Living on Earth, a National Public Radio program, ran two stories on tribes this weekend.

The first focused on the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana. The tribe wants to mine its coal resources in hopes of creating jobs and economic development on the reservation.

"[T]he revenue that would come from that coal will address our needs for money for education, housing for all our people, and a retirement fund when people reach elderly age," former vice president Eugene Limpy said.

Not all tribal members support the project. "We believe that we're still fighting in many ways, to preserve and protect our language, culture, identity, and submitting to the exploitation of our land, what little land that we have left, could be devastating to our future generations," Philip Whiteman said.

The second feature looks at recent legislation passed by the Navajo Nation Council to promote "green" jobs. Young tribal members joined the Black Mesa Water Coalition to lobby for the bill.

"We have people that are ready to be trained in weatherization programs, putting solar panels on rooftops and given our communities being ranchers and farmers, we are looking to support families who are planning textile mill, 'cause we have a lot of people who raise sheep," Wahleah Johns, the co-director of the Black Mesa Water Coalition, said.

Get the Story:
Cheyenne May Yield to Coal; The Diné Way (Living on Earth 7/31)

Related Stories:
Blog: Navajo council approves 'green jobs' bill (7/22)