The degradation of our environment is something that everyone should be attuned to. Human interactions with nature have contributed to the decline of our planet, which will only continue to decrease if we continue the way we are. There are still people in the world who hold a deep respect for nature and see it as a gift, rather than a resource. Indigenous tribes across the globe hold strong cultural values in which they depend on, but also protect the environment. Though education on Indigenous tribes should be shared in a way that we can all understand the importance of treating the land with respect, this oftentimes does not happen, but rather Indigenous communities are pushed away and are inaccurately portrayed in most narratives. 

• Indigenous people have a deep connection with the natural world and hold a deep spiritual connection with the environment, and their culture sees humans and nature as equals, rather than the colonial view of nature as a means for resources. They live in harmony with nature, and their entire way of life revolves around the connection between themselves and their environment. Their deep connection shapes every aspect of the Anishinaabe systems, from social, political and economic, and these systems are maliciously organized surrounding the environment. 

• A critical time of Indigenous peoples’ rights being limited started throughout the 1800s when they were restricted to certain areas throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota in which they were only allowed to continue to perform their cultural traditions and ways of life in this area.

• Developments in Indigenous media and communication have started to reframe and correctly interpret the societal narratives that have been believed to be accurate for generations. With this, because of the division between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities regarding education, young adults often are not taught the accurate information regarding Indigenous tribes

• The differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations and what they focus on regarding environmental justice also plays a part in why Indigenous voices are not heard as much. Indigenous (as well as some non-Indigenous groups still focused on the environment and collective rights) advocate for smaller-scale, community-based projects that focus on restorative justice, while non-Indigenous focus on state-level and disciplinary solutions for environmental justice. 

• In more recent times, multiple executive orders, memoranda, and directives have been signed by President Biden since his inauguration in 2021 in which positively impact tribal nations. Because of the current climate crisis, the U.S. government has turned to Indigenous communities for their wisdom regarding proper treatment of the environment. 

The Ojibwe tribe is one of the largest Indigenous groups in Michigan, with many other communities surrounding their land. Even when being in the same area of this community, others still do not have a strong understanding of who the Ojibwe are and what their lifestyle and culture looks like. This forms the question, what are the perceptions of the environmental practices of the Ojibwe tribe in surrounding communities? By focusing on the personal relationships between the Ojibwe tribe and the people around them, there can be progress made in implementing their sustainable practices into our everyday lives, as well as form a better conceptualization of the people around them and show respect towards different cultures.