ABSTRACT
Native American environmental advocacy before the 1960s and the emergence of the direct-action oriented American Indian Movement is often overlooked. However, prior to the 1960s and the explosion of the contemporary environmental movement, Native American environmentalism simmered below the currents of the dominant discourses of American society, often in forums that are today difficult but necessary to locate, as these little known artifacts demonstrate a historical commitment to place. Native American environmentalism is marked by beliefs, behaviors, and an ecological ethic rooted in a deep spiritual connection to the natural world, often with particular places or natural phenomena taking on sacred meaning. Moreover, Native American environmentalism is grounded in relationships to the North American hemisphere that can be traced back generations, creating a living land trust that is thousands of years old (Grinde and Johansen 1). One important historical and easily overlooked forum for Native American environmentalism is The Narragansett Dawn, a magazine published during the mid-1930s by the Narragansett people of southern New England for the purpose of providing a space for the Native American voice without first being filtered by Anglo-European gatekeepers.
