The Navajo Nation has faced years of environmental contamination from historical uranium mining and the placement of coal-powered incinerators on their lands. Their residents have suffered from breathing coal ash and polluted air. Uranium mining was banned in 2005, but has left a legacy of extraction-contaminated water sources, including private wells.
Two Navajo community groups–Diné C.A.R.E. (Navajo Citizens Against Ruining our Environment) and Tó Nizhóní Ání (Sacred Water Speaks)–have been working to address these injustices for years. An overarching goal of their efforts is to make sure that the Navajo Nation transitions from an over-reliance on coal as an economic engine to more affordable and sustainable sources of energy. They are prioritizing and promoting sources that do not pollute Navajo air, land, and water—and that are in line with their Diné way of life and fundamental principles. These organizations are recognized as leaders on these issues. They collaborate with national environmental organizations, travel to Washington DC to advocate on behalf of the Navajo Nation, and are committed to finding clean energy solutions and associated jobs on Navajo lands.
