Implementation of Public Land Policy as a Stimulant to Collective Rejection of Governance

Abstract

Abstract

Social movements have been framed as collective responses to domestic governance and social stratification. Previous social movements were focused on a local issue relating usually to labor or other shared demands. In an era of globalization, social movements have modified to align dichotomous political groups into new allegiances as traditional social and economies have shifted. Large-scale, national non-profit environmental organizations have taken on regional concerns and applied their expertise in organizing political movements within smaller collectives. One prominent and recurring formation is that of Native American or First Nation tribes with non-indigenous groups. Surprisingly, these groups often include ranchers and miners, factions that have limited history of aligning with American Indians or environmentalists. Globalization has greatly accelerated asset transfer, political influences of corporations, and deregulation of domestic markets. In response, environmental organizations transformed conventional non-profit activities to generate and enhance non-traditional alliances. These new social movements have effectively confronted loss of environmental and labor protections along with impediments to Native American participation in governance. This has resulted in criminalization of dissent and targeting of environmental activists who align with newly formed collectives.