece I wondered if I was the right person to be speaking on this topic, since I am not an Indigenous person. However, I was born on land that historically belonged to the Wampanoag Nation and was fortunate enough to be taught the truth about what happened when the Pilgrim settlers arrived in Plymouth and had their first Thanksgiving, also known as the National Day of Mourning by many Indigenous peoples. My mom’s family is originally from Ireland and my father’s is from Iran, meaning I have spent much of my life learning about the devastating consequences of colonization. Now as an adult working in the fields of environmental law and policy, I continuously look for ways to support decolonization. One thing that I have found to be essential to my own work is promoting Indigenous rights in environmental law and policy. Last summer, I worked at the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation helping to protect Native Hawaiian rights and ultimately work towards keeping Hawaiian land in Hawaiian hands. The experience was invaluable and inspires me to share with other environmentalists why Indigenous peoples are fundamental to the environmental movement, and how returning land is a critical conservation strategy.

Increasingly, the world is recognizing the role of Indigenous peoples in “sustainably using and managing natural resources”, however, there is still a lack of support for Indigenous sovereignty. Despite this, Indigenous management of lands is proving essential in ensuring governments are able to meet environmental goals. Indigenous lands see less deforestation and smaller wildfires, preserved biodiversity, reduced invasive species, and greater protection of water resources. This provides vital benefits to human health, and the United States has already seen the positive effects of returning land to Indigenous peoples in California, Maine, Virginia, and Minnesota. Indigenous nations have a fundamentally unique relationship with the environment and thousands of years of experience, making them successful in preserving ecosystems.

This unique relationship is preserved in the creation stories of Indigenous peoples. A common feature in over 300 versions of creation stories is the idea that human beings and the land itself are family. Indigenous peoples see the environment as kin to be protected and cared for. In the Kumulipo, the Kānaka Maoli’s creation story, the first Hawaiian, Hāloa, is the younger brother to a stillborn baby. When the elder son was buried, the Kalo plant sprouted from the ground. This plant is sacred to the Kānaka Maoli because it is a part of their genealogy. This summer, I had the opportunity to witness first-hand what caring for the Kalo looks like. It is this incredibly special connection to the environment that creates a standard of care that cannot be reproduced by anyone who fails to adopt the familial relationship. This reason, among many, make the Indigenous peoples such excellent stewards in sustainable development. 

There are several methods that could be used to return land to Indigenous peoples, including acts of Congress using its plenary power, buy-back programs where the government buys land back from willing sellers at fair market value, or even judicial rulings honoring the treaties the United States has broken. In addition, the general public must be addressed. Too often, the public claims that land back is impossible and will lead to negative outcomes, often describing the exact experiences suffered by the Indigenous peoples when settlers arrived in America. However, this assertion does not align with the reality we have seen when Indigenous sovereignty has been restored.

Indigenous lands account for only 24% of Earth’s landmass, but are home to 80% of Earth’s biodiversity, sequestering 20% of the world’s carbon. The environmental services provided to the world by Indigenous land are invaluable, and yet, “one-third of the rural poor and 15% of the world’s extreme poor are Indigenous.” The effects of climate change are detrimental to the way of life of Indigenous populations in the United States, despite the fact that Indigenous populations are least likely to contribute to climate change.

The focus of the Land Back movement is on returning land to Indigenous nations to redistribute stolen wealth and power, and reconcile for the crimes committed by the United States government throughout history. The fact that this movement is also immensely beneficial to the environment and promotes sustainable development is important not to justify the movement but to provide additional avenues for enacting Land Back policies.

It is my hope that environmentalists recognize that Indigenous peoples have the knowledge, science, and experience required to make environmental policy decisions that promote sustainable practices and should be recognized as leaders in this movement. And so, on the last Thursday of November, consider bringing up Land Back to your friends and family, and offer everyone the chance to support environmental justice in their professions, communities, and political engagement.

Sarah Shahabi is a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy Student at The Fletcher School and a Law Student at Boston University School of Law