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Title: Indian Reservations, Solid Waste and Development: Some Difficult Choices.
Author : Environments
Release Date : January 01, 1996
Genre: Art & Architecture,Books,Arts & Entertainment,
Pages : * pages
Size : 177 KB

Description

Indian reservations, long held to be examples of chronic underdevelopment, have recently assumed new importance because of their natural resources. The diversity of resources to be found on reservation lands mirrors the diversity of Indian Country itself. For example, although Indian tribes on 278 reservations control only about 3 percent of the land in the United States, it has been estimated that 25 percent of all the nation's mineral wealth is located on reservation lands (Lester, 1986). While the potential value of mineral reserves underlying tribal lands has been recognized for some time, other attributes of reservations are only now being appreciated. Recently the vast tracts of sparsely populated reservation lands in the Western United States have attracted the attention of commercial waste companies. The development of reservation land for use as a solid waste site offers potential for increased economic well-being, but often presents tribes with difficult choices. These choices highlight a broad range of concerns that underlie development decisions, including: questions about what appropriate development or use of resources might mean; the nature of the linkages between tribes and reservations and other communities; and the meaning and extent of tribal self-determination, specifically the ability to manage their own environment. The complex and provocative nature of these decisions is epitomized in the current debate over waste disposal on Indian lands. This paper examines some of the key issues underlying that debate, and uses two case studies to contrast the different decisions being made about this type of development. In order to simplify the discussion, the focus will be on solid (vs. hazardous) waste. However, many of the underlying issues and conflicts are common, and some of these implications are highlighted at the end.