Indigenous women call for climate justice at New Mexico gathering

Indigenous women, youth and activists gathered at the New Mexico State Capitol to demand action on climate justice, resource extraction and environmental health concerns affecting their communities.

Noel Lyn Smith reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

• The event, Indigenous Women’s Day, focused on environmental justice, particularly the impacts of oil, gas and uranium extraction on Indigenous lands.
• Speakers linked resource extraction to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, calling for stronger protections for land, water and air.
• Advocates opposed a state proposal to use treated oil and gas wastewater for hydrogen production, citing concerns over water use and pollution.

Key quote:

“Water, land and air protection is a movement led by Indigenous women.”

— Julia Bernal, executive director of Pueblo Action Alliance

Why this matters:

Indigenous communities across the globe have long faced the consequences of environmental degradation at a disproportionate rate, often finding themselves on the frontlines of pollution, deforestation and resource extraction. Fossil fuel pipelines, mining operations and industrial waste have contaminated water sources, degraded sacred lands and exposed residents to heightened health risks. These struggles highlight a broader intersection of climate change, public health and social justice, as Indigenous leaders advocate for stronger environmental protections and the right to self-determination over their lands.

Related: The fossil fuel industry is disproportionately harming low-income and minority women: Report