COP27: NDN Collective Meets with White House Climate Advisor

November 14, 2022

COP27: NDN Collective Meets with White House Climate Advisor

In their discussion with White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, NDN Collective, alongside frontline Indigenous and Black organizers touched on issue areas including IRA, mining, oil and gas leases.

For Immediate Release: November 14, 2022

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt – On Thursday, November 10th at COP27, NDN Collective hosted a meeting between Ali Zaidi, the White House National Climate Advisor, and frontline Indigenous and Black organizers. 

The group discussed the Inflation Reduction Act in depth, outlining the need for infrastructure that ensures Indigenous individuals and communities receive the IRA’s benefits in addition to tribal governments. There was enthusiasm from both sides around the White House collaborating directly with NDN Collective – who was successful in disseminating millions of dollars in governmental resources directly to Indigenous people during COVID-19 – to ensure the greatest impact. 

Members of NDN Collective gather with the White House National Climate Advisor and frontline Indigenous and Black organizers. Photo by NDN Collective.

NDN Collective also spoke to the necessity of investing in research and technology that doesn’t perpetuate land theft, legacy pollution, and rights violations when it comes to mining for lithium and other minerals; the need to fast-track processes for permitting and deploying clean energy and transmission projects; and again hammered home the demand for no new onshore or offshore oil and gas leases.

Last year, NDN Collective released a memo providing the federal government with critical information on how to move resources directly to frontline communities and individuals throughout Indian Country. 

“To effectively address the climate crisis, world leaders must seek out and engage with frontline communities who are already being forced to mitigate drastic changes to their environment and ecosystems,” said Jade Begay, climate justice director at NDN Collective. “In order to be effective, these conversations need to be in-depth, specific, and ongoing. We need to work collaboratively and continuously with governments to get to the root of issues folks are experiencing on the ground, and center the solutions we know are best for our communities. 

“Frontline communities have been putting our lives on the line to fight the main cause of climate change – greed for profit – for decades. We cannot continue to fight fiercely just to be met with tepid responses from the most powerful people in the world. World leaders must champion Indigenous rights and self determination as critical solutions to climate change, to ensure we all have a livable planet to share.” 

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act are tangible tools we can use to address the climate crisis – but we must be cautious around the technologies and practices that are part of the transition to ‘green energy’,” said Kailea Frederick, NDN Collective Climate Justice Organizer. “The sequestration, electrification, and carbon storage technologies that the federal government is touting as climate solutions require resource extraction and create pollution – impacts that are in direct contradiction to protecting public lands and upholding the rights of Indigenous communities. 

“Additionally, the Biden administration’s push to fast-track the process for permitting of clean energy and transmission projects raises alarm bells. We need safeguards and a transparent process to be baked into the permitting process, to ensure Indigenous and frontline communities are not subjected to continued pollution and displacement under the guise of clean energy.”

Stay up to date on all COP27 news by visiting NDN Collective’s COP27 Page

###

NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms. 

To request an interview or connect at COP27 contact:

clpetoia@gmail.com

Related stories:

BlogCOP27: Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion Opens

BlogCOP27: NDN Collective Announces Key Events and Issue Areas

BlogCOP27: NDN Collective to Partner with Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, Send Delegation to Negotiation

Blog | COP27: Indigenous Climate Expert Gives Speech at COP27 World Leaders Summit

April 2023 Edition

Stay Informed. Take Action.

Subscribe to the NDN allies newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter. Delivered once per month.

We care about the protection of your data and would never sell your email or share it with anyone without your permission.

Meet the 2023/24 Cohort of NDN Changemaker Fellows Posted 2 days ago
Learn more about these phenomenal visionaries who continue to enact revolutionary change and build Indigenous power.
NDN Collective Urges POTUS to Reject “Permitting Reform” in Debt Ceiling Posted 1 week ago
“We are being shut out as environmental and climate related policy is part of the debt ceiling negotiations.”
5 things Indian Country Needs to Know about the Dirty Permitting Deal Posted 1 week ago
It is critical in the coming days and weeks that we mobilize and tell President Biden to reject the #DirtyDeal & #DefaultOnAmerica Act!
NDN Collective announces 2023/24 NDN Changemaker Fellow Cohort Posted 2 weeks ago
"We are hosting visionaries from their early twenties into their elder years, each one offering strong work, new perspectives, and pathways towards a future that speaks to the question our founder and CEO Nick Tilsen poses, “What if our best days are ahead of us?”
NDN Collective Launches 2023 Collective Abundance Grant: A Wealth Building Opportunity for Indigenous Families Posted 3 weeks ago
The Collective Abundance Fund supports the traditional aspects of wealth, like down payments on a home, education expenses, or capital investments in a new or current business.
NDN Collective and Native Organizers Alliance Respond to Biden 2024 Re-election Announcement Posted 1 month ago
“Now more than ever, it is crucial for the Biden-Harris administration to recognize the leadership of Native peoples and our communities’ ability to drive turnout in local and federal elections. The Native vote holds the power to determine the outcome of elections. We cannot be ignored.”
NDN Collective Launches Podcast, "LANDBACK for the People" Posted 1 month ago
Featuring conversations with Indigenous organizers, activists, matriarchs, and protectors from across Turtle Island, LANDBACK For the People provides an up-close-and-personal experience that is bold, action-oriented, and solution-focused. The first episode features Civil rights pioneer Madonna Thunder Hawk.
NDN Collective Responds to Biden Climate Justice Executive Order Posted 1 month ago
"This action from the Biden Administration signals that our guidance and feedback, informed by our lived experience as environmental justice and Tribal community members, is not only being heard but is being acted upon and implemented in the ways that we need."
NDN Collective Welcomes the Collective Abundance Team Posted 1 month ago
The team of three will support the implementation of the Collective Abundance Fund, which is to support the rebuilding of Indigenous and generational wealth by providing significant resources for wealth building activities across the tri-state region of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
NDN Collective Announces 2023 Open Application Period for "Community Action Fund" in Support of Indigenous Frontline Organizers Posted 1 month ago
Grants up to $30,000 offered to support on the ground organizers and movement builders who stand on the frontlines to defend Indigenous Peoples inherent rights to self-determination and equity for all people and Mother Earth.

United like never before, we rise together—arm in arm—to equip all Indigenous Peoples with the tools needed to become architects of our future. Through a holistic approach to infrastructure, funding, advocacy, movement building, and philanthropy we are fostering a world of justice and equity for all people and the planet.