Fossil Fuels, Health, and Frontline Indigenous Communities

Indigenous communities have a long history of living with and learning from the environment, but the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels near their communities, along with unjust policies, have put their health, the climate, and, in some cases, tribal sovereignty at risk. This Earth Month, join us for a discussion on “Fossil Fuels, Health, and Frontline Indigenous Communities.” Hear from Indigenous leaders Lisa DeVille, who has witnessed firsthand the effects of oil extraction on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota; Kandi White, who has been a leading advocate against fracking and pipeline projects; and Harvard faculty on how we can uplift Indigenous voices and curb the impacts of climate change on frontline communities. The discussion will be moderated by Katherine Todrys, author of the 2021 book Black Snake: Standing Rock, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Environmental Justice.

Time: 12:00-1:00 pm ET

Opening Remarks: 

• Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment

Panelist:

• Katherine Todrys, Moderator and Author
• Lisa DeVille, Co-founder, Fort Berthold Protectors of Water and Earth Rights
• Kandi White, Native Energy & Climate Campaign Coordinator, Indigenous Environmental Network
• Joseph P Gone PhD., Professor, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences & Harvard Medical School

Closing Remarks:

• Dr. Natalia Linos, Executive Director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University

Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Skye Flanigan [Flanigan@hsph.harvard.edu] in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the university will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.