Environmental stewardship is reflected in our cultural values as Chamorro and Refaluwasch peoples, such as respect and cooperation. Over the years, "environmental stewardship" has also come to play a critical role in militarized discourses in the islands. This is most evident in the Department of Navy's motto "Defending Freedom, Protecting the Environment." In our community, words like "defend" and "protect" take on a different meaning in the context of the environment under militarism.
One important arena for documenting Indigenous voices regarding military planning is in the process of creating the Department of Defense's (DOD) many Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). These lengthy documents-sometimes many thousands of pages long-outline the military's plans for "training and testing" throughout the Marianas. They also have an important social life that develops in the process of their creation, particularly in the moments when the DOD seeks "public input" or "public comments" from residents in the Marianas. Rather than understanding these documents as repositories to be shelved away, we wish to highlight some of the voices and experiences that bring the documents to life. Since the first EIS was released in the Marianas in 1999, the documents have continued to grow in scope and subsequent public protest. There is now a well documented history of resistance to the plans laid out in these documents, but ultimately the decision-making processes land back in the hands of the U.S. Military. One question we seek to ask is: How do these environmental documents orient us to the land in everyday life? |
Militarized Framing of the Environment in the Marianas
By Isa Arriola
This video describes how environmental impact statements are addressed by community members throughout the Marianas by highlighting some public comments submitted to the 2020 Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Study Area Supplemental EIS. These moments and experiences reflect one angle in the broader movement to protect the Marianas.
By Isa Arriola
This video describes how environmental impact statements are addressed by community members throughout the Marianas by highlighting some public comments submitted to the 2020 Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Study Area Supplemental EIS. These moments and experiences reflect one angle in the broader movement to protect the Marianas.