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The Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service

The Need for an American Land Ethic with Walter Echo-Hawk | Sept. 17, 2014

Walter Echo-Hawk is a Native American attorney, tribal judge, author, activist and law professor. He is a representative of Indian tribes on numerous issues, such as treaty rights, water rights, religious freedom, prisoner rights, and repatriation rights.

Echo-Hawk discussed his belief of the need for a land and sea ethic within the United States. He believes that a “truly America” environmental ethic is both timely and necessary. Echo-Hawk stated “The world is facing a very grave environmental crisis, as our nation begins to enter a new human rights era.”

Walter Echo-Hawk identified why he believes that the United States hasn’t developed a land and sea ethic as of yet. He points out that the American nation has become “alienated from the natural world,” and he also acknowledges that the United States alone cannot turn the tides of the environment. Echo-Hawk stated that “each nation must be willing to enter” the environmental land ethic that he envisions.

There are six key elements which Walter Echo-Hawk believes to be indicators of the need for a land and sea ethic. These elements being: The mass extinction of animals and plants, the destruction and degradation of native plant life, land pollution, ocean pollution, depletion of the world’s fisheries, and air pollution.

Walter Echo-Hawk speaks about how the land ethic shouldn’t be difficult to model. “We don’t have to recreate the wheel” he says, as he describes the possible models that might work in the United States for an environmental ethic.

Echo-Hawk makes a compelling case about the need for a “truly American land and sea ethic” and reiterates multiple times that “we don’t need to remake the wheel” to make a difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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