THESIS: The Green Energy Transition and Electric Vehicle Batteries: Impacts on Tribal Lands and Communities in the Southwest
My thesis paper for my Master’s in Tribal Stewardship under the University of Minnesota Duluth’s American Indian Studies Program focuses on the United States’ government’s rapid shift towards renewable energies under the administration of Joe Biden (2020 to 2024). Particularly, it looks at lithium, copper, and nickel — three important heavy metals required to manufacture electric car batteries — and how a push towards domestic manufacturing of such “critical minerals” affects Indigenous sovereignty and Indigenous lands.
Three mines of focus are: 1) the largest lithium mine in Thacker Pass, Nevada, which has lawsuits submitted by the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Burns Paiute Tribe, and the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe; (2) the Resolution Copper mine around Oak Flat, which are sacred lands for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation; (3) the new Big Sandy Lithium mine in collaboration with Navajo Nation.
RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!
Newsletter Archives
- 10/20/24 – [017] My Deep Love for Mexico
- 06/11/24 – [016] [Mis]Understanding the Motherland: China
- 06/04/23 – [015] The Calm Advances for a Lonely Navajo Elder
- 12/27/2022 – [014] A Tribute to Our Houseless Neighbor, Jeff
- 09/10/2022 – [013] Hoarding Newspapers at the Chinese Supermarket
- 12/20/2020 – [012] Reminders to Mourn & Celebrate, Part 2: FOR DARIN
- 09/12/2020 – [011] A Light Tale of Fresh Air & Old Hikers
- 08/02/2020 – [010] By the Light of the Sun
- 04/10/2020 – [009] Reminders to Mourn & Celebrate, Part 1: FOR CHRIS
- 07/06/2019 – [008] Chasing the Chilean Total Solar Eclipse
- 04/21/2019 – [007] Crossing Borders in the Night
- 02/11/2019 – [006] Some Days, His Struggle is Real.
- 12/22/2018 – [005] Check Yoself Before You Wreck Yoself… Literally.
- 11/11/2018 – [004] Tiny Smidgens of HOPE
- 10/21/2018 – [003] A Constellation of Connections
- 10/07/2018 – [002] Memory, Prophecy & Programming
- 09/16/2018 – [001] Storytelling Over Soul Food
REDEFINE MAGAZINE
conscious growth thru long-form arts journalism
After a four-year hiatus, 2020 marks REDEFINE‘s return and third major re-envisioning since its founding in 2004. Regardless of the fact that we are in the midst of a global pandemic, allow us to shine our journalistic light upon a rainbow spectrum of innovative thinkers and boundary-pushing artists, as they engage in complex ruminations and creative solutions around the challenges of life.
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SOUTH SEATTLE EMERALD
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In a community long silenced by mainstream media, the Emerald acts as a powerful megaphone: amplifying the voice and experience of South Seattle.
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