Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice and Tribal Rights

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental policies, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income. For Tribes, environmental justice is deeply tied to the protection of sacred lands, natural resources, and cultural heritage. Tribes often face disproportionate environmental burdens, such as pollution, resource exploitation, and climate change, due to historical marginalization and inadequate consultation in policy decisions.

Achieving Environmental Justice for Tribes

Achieving environmental justice means recognizing Tribal sovereignty, honoring treaty rights, and addressing these inequities to ensure sustainable, culturally respectful solutions for Tribal communities.

To discover how NIHB is collaborating with Tribes on Environmental Justice, or to join NIHB’s network of Tribes and organizations working towards Environmental Justice, Click on Learn More

To learn more about Environmental Justice Funding Opportunities, Click on Funding

Regional Tribal Environmental Health Summit Series

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to host a series of free regional summits on the topic of environmental health in Indian Country. Each summit featured Tribal leaders, environmental health practitioners, subject matter experts, and federal partners engaging on topics relevant to each region. The summits intended to connect people from different professional backgrounds and Tribes, communities, federal agencies, Tribal organizations and state and local entities to address various environmental health and environmental justice issues affecting Indian Country. Each summit was designed for participants to:

  • Exchange knowledge,
  • Share best practices,
  • Provide policy recommendations, and
  • Identify solutions to address environmental health and environmental justice/health equity issues affecting Tribal communities.

To watch the videos from the series, click here:

Superfund sites are polluted locations requiring long-term cleanup of hazardous material contaminations. Superfund sites disproportionally impact people of color and low income communities, including 19 Superfund sites and 3 proposed Superfund sites on the National Priorities List on Tribal lands, and within 10 miles of Tribal land there are 141 sites and 8 proposed sites. See our Story Map to learn more.

Superfund Site Story Map

information hub

Environmental Justice news
Environmental Justice resources
Environmental Justice Partner Resources
Upcoming Events
March 4, 2025 - March 5, 2025

National Indian Health Board will host the Tribal Health Data Symposium on March 4–5, 2025

related multi-media
Browse the rest of Environmental Health

Explore more about our mission and work

SEARCH

NIHB Response to Executive Orders

President Trump’s recent Executive Orders on federal funding could have serious implications for Tribal health. NIHB is actively advocating for Tribal Nations and providing key updates—click to learn more and access resources.