Visual Stories
Environmental Challenges for Native America
Documentary: Homeland – Four Portraits of Native Action
The Documentary Homeland tells the story of four Native American communities protecting their lands against environmental devastation. Each community is preserving their sovereignty and ensuring cultural survival.
(*select image to log in / view video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhjO6A4WXM
National Geographic: Air Pollution 101
This short video provides additional information on the global impact of air pollution. It showcases the global scale of the dilemma while providing greater context for the environmental concerns raised by Native populations within the U.S.
Readings:
The article, “Native Artists Use Works to Spark Environmental Awareness,” provides information on the ways in which contemporary Native American Artists have been actively producing works to raise awareness about the environmental challenges Native populations within the U.S. face.
- Native Artists Use Works to Spark Environmental Awareness (Hansen, 2014)
The works produced by Native artists are in conversation with the environmental issues brought to light within the documentary “Homeland”. Keep in mind however that the documentary is able to provide information on but a fraction of the environmental issues and concerns Native populations are engaging today. The artists featured in this article are interested in recognizing and expressing solutions.
The second article, “Pollution Made Covid-19 Worse…” provides information on the interplay between air pollution and the spread of Covid– and how less human activity during the global pandemic is impacting air pollution.
- Pollution made COVID-19 worse. Now, lockdowns are clearing the air. (Gardiner, 2020 – 6 min. read)
