Land and genocide: Mikalla N. Freisinger, Unveiling Environmental Injustice: Exploring the Genocidal Consequences of Settler Colonialism on Navajo Land, MA dissertation, Northern Arizona University, 2024 | settler colonial studies blog

Land and genocide: Mikalla N. Freisinger, Unveiling Environmental Injustice: Exploring the Genocidal Consequences of Settler Colonialism on Navajo Land, MA dissertation, Northern Arizona University, 2024

30Jul24

Abstract: This thesis project investigates the historical trajectory and contemporary implications of colonial environmental destruction on the Navajo reservation in North America, focusing specifically on the detrimental effects of uranium mining. Three central research questions guide this inquiry: (1) What is the historical context of colonial environmental destruction on the Navajo reservation? (2) How has colonial environmental destruction harmed the residents on the Navajo reservation? (3) How can the ways settlers have obscured the harms done on the Navajo reservation be explained by theories of racial capitalism, environmental racism, and state corporate crime, as it relates to environmental genocide? Utilizing a historical approach informed by critical Indigenous theory, this research draws upon a diverse range of secondary data sources. Through this lens, the research uncovers the deep-rooted patterns of colonial exploitation and environmental degradation on Navajo lands. The findings reveal the multifaceted impacts of colonial environmental destruction on Navajo communities, including adverse health effects, cultural displacement, and ecological degradation. Furthermore, the study elucidates how settler interests have often aligned with state and corporate entities, as well as perpetuated environmental injustices through mechanisms of racial capitalism, environmental racism, state corporate crime and human right violations. By contextualizing these findings this research underscores the urgent need for environmental justice approaches that center Indigenous sovereignty, community resilience, and restitution for past injustices. It calls for recognition of the ongoing battle of colonial exploitation and a commitment to transformative action to address systemic inequalities and environmental injustices faced by many Indigenous communities.

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