Kansas’ Kickapoo Nation Embraces Renewable Energy, Sets Sights on Energy Independence
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 09.11.08
photo: Jeff Turner
Most people in the US probably have a stereotype of Native Americans having, historically at least, a greater enviro-awareness than some other ethnic groups out there. Last month that stereotype was reinforced with the announcement that the KILI radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota (the “voice of the Lakota people” for those who don’t know it) had erected a wind turbine which is completely powering the station. Now the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas has signaled that it too will be embracing renewable energy:
Energy Audit, Resource Map to Be Developed
The first step will be auditing the tribe’s energy usage and developing site-specific resource maps of the Kickapoo Reservation. From there the most appropriate renewable technologies—wind, solar and hydropower are being investigated—with the smallest environmental impact will be developed.
Local + National Action Needed
OK fine, you could say that as nothing concrete comes out of this announcement, but I think it’s just great. National efforts to develop renewables are important and supremely necessary, but there’s no excuse for communities to not take the initiative as well and investigate what they can do to develop the renewable resources around them.
via :: Renewable Energy World, :: The Clark Group
Renewable Energy, Native Americans
Pine Ridge Reservation Radio Station KILI-FM Brings Its Renewable Energy Vision to Life
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Well, I certainly hope there's nothing concrete in this announcement. Concrete is one of the most CO2 intensive buiulding materials we use. :-)
I'm certainly glad many Native American tribes are trying to be environmentally aware. It shows that they are acting wisely, as stewards of the resources their descendants will also need. I only hope the rest of us wake up and do the same.
Still, it is important to recognize that not all Native American tribes were good stewards of the land, because we should draw lessons from what happened to them, too. The Anasazi had an advanced civilization with large cities in the American southwest- only when they got there, it was a forest. Over time they chopped down the forests, and when there was no more wood, and the land became parched, their civilization disappeared. Today, that region is still desert.