Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)

The IEN advocates for a “massive transfer of wealth” from the North American governments and economies “into the hands of grassroots leaders,” ⁵ and opposes zero carbon nuclear energy. ⁶

Background

The Indigenous Environmental Network is a left-of-center Native American advocacy organization that promotes environmentalist policies. It is based in Bemidji, Minnesota. ¹ It purports to have been created sometime in the 1990s by a grassroots collective of Indigenous peoples to stand up for the environment. ⁵ It is run by Tom Goldtooth. ⁷

Before 2017, the organization was known as the Indigenous Educational Network of Turtle Island. ² Turtle Island is a Native American name for the continent of North America. ^{3 4}

In May 2021, IEN was one of 715 groups and businesses listed as a co-signer on a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate that condemned nuclear energy as a “dirty” form of energy production and a “significant” source of pollution. The letter asked federal lawmakers to reduce carbon emissions by creating a “renewable electricity standard” that promoted production of weather dependent power sources such as wind turbines and solar panels, but did not promote low carbon natural gas and zero carbon nuclear energy. ⁸

Activities

To address the perceived destruction of the environment at the hands of alleged colonialist exploiters, the Indigenous Environmental Network advocates for an “Indigenous Just Transition” which would entail a “massive transfer of wealth” from the current North American governments and economies “into the hands of grassroots leaders.” ⁵

The IEN supports the Green New Deal, viewing it as a crucial part of its “Just Transition.” ⁹ The organization is also supportive of feminist activism, running a seminar series on “Indigenous Feminisms.” ¹⁰

The IEN also runs “Save Our Roots,” a campaign to preserve the memory and knowledge of Native American traditions. ¹¹

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

In May of 2021, IEN was one of 715 groups and businesses listed as a co-signer on a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate that referred to nuclear energy as a “dirty” form of energy production and a “significant” source of pollution. The letter asked federal lawmakers to reduce carbon emissions by creating a “renewable electricity standard” that promoted production of weather dependent power sources such as wind turbines and solar panels, but did not promote low carbon natural gas and zero carbon nuclear energy. ⁶

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹² An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. ¹³

Grantmaking

In a collaborative effort with the Western Mining Action Network (WMAN), the Indigenous Environmental Network distributes $200,000 grants annually to Indigenous communities and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. ¹⁴

Financials

In 2023, the Indigenous Environmental Network reported a revenue of $7,285,329, expenses of $5,251,350, and total assets of $14,745,573. ¹⁵

In 2022, the Indigenous Environmental Network reported revenue of $5,065,821, expenses of $4,432,444, and net assets of $12,711,594. ¹⁶

Leadership

As of 2025, the Indigenous Environmental Network was run by executive director Tom Goldtooth. He has represented the IEN before the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since COP 04, which was held in Argentina in 1998. ⁷ Goldtooth is a member of the Navajo Nation and, besides a stint in the U.S. Army, he has worked with Indigenous activist groups his entire adult life. He has received awards from the Sierra Club and the NAACP for being a “Green Hero of Color.” ¹⁷