Aaron Fernando

Whether it’s the environmental and health effects of nuclear mining in Diné (Navajo) territory, the bitter contentions around the Dakota Access Pipeline in the tribal territory of the Standing Rock Sioux, or the mining for copper on a sacred Apache site, it is clear that there have long been troubling issues at the nexus of Indigenous peoples and the United States’ energy infrastructure.

Not only do rural electric cooperatives cover a majority of the US, serving 42 million people while powering over 20 million homes, farms, and businesses, but they also are, in fact, cooperatives.

By expanding the prevalence of IUI programs, and making sure the specifics of these programs are tailored to the benefit of working people, it is possible to effectively tackle both the climate crisis and affordability crisis at once.

While the dominant U.S. economic system operates on this principle of persistent financial coercion, there is (and always have been) an alternative way to organize individuals into collectives providing essential services, without the need for coercion: mutual aid networks.

That platform, Artisans Cooperative, just launched its marketplace in October 2023, ahead of the holiday season. It is a place where artists and makers can list and sell their goods, and collectively run a business. It is a place where customers can browse and find actually-unique items that they can trust are made with care and skill.

In the United States, the city of Portland, Oregon offers some leadership in terms of what this might look like in action. The city boasts a lively network of partnerships between nonprofits, businesses, civilians, and different bureaus and layers of government.