2024/09/01 by Cynthia Boyer, Henry H. Fowler, Kelly Tzoumis · 1 voice
Environmental Science · #Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond #Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
paper · doi:10.3167/ares.2024.150110
openalex publication_date 2024/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/07
Abstract Restoration ecology has often prioritized Western science, neglecting Indigenous expertise. This article examines the U.S. government's ecological restoration efforts on the Navajo Nation, addressing the impacts of uranium mining. Diné cultural values, grounded in hózhó (harmony and respect for the land), offer a perspective on environmental healing. Historical discrimination, like The Long Walk and boarding schools, illustrates the systemic displacement of the Diné from their ancestral lands, the dinétah. Contemporary restoration strategies, influenced by neocolonialist views, result in inadequate efforts termed ‘wastelanding,’ shaped by racial and poverty biases. Environmental justice issues arise from these insufficient approaches and the restrictive legal frameworks of trust lands, which hinder Indigenous land ownership. The article underscores the necessity of integrating Indigenous self-determination and cultural values into effective ecological restoration.