Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation

Home to nine Tribal Nations, the northeastern corner of Oklahoma (US) is a place of immense resilience, cultural beauty and attachment to place. Horrifically, however, this same area is also home to massive environmental assaults that have occurred as a result of decades of lead and zinc mining. The...

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Main Authors: Bobbie Chew Bigby, Rebecca Jim, Earl Hatley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2023-09-01
Series:Australian Journal of Environmental Education
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062623000204/type/journal_article
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author Bobbie Chew Bigby
Rebecca Jim
Earl Hatley
author_facet Bobbie Chew Bigby
Rebecca Jim
Earl Hatley
author_sort Bobbie Chew Bigby
collection DOAJ
description Home to nine Tribal Nations, the northeastern corner of Oklahoma (US) is a place of immense resilience, cultural beauty and attachment to place. Horrifically, however, this same area is also home to massive environmental assaults that have occurred as a result of decades of lead and zinc mining. The improperly managed mine waste that has accumulated since the late 1800s now severely contaminates the water, land and air, having adverse impacts on the health of the ecosystem and the local human community alike. Leading the fight for cleanup and support of place and people since 1997 is the non-profit organisation called Local Environmental Action Demanded (LEAD Agency). One of LEAD’s primary tools for education and advocacy has been leading toxic tours across these harmed lands and waters. This contribution draws upon the nearly three decades of toxic tours that Rebecca and Earl have led by sharing key stories and experiences of important sites visited along the way, offering a snapshot of toxic tour experience. Drawing on Indigenous storywork and autoethnographic methodologies, this contribution aims to spotlight the potential of Indigenous-led toxic tours for helping to (re)connect people — both locals and visitors — to place and a responsibility of stewardship.
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spelling doaj-art-4e1c7e1e1db0458ebc20e06d5d6f00502025-08-20T03:03:11ZengCambridge University PressAustralian Journal of Environmental Education0814-06262049-775X2023-09-013939040910.1017/aee.2023.20Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creationBobbie Chew Bigby0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3152-8812Rebecca Jim1Earl Hatley2Nulungu Research Institute, University of Notre Dame Australia, Broome, WA, AustraliaLEAD Agency, Miami, OK, USALEAD Agency, Miami, OK, USAHome to nine Tribal Nations, the northeastern corner of Oklahoma (US) is a place of immense resilience, cultural beauty and attachment to place. Horrifically, however, this same area is also home to massive environmental assaults that have occurred as a result of decades of lead and zinc mining. The improperly managed mine waste that has accumulated since the late 1800s now severely contaminates the water, land and air, having adverse impacts on the health of the ecosystem and the local human community alike. Leading the fight for cleanup and support of place and people since 1997 is the non-profit organisation called Local Environmental Action Demanded (LEAD Agency). One of LEAD’s primary tools for education and advocacy has been leading toxic tours across these harmed lands and waters. This contribution draws upon the nearly three decades of toxic tours that Rebecca and Earl have led by sharing key stories and experiences of important sites visited along the way, offering a snapshot of toxic tour experience. Drawing on Indigenous storywork and autoethnographic methodologies, this contribution aims to spotlight the potential of Indigenous-led toxic tours for helping to (re)connect people — both locals and visitors — to place and a responsibility of stewardship.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062623000204/type/journal_articleenvironmental educationenvironmental philosophyindigenous knowledgelandlanguage
spellingShingle Bobbie Chew Bigby
Rebecca Jim
Earl Hatley
Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation
Australian Journal of Environmental Education
environmental education
environmental philosophy
indigenous knowledge
land
language
title Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation
title_full Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation
title_fullStr Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation
title_full_unstemmed Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation
title_short Indigenous-led toxic tours opening pathways for (re)connecting to place, people and all creation
title_sort indigenous led toxic tours opening pathways for re connecting to place people and all creation
topic environmental education
environmental philosophy
indigenous knowledge
land
language
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062623000204/type/journal_article
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AT rebeccajim indigenousledtoxictoursopeningpathwaysforreconnectingtoplacepeopleandallcreation
AT earlhatley indigenousledtoxictoursopeningpathwaysforreconnectingtoplacepeopleandallcreation