The Navajo people, Native Americans, are finding a way to exercise their territorial, financial and energy sovereignty by mining Bitcoin.
According to a new documentary by Compass Mining, the Navajo have been mining bitcoins (BTC) since 2017, but this year they managed to double the size of their facilities to host a total of 3000 miners from the hand of a small Canadian firm called West Block.
There are several factors in this activity that greatly benefit the Navajo, as they are managing to grow their energy infrastructure, but they are also managing to determine the use they give to their territory.
The data of interest that Bitcoin can contribute to change are, according to the documentary, the fact that 48% of Navajos are unemployed, 40% do not have access to water supply, 32% live off the electricity grid, and 1 out of 3 Navajos live below the poverty line.
The Bitcoin mining farms are powered by solar energy, and the Navajo Nation, a 71,000 km² Indian reservation between the states of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, in the west of the country, is located.
As William Foxley, Media Director for Compass Mining, explains, the Navajo Nation are subservient to federal laws that prevent you from having control on its territory, the infrastructure that is built in this reserve, and the energy sources such as coal and uranium found there.
Renewables in the Navajo Nation Fuel Bitcoin Mining
This is expanded in a Compass Mining publication on the matter:
The history of the Navajo during the 20th century is full of abuses, including bad practices in the extraction of coal and uranium for people who are outside the reservation.
Navajo power generation continues to exhibit these negative factors, such as increased radiation levels in the water. Bitcoin mining is different in this regard, incentivizing the use of renewable energy in Navajo territory
William Foxley, Compass Mining.
The Kayenta solar power plant is located in the state of Arizona and is operated by the authorities of the Navajo Nation. Source: Compass Mining
In addition, Compass Mining highlights the employment and financial freedom opportunities that Bitcoin proposes for this Indian nation, to free them from the control and restrictions of the State.
The bitcoin mines in Navajo are the palpable example of what the financial future of this town can look like. Bitcoin is an open and free money system on the Internet. There are no blockades or barriers to entry, or access restrictions. Although adoption is still low, Bitcoin has a physical presence on Navajo territory, fueling its future adoption.
William Foxley, Compass Mining.
The Navajo nation thus takes greater participation in the movement that is taking place in the US in favor of the Bitcoin mining industry.
As reported by ., the hash rate or mining power of Bitcoin returned to the levels of May of this year, prior to the prohibition of this activity in China.
This is due in large part thanks to the movement in favor of the Bitcoin mining industry in the US, an activity where the Navajo nation now takes a greater share.
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