DURANGO, COLO.— Energy and mining projects have long intersected with Tribal Nations in complex ways, at times resulting in environmental and health harms, and in other instances supporting Tribal economic development and self-determination. As global demand for critical minerals grows, Indigenous communities are navigating these decisions as sovereign governments with distinct histories, priorities and values.

Fort Lewis College will host a Community Energy Symposium in spring 2027, convening Indigenous leaders and energy and environmental professionals to examine environmental justice, resource sovereignty, and community-engaged approaches to development.

The event is funded by a grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support research on community responses to the growing demand for critical minerals tied to the global energy transition. The three-year project, which also received support from the FLC Provost Office, is co-led by FLC faculty Michelle Larkins, Kathy Hilimire, and Carma Claw.

“This symposium reflects the kind of scholarship Fort Lewis College is uniquely positioned to lead,” said FLC Provost Mario Martinez. “By bringing Indigenous leadership, business expertise, and environmental research into the same conversation, we are advancing rigorous academic inquiry while honoring our responsibility to engage these issues in ways that are grounded in community and history.”

Reconciliation at work

“Hosting what we hope will be the first of many conversations on this topic at Fort Lewis College, underscores the importance of intentional energy transitions to the Four Corners region, and a shared commitment to ensuring that our energy futures do not repeat the mistakes as our energy past,” said Larkins, Ph.D., assistant professor of Environment and Sustainability. “For our campus, this also reflects how we are connecting our research, curriculum, and engagement to the Reconciliation efforts of our 2030 Strategic Plan.  We are excited to learn from Indigenous leaders and bring together our campus and wider community to think critically about centering justice and sustainability in energy transitions,” Larkins said.

 

“Our research identifies spaces created by energy transitions for environmental responsibility and community leadership,” added Kathy Hilimire, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of Environment & Sustainability. “The multidisciplinary team is studying topics ranging from critical mineral recovery, acid mine drainage and waste rock to community engagement with critical mineral projects, and innovative ways of teaching about complex and controversial topics,” she said.

Self-determination 

For Claw, Ph.D., assistant professor of management at the Katz School of Business at FLC and a citizen of the Diné (Navajo) Nation, the work brings a business and sovereignty lens to conversations often dominated by environmental or technical perspectives.

“This work is rooted in the historical tension between market efficiency, the definitions of value and ownership, and sovereignty,” Claw said. Claw’s research focuses on management within Tribal enterprises and the role of sovereignty as a strategic asset in economic development. She notes that for many Tribal Nations, including the Navajo Nation, energy development carries a complex legacy.

“For my tribal nation, uranium has long historical implications tied to extractive business practices and ongoing health and environmental impacts,” Claw said. “As Tribal Nations continue asserting and exercising sovereignty, the question becomes how to engage in energy and mineral development in ways that reflect their own lived experiences, values, and definitions of what is acceptable. That looks different for every Nation.”

Claw added that the symposium aims to create space for Native communities to shape the direction of energy transition conversations.

“Tribal Nations bring a unique perspective on justice and fairness, especially when navigating Western models of ownership and capitalism,” she said. “This conference creates an opportunity for Indigenous communities to lead those discussions rather than simply respond to them.”

The 2027 symposium will bring together campus and community participants to examine how energy transitions can move beyond extractive histories and toward models rooted in sovereignty, sustainability, and shared responsibility.

Sloan grant: https://sloan.org/programs/research/energy-and-environment/announcing-critical-minerals-and-metals-rfp-grantees