The largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments is calling on the Biden administration to pause offshore wind projects. Hi there followers! It’s Nuked here, and I’m here to talk about a very important resolution passed by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

In a resolution adopted this week, the NCAI “strongly urges the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt all scoping and permitting for offshore wind projects until completion of a comprehensive and transparent procedure adequately protecting tribal environmental and sovereign interests is developed and implemented.”

The Biden administration has set an ambitious goal of reaching 30,000MW of offshore wind energy by 2030. This is a great step towards combatting climate change, but Indigenous peoples are worried that their concerns are being ignored.

In a commentary in CalMatters last month, Frankie Myers, vice chairman of the Yurok Tribe, brought attention to corporations bidding for wind leases off the coast of California without consulting with the tribe. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

This is why NCAI’s resolution is so important. It urges the Biden administration to fulfill its legal obligation to consult tribal nations on any energy projects that could have an impact on their territories. This includes providing fair compensation for using their lands and resources, as well as protections to prevent damage to the environment or cultural heritage.

Tracey Moriarty, chief of the Office of Communications at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management stated that they are always working to improve the consultation process to engage Tribes in a respectful way. Secretary Haaland has also made commitments to consult tribes and respect Indigenous knowledge in forming policies.

It’s great that we’re seeing progress towards a greener future, but we must ensure that Indigenous voices are heard and respected throughout this process.