The Potential of Toxic Tours: Indigenous Perspectives on Crises, Relationships, Justice and Resurgence in Oklahoma Indian Country

Abstract

This article examines Indigenous perspectives on crises, empowerment, justice and resurgence through a case study of Indigenous-led Toxic Tours in the state of Oklahoma, US across both Native and non-Native lands that have been severely polluted. The Tar Creek Superfund Site and Grand Lake watershed comprise an interconnected water and land ecosystem that has been severely contaminated as a result of 20^th century lead and zinc mining in the region. This mining legacy has resulted in extreme toxic assaults to water, soil, air, animal and plant life, as well as to human health, cultural lifeways, livelihoods and wellbeing. Through the vehicle of Tar Creek and Grand Lake/Downstream Impacts Toxic Tours led by the community-based organization, LEAD Agency, numerous visitors have been able to witness and engage with these impacted lands, waterscapes, communities, Tribal Nations and non-human living beings over decades. Using an autoethnographic approach to bring forward the perspectives of LEAD co-founders and Toxic Tour guides, Rebecca Jim and Earl Hatley, this research critically explores the ways in which these tours engage with empowerment, justice and resurgence discourses, while centering Indigenous perspectives on the crisis. While the insights and perspectives offered by Rebecca and Earl point to a strong connection between Toxic Tours and their capacity for engaging with empowerment, justice and Indigenous-led resurgence, the analysis of these reflections also point to differences between these discourses and their approach to crises, with resurgence discourses offering unique Indigenous conceptualizations of crisis, priorities and the ways forward.

Keywords:

• Toxic tourism
• crisis
• resurgence
• empowerment
• justice
• Tribal Nations

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge all community members and Tribal Nations that have and continue to navigate the complex crises facing the Tar Creek and Grand Lake areas with resilience and strength. Special thanks to Clifton Adcock for sharing his powerful images from the Toxic Tour he took in 2018.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

(Top) A map showing the location of the state of Oklahoma within the United States. Credit: WikiCommons. (Below) A map of the far northeastern corner of Oklahoma that includes Tribal Nation boundaries, key mining waste sites, as well as watershed systems. Credit: Wiki commons (top); LEAD Agency (bottom).

A “chat pile” or tailings pile that is next to Tar Creek. Chat piles are full of toxic metals that pose serious health risks. Credit: Clifton Adcock.

Tar Creek after its convergence with water from the mine shaft and Lytle Creek. Tar Creek flows a rusty orange-red and the banks are lined with chat deposits. Credit: Clifton Adcock.

Visitors from the Sierra Club onboard a bus and observing the Tar Creek Superfund Site during a toxic tour in 2018. Credit: Clifton Adcock.

Toxic Tour visitors gazing at the enormous scale of an eroded chat pile. Credit: Clifton Adcock.

Notes

1 The Cherokee term ‘jigesv’ is an important traditional marker in the language denoting acknowledgement and respect for someone who has passed away.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bobbie Chew Bigby

Bobbie Chew Bigby (Cherokee Nation) is a PhD student at the Nulungu Research Institute, University of Notre Dame Australia. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Bobbie’s research and work have been deeply influenced by her multicultural background, including Cherokee, Cantonese and Euro-American heritages. Bobbie obtained her BA degrees in Chinese Language and Literature, as well as Anthropology, from Washington University of St. Louis in 2009 as an Annika Rodriguez Scholar. She also holds an MS in Arts and Culture Administration from Drexel University and an MA in International Studies from the University of Queensland. Bobbie’s research looks at the possibilities of tourism as a tool for Indigenous cultural, language and environmental resurgence. Her past research fellowships, including a Fulbright award and a Rotary Peace Fellowship, have taken her to Indigenous Australia, China, India, Cambodia and Burma for research and community-based work. Most recently, Bobbie served as a co-editor and co-author on the edited volume, Socialising Tourism: Rethinking Tourism for Social and Ecological Justice (Routledge 2021). For her PhD research, Bobbie rotates her time between Broome, Western Australia and her own Tribal Nation in Oklahoma, USA.

Earl Hatley

Earl Hatley (Abenaki Nation) is co-founder and current Board President of LEAD Agency, a grassroots organization in northeastern Oklahoma that addresses numerous issues of environmental, social and cultural concern. LEAD Agency is a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and since 2003, Mr. Hatley has served as the Grand Riverkeeper, patrolling the Grand River and feeder streams of the upper Grand River watershed. Mr. Hatley is a well trained and experienced environmental organizer who utilizes his training and experience to serve as a consultant to tribal and non-tribal groups (non-profits & tribal governments). He has served as an environmental consultant to Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, as well as indigenous grassroots groups around the country. Mr. Hatley’s work has included helping tribal governments to develop environmental programs, water and air quality monitoring projects, write quality control instruments, write grants, conduct culturally based risk assessments, and conduct hazardous waste site investigations. Mr. Hatley also serves as an organizing consultant to national and state-wide non-profit groups, including WMAN and the Indigenous Environmental Network. His work has been recognized both locally and nationally by receiving the Carrie Dickerson Lifetime Achievement Award, the Terry Backer Award and being named a 2013 “River Hero” by the National River Network and Waterkeeper Alliance.

Rebecca Jim

Rebecca Jim (Cherokee Nation) holds a BA in Behavioral Sciences from Southern Colorado State Colleege and an MA in Education and Counseling from Northeastern State University. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of LEAD Agency, a non-profit organization focused on environmental justice for northeast Oklahoma. For over three decades, Rebecca served as a counselor for Indian Education programs in Oklahoma, with the majority of her time spent specifically working with the school systems in and around the Tar Creek Superfund area. Rebecca has led numerous community-based projects in support of caring for Tar Creek and uplifting the communities that call this area home. Rebecca’s work has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Waterkeeper Alliance Terry Backer Award and the Sierra Club Carrie Dickerson Award. Rebecca proudly holds the designation of being the Tar Creekkeeper with the Waterkeeper Alliance.