THE RED DEAL: DECOLONISING CLIMATE ACTION

WITH MANUEL SCHVARTZBERG CARRIÓ

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (2022)

Decolonisation or extinction. This is the imperative posed by The Red Nation, a collective of Native American activists and scholars who put forth a policy platform that radicalises the ambitions of the Green New Deal. Their ‘Red Deal’ articulates a vision and strategy for how indigeneity can and should be at the centre of projects addressing climate action; not as “a counterprogram to the GND, but rather going beyond it. It is ‘red’ because it prioritizes Indigenous liberation and a revolutionary left position.” Successful climate action depends on a radical shift away from the current neoliberal paradigm in favour of resilient, adaptive and non-patriarchal structures. Yet a climate-adaptive future must also account for both the history of colonialism and its ongoing practices. Considering that Indigenous peoples account for 5 per cent of the global population but protect 80 per cent of all biodiversity, the survival of planetary life is contingent upon their continued caretaking of their lands. As such, Indigenous land ‘rematriation’ – the act of returning stolen Indigenous lands, culture, knowledge and resources – is critical to the articulation of any climate action plan.