UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Indigenous people have long since suffered from poverty and a lack of economic independence within the United States. For example, the Cannon Ball Community on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation is among the poorest areas in the country experiencing some of the country’s highest energy costs. 

Cody Two Bears is a Standing Rock Sioux Tribal member, whose work centers on the collaboration of Western science with Indigenous tradition. He is the founder and executive director of Indigenized Energy, which actively helps tribes develop long-term energy plans and pursue strategies that ensure a just transition to renewable energy.  

In the wake of the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests that gripped his community, Two Bears merged both his cultural knowledge and desire for climate justice to create Indigenized Energy with the goal of boosting development of renewable energy. He also helped create the largest solar farm in North Dakota, Cannon Ball Community Solar Farm, that serves as an example for other tribes that they can attain energy independence with renewables. 

Cody Two Bears will discuss his work — and his focus on youth empowerment — in his talk "Empowering Native Communities with Renewable Energy" at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5. The talk, which is free and open to the public, takes place in 112 Walker Building and via Zoom. 

Two Bear’s talk is part of the fall 2022 EESI EarthTalks series, “Exploring the Multiple Dimensions of Solar Energy.” Using both a local and global scope, the series addresses the latest perspectives on policies, environmental management, and the technological advancements towards the dual use — and social and cultural implications — of solar energy. 

The EESI EarthTalks series is supported by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. Talks are also available via Zoom. Visit the fall 2022 website to learn more.