Tribes and Native organizations nearly universally oppose the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act’s provisions that water down tribal say over projects that threaten cultural resources. The bill’s supporters see it clearing the way for major energy infrastructure projects, including clean energy. But it also includes major changes to the current requirements for government-to-government consultation. National Congress of American Indians President Mark Macarro calls it an “extreme existential threat.” We’ll pry into the details and find out what it could mean for the protection of cultural and spiritual heritage sites going forward.
We’ll also hear about a controversial reroute of a gas pipeline in Minnesota. The new route would pass near Pipestone National Monument, where tribes have historically sourced red stone for ceremonial prayer pipes for centuries. Native activists and tribal officials argue that the pipeline’s new route threatens the sacred land.
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