Tribal Governments and Green Economies

The purpose of this project aims to develop an understanding of the strengths and limitations of tribal governments in recent endeavors to establish Green policies and legislation. Particularly, the project aims to look at the implementation of sustainable practices by tribal governments within the Southwestern United States. The targeted case analyses focus on the Navajo Nation and Southern Ute Tribe. In 2009, the Navajo Nation was the first tribe to pass the Navajo Green Commission Act; which aims to build support for small-businesses that strive to localize fair wages and establish self-sufficiency with a strong environmental ethic. In that same year, the Southern Ute Tribe announced the partnership with Solix Biofuels to develop an algae biofuel plant that would create energy needed to supply the larger power grid on a commercial level. In both instances, the federal-Indian relationship is much different and more complex than that of a State, thus there is the potential for stronger Green legislation and practices. Essentially, tribal governments can be pivotal to the development of sound and effective Green economies within the United States, and can therefore set a new paradigm for subsequent entities