35% of households in the Hopi Reservation do not have access to electricity, this issue is not unique to the Hopi Nation. Historically Indigenous Nations in North America have been subjugated to energy insecurity because of these communities being overlooked when it comes to improving energy infrastructure and promoting the energy sector within these communities. Yessenia Funes highlights the work of Native Renewables, an Indigenous and women-founded organization bringing solar power to Indigenous communities in the Southwestern United States to address the years of systemic neglect from the U.S. government. On the Hopi reservation in Arizona, 35% of residents, and over 13,000 households across the Hopi and Navajo Nations, lack reliable electricity. Native Renewables is working to change that. Suzanne Singer, one of the founder’s motivations, stems from her childhood summers spent with her grandparents in the Navajo Nation. Despite power lines running overhead, her family never had access to electricity. Today, Native Renewables is not only lighting homes but also creating jobs, generating around 19 new positions in the renewable energy sector within these communities. This initiative has been led by tribes amid the continued absence of government support and failed promises that have not only led to energy poverty, but have exacerbated public health crises. Parvannah Lee, a Diné healthcare worker from the Sleep Rock People Clan and Old Zuni Clan, joined Native Renewables after realizing the energy crisis contributes to interconnected systemic health gaps in her communities. Working with Native Renewables, she and other energy leaders have been cultivating economic stability for themselves, while working to build brighter futures for their communities.
