Native Defenders of the Environment

The fifth book in the Native Trailblazer Series features the lives of eleven individuals who work to save the environment. These modern-day warriors show courage, determination, and resistance against multinational corporations and government policies harming the planet.

Individuals profiled included:

Melina Laboucan-Massimo (Lubicon Lake Band of Cree)
Using her youthful passion to stop oil extraction from the tar sands of Alberta Canada

Winona LaDuke (White Earth Band of Ojibwe)
A recognized voice reclaiming Native land, advocating renewable energy resources and protecting Native cultures

Clayton Thomas-Muller (Mathais Colomb Cree Nation)
Dynamic advocate for indigenous self-determination and a tar sands campaign organizer

Ben Powless (Six Nations)
Journalist and photographer who brings his young energy to climate change issues

Tom Goldtooth (Navajo and Dakota)
Protects sacred sites and organizes global direct action campaigns to heal wounds to the environment

Grace Thorpe (Sac and Fox)
Dedicated her retirement years to keep Native reservations from becoming nuclear waste dumps

Sarah James (Gwich’in)
From the far reach of northern Alaska, her voice is heard around the world defending the porcupine caribou herd and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Enei Begaye (Navajo) & Evon Peter (Gwich’in)
Working as a team on environmental issues and finding sustainable strategies for all Native people

Klee Benally (Navajo)
Utilizes his media company to empower Native communities in their fight for environmental justice

Teague Allston (Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia)
Working to ensure a tribal voice is heard in Washington D.C.

Jerry Pardilla (Penobscot)
Battling the paper industry in Maine to assure his tribe’s clean water supply