The Climate Crisis in the Siouxland

Written by Alejandra Perez (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska) and Nicole Rains (Oglala Sioux)

In Sioux City, Iowa, climate change has been a problem for as long as I can remember. While researching and preparing to write on this specific topic, I have realized that many government officials in the Great Plains region have not taken any serious action in addressing this issue. They have not taken steps to secure our future. They are using money as an incentive to take part in conservation practices instead of putting laws and regulations in place to help mitigate or eliminate impending environmental issues. This year in Iowa, flooding and tornadoes have dramatically increased. These natural disasters are becoming more destructive; forcing many without homes, water, and power while dealing with insurance companies and hard deadlines from FEMA while trying to piece their lives back together. Flooding has become more frequent and increases each time creating catastrophic chaos. In this year alone the damages have equated to $2 billion in damage. Land erosion is happening more quickly due to development projects that cut down natural habitats. This past summer, our Tri-state metro area experienced a record-breaking flood on the Big Sioux River which crested at almost 45 feet. A train bridge also collapsed due to the flood and left many nearby residents in fear that it would also take out the traffic bridge connecting Iowa to South Dakota out as well. 

Downriver from Sioux City, The Winnebago Nation, Omaha Nation, and the Omaha/Council Bluffs areas are all affected by the same environmental issues.  Most of these environmental issues tend to occur in the regions where BIPOC renters and low-income individuals with no say in the industrial development decisions being made that affect their health and lifespans.  The North Omaha Coal plant is a prime example of these communities being used as human sacrifice for corporate greed.  North Omaha is home to a community of people where 68% identify as BIPOC, with 43% of them being African-American, and is also home to a coal plant that the Global Energy Monitor estimates has been directly responsible for 14 deaths and 22 heart attacks, along with an asthma rate of 20% (3x the Nebraska average). The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) has continually pushed back the closing date from 2023 to an ever-moving end date, with no clear, just transition to green infrastructure in place.  This is both cited as an excuse and never acted upon by OPPD or the Omaha City Council, despite Great Plains Action Society, other non-profits, and local citizens themselves showing up and giving public comment on these issues.

There are two Port Neal Energy sites located in Salix, Iowa, and Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. In 2023, MidAmerican Energy proposed releasing their coal ash waste into the Missouri River, which contains dangerous metals and pollutants. This would negatively impact the Winnebago Tribe, Omaha Tribe, the Omaha/Council Bluff areas, and everyone else downstream by contributing to the onslaught of contamination of waterways and health disparities. It is also worth noting that Tyson Fresh Meats and other industrial zones are located within the same geographical area making everyone just south of their sites a sacrifice zone. 

In addition, with these natural disasters comes the conversation about our food security. How is that going to impact our home state along with our nation? How does it impact our Tribal nations? I am beginning to think that agriculture (aka Big Ag) is one of our blind spots. Big Ag is Iowa’s top source of income and leads as the top producer for agriculture. Not only is Iowa one of the major contributors to climate change, but it is also being negatively impacted by their own practices. Iowa has increased in extreme weather impacting crop growth/production, water runoff contamination, and soil health. Chemicals from pesticides and CAFOs leach into the soil and eventually watersheds - contaminating water sources such as the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.  According to Food and Water Watch, 109 billion pounds of waste, in factory farm waste. In the United States alone 30-40% of food supply goes to waste, that is 1.4 billion tons of food.

Colonization has led to environmental degradation through many practices like deforestation, desertification, and reorganizing the agricultural system/practices. Climate change has impacted the tribes in the surrounding areas and state, by loss of traditional foods, increased flooding, water challenges/security, heat, wildfires, and health disparities. If we continue to ignore the problems, Iowa and Nebraska will continue to experience more extreme weather. We will experience heat stress, droughts, agricultural pollution, water pollution, and land erosion on a higher scale. 

Returning back to Indigenous practices like regenerative agriculture could change many things and could possibly move us away from current climate issues. It would improve soil health, biodiversity, water quality and quantity, less water/land pollution with chemicals like pesticides.  We are able to “absorb more water during a flood, maintain water security during a drought, and prevent wildfires by grazing livestock to control brush.”  Regenerative agriculture would benefit the economy, improve communities, mental, and physical health.

Great Plains Action Society would like to collect responses in regards to these issues via survey. Click here to fill out the quick survey!

We also want to encourage everyone to visit our FracTracker online map which shows data, communities, and CO2 pipelines.

If you would like to join us on the ground to raise awareness of these issues in-person, our River Rights Caravan will begin on November 10th in Sioux City, Iowa. Please see here for more details.