The Climate Crisis Is Displacing Indigenous Peoples First

Petala

In the book, you make the powerful statement: “You are significantly closer to being a climate refugee than a billionaire.” Can you talk about how climate displacement is distinct from other forms of migration and why migration systems fail to recognize climate refugees?

Dr. Hernandez

It reminds me of when Vice President Kamala Harris visited Guatemala and told people, “Don’t come. You should stay home.” Yet many people, like those I work with at the International Maya League, are facing the direct impacts of climate change. I hear their stories and see how they have no choice but to migrate. Despite this, they receive little to no governmental aid or support.

I remember the earthquake in Oaxaca on June 27, 2020. It destroyed many homes, including my aunt’s. The only government aid they received was a bag of candy. I used my platform to launch a fundraiser, and with that support, we were able to rebuild 200 homes, traditional structures made from bricks and adobe. This is the kind of action that’s needed; not just for disaster relief, but for the climate displacement that’s becoming a constant reality.

This is the reality, right? Even in Alaska, many Alaska Natives are being displaced due to flooding, yet there is still no government support. Migration systems don’t recognize these people as climate refugees, and that’s a serious gap. That’s why we launched a fund with the nonprofit Earth Daughters. We’ve received countless applications from Indigenous peoples working on climate change projects.

Petala

What does it mean to you that Indigenous peoples, while comprising less than 5% of the global population, protect 80% of global biodiversity? What does this tell us about who should be leading climate solutions?

Dr. Hernandez

That shows us that Indigenous science is very powerful. Oftentimes, even when I wrote my first book, people just wanted to extract Indigenous science. They wanted a manual on how to implement Indigenous science to solve the world’s problems, even though Indigenous peoples didn’t necessarily contribute to the climate change problems happening around the world.

Our communities are able to steward our environments. In Latin America, Indigenous peoples steward 80% of the world’s biodiversity. It shows that across the Americas, we are still actively protecting our lands, despite us not having title or legal recognition. We practice sustainable self-determination, where we’re able to advocate for our lands.

Even as we speak, communities in the Amazon and in the Congo are facing a lot of violence because they’re going against huge mining companies. We are seeing land and environmental defenders continuing to be targeted and displaced. Even though we talk about how Indigenous knowledge or science should be amplified on global stages, land defenders are still being targeted and face violence from police and military employed to control them and, in some instances, forcibly remove them from their land.

Petala

The book powerfully critiques how some people claim Indigenous identity for personal gain while actual Indigenous communities suffer. How do we have these difficult conversations about authenticity without gatekeeping?

Dr. Hernandez

It’s very complex. Oftentimes, people say, “Everybody from Latin America is Indigenous.” There’s this narrative that if you’re Mexican, you’re Indigenous, but there are communities that still have to advocate for their resources. At the same time, you don’t want to gatekeep from people who have lost their sense of culture because of assimilation and colonialism.

You have to find a balance. Even as a displaced woman, I shouldn’t speak over my community members who are still living in my lands. That’s important to understand. It doesn’t necessarily remove our Indigeneity, but I do have the privilege to go to my lands and spend time there. There are people who don’t have that privilege. And because of systemic displacement, there’s often a lack of direct connection to the rhythms and language of communities connected to the land. People don’t always do their activism well. Sometimes, they end up silencing the voices of the people who are still living in their lands and facing everyday struggles.

When I was younger, there was a wave of reactive activism, where people often argued for gatekeeping. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see that even in movements like renewable energy, there are real nuances to consider. Sometimes gatekeeping happens for a reason, because people are also gatekeeping Indigeneity. I see that a lot among Indigenous communities in the United States: “You’re not federally recognized,” or “You don’t have tribal enrollment.” But those are colonial constructs. As long as we don’t speak over Indigenous people who are still living on their lands, in reservations, or in pueblos—and don’t try to dictate what their Indigeneity should look like—I think that’s how we start to address these issues.