During Donald Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, federal policies regarding American Indigenous lands underwent significant shifts. The administration pursued an “America First” agenda that prioritized resource extraction and deregulation, often at the expense of tribal sovereignty and environmental protections. This report examines specific policies, executive orders, and legislation from the Trump era that impacted Indigenous lands, how Trump’s energy policy (fossil fuel expansion and federal land use) affected Native communities, the responses of Indigenous groups (advocacy and legal challenges), and the environmental consequences of these actions. A comparison with the approaches of the preceding Obama administration and the subsequent Biden administration is also provided to contextualize Trump’s policies.
Key Policies and Actions Affecting Indigenous Lands (2017–2021)
Trump’s administration took numerous actions with direct impacts on Indigenous lands and rights:
- Pipeline Approvals: In January 2017, Trump issued memoranda to expedite the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and revive the Keystone XL pipeline, fast-tracking projects that had been stalled or halted due to tribal opposition. These pipelines were fiercely resisted by Native nations concerned about water contamination and treaty rights, but Trump prioritized their completion as part of his energy agenda [1].
- Monument Reductions: Trump ordered the largest rollback of federal land protections in U.S. history by dramatically shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. In 2017 he cut Bears Ears by about 85–95% and Grand Staircase by nearly half, opening up sacred lands to potential mining and drilling. This reversal ignored the unprecedented Indigenous-led effort that had created Bears Ears in 2016 [2]. Tribal nations decried the move as a violation of historic trust and quickly launched legal action to defend these cultural landscapes.
- Border Wall Construction: Fulfilling a campaign promise, Trump built 423 miles of border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, including areas cutting through tribal territories without proper consultation. The Tohono O’odham Nation and other tribes with lands on the border opposed the wall, which destroyed ancient sites and burial grounds. Tribal leaders condemned the “reckless disregard” for their rights as explosives and bulldozers tore through their ancestral homelands [3].
- Land and Sovereignty Moves: The administration undermined tribal land rights in other ways. In 2018, Trump’s Interior Department withdrew a legal opinion that had helped tribes restore ownership of ancestral lands, making it harder to place lands into trust [4]. It also attempted to disestablish the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s reservation in Massachusetts, a shocking rollback of tribal sovereignty. A federal judge blocked the attempt, calling the administration’s reasoning “incomprehensible.” However, Trump did sign bills granting federal recognition to six Virginia tribes and the Little Shell Tribe of Montana [5].
- Other Legislative and Policy Actions: The Trump administration discontinued the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference, an Obama-era tradition giving tribal leaders direct dialogue with the president. Some bipartisan legislation benefitted Indian Country (for example, laws addressing missing and murdered Indigenous women were passed in 2020), but these were driven by Congress rather than the administration itself. On the whole, Trump’s policy approach often treated tribal interests as obstacles to economic development rather than honoring the government-to-government relationship [6].
“Energy Dominance” Agenda and Impacts on Indigenous Lands
A centerpiece of Trump’s policy was an aggressive energy strategy favoring fossil fuel extraction. This “energy dominance” agenda had far-reaching effects on Indigenous lands:
- Fossil Fuel Expansion on Federal and Tribal Lands: Trump’s executive orders directed agencies to ramp up oil, gas, and coal development on federal lands and offshore waters. This raised alarms for tribes, since many Indigenous communities live near or on federal public lands targeted for drilling and mining [7]. Some tribes with oil and coal reserves welcomed fewer restrictions on resource development, but many others viewed the rush to extract as a direct threat to their lands and sovereignty [8].
- Pipeline Projects and Consultation: By greenlighting DAPL and Keystone XL, Trump effectively sidelined tribal consultations. The Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes had never consented to DAPL running near their reservation water supply, yet Trump’s order allowed the pipeline to proceed. Similarly, Keystone XL’s route in the Great Plains threatened treaty lands and water aquifers of several tribes. Tribes and allies protested that these projects violated the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), an internationally recognized Indigenous right [9].
- Deregulation and Environmental Rollbacks: Trump oversaw a sweeping rollback of environmental regulations, many of which are crucial for tribes seeking to safeguard their lands. Laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act require agencies to assess impacts and consult tribes on major projects. Under Trump, these laws were weakened, reducing environmental reviews and public input [10].
- Federal Land Use and Sacred Sites: Trump’s energy push targeted areas that tribes consider sacred. In Alaska, his administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil leasing over the objections of the Gwich’in and other Alaska Natives. In Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service under Trump attempted to approve a land swap at Oak Flat (Chi’chil Bildagoteel) to enable a massive copper mine, despite the San Carlos Apache Tribe identifying Oak Flat as a sacred site [11].
- Climate Policy Reversal: The Trump era marked a sharp reversal in U.S. climate policy, which also had consequences for Indigenous peoples. Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 and dismissed climate change urgency. Tribal nations publicly pledged to uphold the Paris Agreement goals on their own, knowing that Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts [12].
- Renewable Energy Setbacks: While pushing oil and coal, the Trump administration was notably hostile to renewable energy development, which some tribes are pursuing as economic and sustainable alternatives. The administration imposed a moratorium on new wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast, affecting certain coastal and Alaska Native corporations looking into wind projects. Tribes investing in solar or wind also saw federal support wane, as programs for clean energy were deprioritized [13].
The Lasting Impact of Trump’s Policies
Donald Trump’s presidency marked a turbulent period for American Indigenous lands and communities. Through executive orders and policy shifts, Trump prioritized energy development and rolled back protections on federal lands, frequently clashing with tribal interests and rights. Fossil fuel expansion and environmental deregulation under his watch led to numerous flashpoints – pipelines, monument reductions, and a border wall – that galvanized Indigenous resistance. Tribal nations responded with an outpouring of advocacy: protests on the ground, challenges in court, and appeals to the broader public and international bodies. These efforts mitigated some damage and set up reversals once the administration changed. The environmental consequences of Trump’s policies were significant, ranging from localized harm to contributions to the global climate crisis – impacts that often hit Native communities first and hardest.
References:
- High Country News
- The Nation
- Arizona Mirror
- Cultural Survival
- Wipfli LLP
- Assembly of First Nations