Above: watch the official teaser for These Sacred Hills

I’ve dedicated a lot of time over the years to fighting for renewable energy. If we are going to have any chance at avoiding the worst effects of climate change, a rapid, massive buildout of clean energy sources all over the world is our only hope. Yet, I also recognize that clean energy projects which violate Indigenous rights or otherwise trod on oppressed peoples are not in the interest of a truly just, sustainable future. This reality is a focus of my latest piece for Columbia Insight.

The Goldendale Energy Storage Project on the Columbia River is opposed by the Yakama Nation because it would destroy or damage multiple archeological sites and a place where the Yakama have gathered sacred plants since time immemorial. A new film, These Sacred Hills, looks at the impacts of this project on the Yakama, and the Yakama leaders who are fighting it. While working on a piece about the film, I got to talk to its makers and some of the inspiring leaders it features.

These Sacred Hills so far has been shown at private screenings, but will hopefully be available to a wider audience soon. Keep an eye out for its release–and in the meantime, continue reading about it on Columbia Insight.