Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment facts for kids

The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment (ATFE) is a group of people from the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne. They work to solve problems about the environment and pollution in their community. Their main goal is to protect the Mohawk community's special traditions, culture, and natural world. They do this by speaking up, teaching others about the environment, and doing research that respects their culture. The ATFE has even helped schools nearby and talked about including Indigenous Knowledge (Native ways of knowing) in science classes in the United States.

How it Started

A Look Back: ATFE and Environmental Problems

In 1954, a big project called the St. Lawrence Seaway began. It was meant to help businesses and factories grow in New York State. However, the people building it broke agreements with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. They built on Akwesasne land, which is very important to their culture and history along the St. Lawrence River.

Back in the 1950s, many leaders wanted to build more factories and industries to make areas richer. During this time, some people thought that Native American communities were less important. They believed these communities were in the way of "progress." For example, an assistant to President Eisenhower once called Native Americans a "national problem." This shows that leaders at the time often didn't care much about Native rights or their land.

In the late 1950s, a dam was built on the St. Lawrence River. This brought big companies like General Motors, Reynolds Metals, and Aluminum Company of America to the area. These factories were built upstream from Akwesasne. Over time, they became one of the most polluted places in the U.S. They released harmful chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and metals.

The Problem with PCBs

General Motors caused a lot of damage because they used PCBs in their factories. PCBs are very dangerous chemicals. In 1978, the U.S. government banned PCBs because they can cause serious health problems for people and harm the environment. The EPA fined General Motors for using PCBs illegally. They even made the site a national Superfund site, which means it's a very polluted place that needs cleaning up.

However, the EPA didn't always follow through on their promises. The Akwesasne community asked for a toxic landfill (a place where trash is buried) near their land to be completely removed. But the EPA only covered it up, which was cheaper but not as effective. Because of these problems, the ATFE was created in 1987. They wanted to deal with environmental issues, have a stronger voice, and be involved in cleaning up their land. The ATFE believes that their culture and environment can only fully heal if the EPA works closely with the Mohawk people on clean-up plans.

ATFE's Main Goal

The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment wants to "protect and restore the environment, natural and cultural resources within the Mohawk territory of Akwesasne. This is to help the health and survival of all life for future generations. It also helps us fulfill our duties to the natural world, as our Creator taught."

What ATFE Wants to Do

The ATFE works to protect natural and cultural resources. They want to solve environmental problems that the Mohawk Nation faces. They also try to reduce the harm from current issues through sustainable (long-lasting) practices, research, and speaking up for their community. They do all of this by following their cultural beliefs. These beliefs teach that the land is sacred and everything is connected. This means it's very important to protect and restore the land.

Specifically, the ATFE aims to:

• Create training, education, and advocacy programs.
• Help with community worries about pollution from nearby ALCOA, General Motors, and Reynolds Aluminum factories.
• Find ways to make the environment and community health better.
• Support projects that help the community grow in a way that respects their culture and is sustainable.
• Do and support scientific research, including testing for toxicants (poisons).
• Connect with other Native communities, environmental experts, and legal professionals.

Culture and Spirit

The Akwesasne people have a very close connection to their environment. For hundreds of years, their land has been the heart of their spiritual and cultural traditions. The ATFE calls the St. Lawrence River the "lifeblood" of their home. This means it provides food, helps plants grow, offers medicine, and is part of their spiritual practices.

The Akwesasne people did not want the St. Lawrence Seaway to be built. They felt it broke their relationships with other groups, like the Dutch, with whom they had an agreement called kahswenhtha. It also harmed their long-standing connection with nature. The Akwesasne received little help and no say in the building of the waterway. This was because the ownership of their land is still being argued by the government. The Mohawk people believe that everything in life and all actions are connected. When the environment is harmed, like when fish became polluted, the community started to lose parts of their language, culture, and connection to their Creator. The Akwesasne community believes that if the environment is treated badly, the delicate balance between the land and the people is broken, causing great loss for both.

How ATFE is Organized

In 1995, the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) was formed. Its job was to handle all the new research projects the ATFE was getting. They created clear rules for reviewing research plans. These rules are based on three main ideas: peace, a good mind, and strength. The Mohawk people believe these ideas are linked. Working for peace helps create a peaceful mind, and it takes strength to develop this. Together, these ideas guide how research is reviewed and done.

The ATFE also stresses how important it is to have fairness, empowerment (giving people power), and mutual respect. These are key principles for how the task force works. They are also vital for research and working together. One of the ATFE's main goals is to create a research environment that respects their culture and includes everyone. So, scientists, community members, and committee members all work together as equals. This gives everyone a sense of power and a voice. When considering research ideas, the ATFE makes sure that power and resources are shared fairly. They value all ideas and make sure the research directly helps the community members.

Research Projects

The ATFE supports research that respects their culture and helps with their environmental justice concerns. This includes studying the health effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the Mohawk Nation. The EPA has tried to manage toxins in Native environments, but these efforts have often failed. Because of this, the ATFE stays very involved in decisions. They started a project called "The First Environmental Restoration," funded by the NIEHS. This project aims to find solutions for the toxic problems in Akwesasne. It's a special project led by the community, focusing on protecting health and traditional culture.

The fish that Akwesasne Mohawks traditionally eat are polluted with PCBs. This is because of spills from General Motors, ALCOA, and Reynold's Metals upstream in the Saint Lawrence River. One study looked at 335 Akwesasne adults. It found that they had about three times higher levels of PCBs in their blood compared to most people in the U.S. The study suggested that PCBs can increase cholesterol and triglycerides, which are linked to heart problems. It also found that Body Mass Index (BMI) and age were connected to PCB levels in individuals.

