Sunday, December 05, 2021

Viewpoint: Renewable energy is a terrifying word to people who don't care

Theresa Hinman
The Oklahoman
Sun, December 5, 2021

Theresa Hinman

Although the population of Native Americans, as a whole, has risen in Oklahoma, self-actualization has maintained the irony of moving fast by running and boasting of how far you ran.

Old Native men would tell you, "you didn't run anywhere, kiddo, your treadmill stayed in place." Your reply: "No grandfather, this computer readout says I just ran three miles in place so it's the same as running three miles." Then, the grandfather says, "You can lie and still accomplish the truth? ... There is no truth to going three miles in place, but there is truth in moving your body like it went three miles in place."

This is the story of statistics. The practical application of statistics sounds good, but application is greater. We, in America, shun the very idea of communism and socialism. That is exactly what our tribes practiced and lived by 1,000 years before the "invasion." The old school tribes never had global warming ... for 1,000 years. We looked out for our fellow animals and the Earth and shared evenly.

The fossil fuel profiteers left oil drills and debris all over the land as they skipped to the bank. Once an area was spent, the oil companies just walked away from the mess they created. They didn't care. They had money to spend, and there was no respect for the Earth. We, tribal people, shared everything and counted the wildlife and Earth as our family. We used only what we needed and never became greedy of overuse. Renewable energy is a terrifying word to the people who don't care. The fossil fuel profiteers take, take until there is nothing left to take.

We can now accomplish running around the world on our treadmill by applying the ever available renewable energy the Earth provides. As a bonus, we can rid ourselves of reliance on the profiteers and be excellent stewards to what we are blessed to have on our tribal lands. The U.S. government thought they gave us useless land. We are Native Americans, and no land is useless because we are privileged to be on any of it.

Theresa Hinman is a member of the Ponca Nation.


Native Americans can apply the ever available renewable energy the Earth provides and be good stewards of the land.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Viewpoint: Renewable energy is terrifying word to people who don't care

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