History Corner: As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock by Dina Gilio-Whitaker

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Penguin Random House,
via Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

We've had a LOT of Irish history this month, but there is a long accord between the Irish and Native Americans, so I wanted to bring this book to your radar too this month!

The story of Native peoples' resistance to environmental injustice and land incursions, and a call for environmentalists to learn from the Indigenous community's rich history of activism

Synopsis:

Through the unique lens of "Indigenized environmental justice," Indigenous researcher and activist Dina Gilio-Whitaker explores the fraught history of treaty violations, struggles for food and water security, and protection of sacred sites, while highlighting the important leadership of Indigenous women in this centuries-long struggle. As Long As Grass Grows gives readers an accessible history of Indigenous resistance to government and corporate incursions on their lands and offers new approaches to environmental justice activism and policy. 

Throughout 2016, the Standing Rock protest put a national spotlight on Indigenous activists, but it also underscored how little Americans know about the longtime historical tensions between Native peoples and the mainstream environmental movement. Ultimately, she argues, modern environmentalists must look to the history of Indigenous resistance for wisdom and inspiration in our common fight for a just and sustainable future.

Review:

The abuse of Natives in this country has a long history, and the taking of natural resources without thought to renewal, has been almost as long. This book aims to shed a light on both areas, and how they are intertwined for most Natives. Dina does offer valuable historical information, and many readers may not be aware of all the events behind recent events, like Standing Rock. Dina does have VERY strong views, and this book can be quite strident at times, and that may turn away some readers. But it is an important read, and I do recommend reading it as a historical resource.

About the Author:

Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville Confederated Tribes) is the policy director and a senior research associate at the Center for World Indigenous Studies and teaches American Indian Studies at California State University San Marcos. She is the coauthor, with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, of "All the Real Indians Died Off" and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans. She lives in San Clemente, California.