Honor, Sovereignty, and the Green Marshall Plan: A Vision for Indigenous Peoples' Day 2026

Friends,

On this Indigenous Peoples' Day, we recommit to forging a future that honors the profound wisdom and enduring resilience of those who have stewarded this land for countless generations. As historians like Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and thinkers such as Nick Estes remind us, the story of this continent is inseparable from the histories, struggles, and aspirations of Indigenous peoples. Estes, in his vital work "Our History Is the Future," illuminates how Indigenous resistance is not merely about the past but is a blueprint for shaping a just and sustainable future for everyone.

True leadership in this era requires us to listen to these voices, to learn from their stewardship, and to chart a path toward clean, renewable energy that preserves our environment while protecting the sacred sites and lifeways of Indigenous nations. Our proposed Green Marshall Plan is designed to strike that vital balance: ensuring we can extract the critical lithium and other minerals needed for the green transition in ways that are both sustainable and deeply respectful of Indigenous sovereignty and rights.

Dunbar-Ortiz has shown us that the persistent failure to honor treaties and respect Indigenous land is at the root of many of our environmental and social crises. By directly involving Indigenous communities in decision-making and resource management, we can move toward restorative justice and real partnership. This means not only consulting but empowering Native nations to lead in shaping the policies that affect their lands and futures.

As Nick Estes argues, the fight for Indigenous rights is the fight for water, land, and future generations. Our Green Marshall Plan will embed these principles at every level, insisting on free, prior, and informed consent for all projects. We will invest in renewable energy infrastructure that benefits both Native and non-Native communities, ensuring job creation, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

We owe it to our Indigenous ancestors—and to our collective descendants—to protect this planet for generations yet to come. Our vision, supported by a universal freedom dividend, makes this possible by guaranteeing that the benefits of a just transition are shared by all. Together, drawing on the wisdom of thinkers like Dunbar-Ortiz and Estes, we can build a future rooted in justice, sustainability, and mutual respect.

Gamy Enriquez, MPA