The descendants of America's first inhabitants are different. Among the groups based on ethnicity, national origin and regional heritage that constitute America, only tribes can claim sovereign power comparable to that of the federal and state governments. In practice, assertion and denial of sovereignty often concerns the right to enjoy and exploit the natural resources of wide territories. For this reason - and apart from equally important questions of justice and cultural identity -- claims of sovereignty often generate implacable controversy.

How America's tribes can use their sovereign powers more effectively to promote environmentally sound energy use? In particular, how can tribes develop their gigantic store of renewable energy resources -- plant stocks, sunlight, wind, running water, and the earth's own heat?

Like most Americans, tribal communities know little about the environmental impact of the energy they use. They know equally little about technologies to use energy more efficiently, or those that convert renewable energy. At the same time, like most Americans, environmentalists and clean energy businesses know little about tribal communities. Yet, renewable energy can and should play an increasing role in what federal law terms "Indian Country."

What can renewable energy advocates and businesses do? They must show tribes that derive large fractions of their revenues from coal and uranium mining that renewable energy development constitutes a clean alternative. They must learn more about the renewable energy resource base available on tribal lands. And renewable energy businesses must work with tribes to adapt and adopt financial mechanisms able to protect outside investors in Indian Country.

What can the federal and state governments do? Policymakers must ensure that energy laws, regulations and policies include Indian Country. More basic, governments can collect, collate and make available aggregated data on energy use on tribal lands, beginning with electricity usage. Most important, governments can cooperate with the private and non-profit sectors to survey renewable energy resources in Indian country, which many observers assume to be vast.

What can tribes do for themselves? Tribal governments and communities themselves must improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energy development in their homes and on their lands. Most provocative, they can use their unique sovereign power to build green power.

Many tribes are exploring clean energy development. Those that join this growing group will find that clean energy brings the same gains in Indian Country as it does elsewhere in America: local economic development, production of green electricity as a salable product, retention of energy revenues in the community, protection of the local and global environment, and the assumption of community responsibility for environmental stewardship.

In short, tribes are indeed different. Yet, they have the same opportunities and the same responsibility to search for a sustainable energy path. We believe that renewable energy can bring great benefits to Indian Country and to America.

Adam Serchuk, Research Director & Executive Editor of REPP's Issue Brief series
Virinder Singh, Research Associate
Roby Roberts, Executive Director

May 19, 1998

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