NC Reads - On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice

North Carolina Reads annually features five books that explore issues of racial, social and gender equity and the history and culture of North Carolina. Join us as we discuss these five books that pose critical questions about how North Carolinians view their role in helping to form a more just and inclusive society. 

April 12 - On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice by Ryan Emanuel 

• Nonfiction. Environmental scientist Ryan E. Emanuel, a member of the Lumbee tribe, shares stories from North Carolina about Indigenous survival and resilience in the face of radical environmental changes. Addressing issues from the loss of wetlands to the arrival of gas pipelines, these stories connect the dots between historic patterns of Indigenous oppression and present-day efforts to promote environmental justice and Indigenous rights on the swamp. Emanuel’s scientific insight and deeply personal connections to his home blend together in a book that is both a heartfelt and an analytical call to acknowledge and protect sacred places. 

For a free copy of the book, please contact Amanda Dekker at 910-483-7727 ext. 1344 or email  adekker@cumberlandcountync.gov. 

North Carolina Humanities' North Carolina Reads is a statewide book club exploring issues of racial, social and gender equity and the history and culture of North Carolina. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, opinions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of NC Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.