Working with Others

The ATFE works with many universities to do research that benefits both experts and tribe members. This research helps us understand health, the environment, and fairness for people most affected by pollution in the St. Lawrence River area. Researchers at the University at Albany, SUNY worked with the Mohawk Nation. They wanted to understand the community, how much pollution people were exposed to, and why their cultural activities were important, even if they led to pollution exposure.

The U.S. government often tells the Akwesasne people to change their way of life to avoid pollution. But this research helps the U.S. understand why that solution isn't enough. Pollution from the Seaway construction in the 1950s has built up in people's bodies over decades, especially from eating fish and other foods from the river. It's clear what has caused health changes in the community. This research helps show that the U.S. government needs a new way to understand how these chemicals build up over time and how they might affect future generations of Akwesasne. Working with U.S. institutions can help bring quicker changes in understanding and policies for the Akwesasne.

The ATFE's research also looks at how PCBs affect the brain. One study compared 271 Mohawk mothers and their children (aged 10–16). They did many psychological and neurological tests, chosen with cultural respect. They also took blood samples to check for PCB levels. The study found that higher PCB levels were strongly linked to lower scores on long-term memory tests in adolescents. This suggests that PCBs can affect long-term memory.

Speaking Up and Taking Action

Education

The ATFE believes in both formal school education and community-based cultural education. For a long time, the history, culture, and views of Indigenous groups were left out of mainstream American schools. Including Traditional Knowledge (TK) in U.S. schools helps both Native and non-Native students. Understanding the past accurately helps students understand today's problems better.

The Akwesasne community works with SUNY Potsdam and the Salmon River Central School District, which is on Mohawk land. They help public school teachers and community members create school lessons that are relevant to Mohawk students. Traditional Knowledge and Western science both offer important ways to understand environmental processes. However, U.S. politics often ignore how connected ecosystems are and how toxins build up over time. The ATFE argues that bringing TK into formal education in the United States could help combine scientific efforts with social, economic, and political power.

Scientific work between U.S. institutions and the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation has already shown how important it is to understand not just pollution levels in Mohawk bodies, but also their lifestyles and beliefs. These beliefs continue to be meaningful for the communities despite the negative health impacts. If students learn these different perspectives, it could lead to faster and better results when the government works with Indigenous nations in the future. Also, including TK in schools gives Native American students a sense of belonging and control. They have often been ignored or treated unfairly in the national school system. Bringing TK into science studies in schools could help combine different types of knowledge. This could help the United States reach its full potential for human growth and fairness. The ATFE also supports educational programs on traditional fishing and trapping called "Life skills on Land."

ATFE and U.S. Politics

The ATFE wants a different way of thinking about environmental protection. They believe it should be more in line with Mohawk values and ways of life. Through their education programs, the ATFE has pushed for a new political approach that values Traditional Knowledge (TK) more. TK can help redefine boundaries to include the entire ecosystems that run through them. In general, TK takes a holistic (whole-picture) approach. It works to protect the natural resources and health of entire ecosystems, including the people who live off those resources. By promoting Indigenous knowledge in both Native and non-Native schools, the Mohawk perspective starts to be included in important issues like sovereignty (self-governance) and environmental justice. As more students learn about different ways of knowing, there's a better chance that these ideas will be used in future policies about Indigenous populations in the United States. Traditional Knowledge offers a Native viewpoint on topics like sovereignty, self-determination, and community control.

What ATFE is Working on Now

The ATFE's research projects help them create a research database that is controlled by the community. Because the Akwesasne manage all parts of the research, they can show their cultural values of respect. This applies to why they do the research, who they study, and how their findings can help achieve environmental justice. Since sovereignty is key for First Nations in the U.S., these research projects show that First Nations can solve their own problems without outside interference. The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment lives by solving issues with respect, fairness, and empowerment. With these three standards, the task force can address their own ideas of risk assessment, data, and solutions using a culturally appropriate method.

The ATFE has reduced the effects of pollution on the community. At the same time, they are protecting Mohawk culture by running several aquaculture facilities. These facilities raise fish species that are free of pollutants for the local community to eat. This allows them to continue their cultural practices.

The main projects and current focus areas of the ATFE include:

• Advocacy
  • The ATFE's research has helped them connect with the wider community. They inform the public about Akwesasne issues from their own viewpoint. ATFE has pushed for Traditional Knowledge to be taught in schools. This helps expand the perspectives of future leaders. These efforts have helped both Native and non-Native students. They offer a different way to think about the environment, which could lead to more thoughtful and complete ways of managing natural resources in the future.
• Aquaculture Project
  • The Task Force has created aquaculture labs to provide the community with clean fish to eat. This project helps with the immediate problem of eating polluted fish, which are culturally important. At the same time, the Task Force works to reverse the pollution in the St. Lawrence River ecosystem. Because this project started within the Akwesasne community, it addresses food safety from both a short-term and long-term view to ensure the health of the community.
• Black Ash Project
  • The Asian emerald ash borer is an insect that arrived in the United States in the 1990s. These insects threaten Ash Tree populations. Black ash trees are especially important for Native American basket weaving, which has cultural and economic value for tribes. This project studied how Native American Tribes responded to this invasion and how they tried to reduce its effects. The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment started the "Black Ash Project." This project taught the community about collecting black ash seeds. They even organized 21 seed collections in 2009.
• Cultural Resource Program
• Environmental Education
• Environmental Laboratory
• Fruit Tree Project
  • They give away seeds of native trees.
• Maple Sugar Project
• Medicine Plant Restoration Project
• Research and Partnerships
• Sustainable Agriculture Program
• Sweet Grass Project
• Traditional Medicines
• Wild Rice Project