Aboriginal culture may offer many insights into harnessing geothermal energy. For thousands of years, these communities have experienced and celebrated their connections to the earth in traditions and stories, discovering power in its natural resources. These historic legacies can inform how your neighborhood designs the green energy transition.
How Dreamtime and Indigenous Spirituality Respect Geothermal Power
Dreamtime is a period in Aboriginal Australian culture that explains the creation of the country. These stories date back up to 60,000 years, detailing a rich legacy of reciprocal relationships with nature and developing an understanding of its complexities.
People came to understand how interconnected humans are with the planet, revering its wonders and abundance in turn. This level of respect must motivate the future's approach to sustainable energy design, focusing on symbiotic relationships rather than extraction-based exploitation.
You can also look to the Māori culture of New Zealand for inspiration. Its people view geothermal water – or waiwhatu – as something worth treasuring. Hot spots are places where humans and spirits connect, making these areas associated with more than warmth. They represent healing and create resilient societies and spiritual connections.
Individuals and government entities preserve these sites, as they create a hopeful future – culturally, spiritually, environmentally and economically.
Traditional Uses of Geothermal Energy
The first lesson modern sustainable energy design must adopt from global Indigenous populations is the viability of geothermal energy. Its large-scale implementation has been hotly debated due to its expense and need for drilling. However, indigenous cultures and other ancient populations have long demonstrated ways humans can leverage this carbon-free power without adverse side effects. Geothermal energy has been a staple for household essentials, such as cooking and heating, as well as for industrial applications, such as medical research.
Indigenous Peruvian cultures have used geothermal power since the pre-Inca period. There are an estimated 2,860 megawatts in the highlands alone, mostly untouched. It has been used for heating water, which is essential for washing clothes and tending to livestock. It also allows communities to preserve natural forests and other resources, minimizing the need to burn wood for fuel.
Māori also use geothermal energy for daily use. One of the most culturally persistent is hāngī, a method that uses ancient earthen ovens to cook and warm homes. Hāngī is practical for these purposes, but it also serves a unique cultural purpose by enticing tourism and education about Indigenous people. The flavors this method imparts to pumpkin and lamb could pique the curiosity of your local foodies. These benefits only exist because of Indigenous appreciation for geothermal energy.
Indigenous knowledge is a guide
Designing any community's geothermal energy infrastructure buildout requires a map. Creating detailed pictures of the most powerful spots through passed-down oral stories about sacred and energetic locations is a key component of many Indigenous cultures. Once these communities find a hot spot, geothermal infrastructure is future-proof, working for up to 50 years, depending on the piping materials.
If the modern age is going to make the most efficient and productive renewable energy system, it needs to find the biggest sources of power. Indigenous knowledge and mapping are crucial for reducing the costs of surveying and locating development sites.
The Fort Nelson First Nation's geothermal project in British Columbia, Canada, provides an excellent model for selecting an ideal site within Indigenous territory. The project combines modern data with traditional knowledge. For instance, geological records from a legacy gas well revealed that the site was located directly above a powerful geothermal reservoir.
To enrich this scientific data, the project team conducts regular interviews and surveys with community members. This process includes searching for references to geothermal "hot spots," such as smoke, vents, geysers or hot springs, within traditional songs and oral histories.
Indigenous Leadership in Geothermal Innovation
Ecosystem management and technological development are the most crucial facets of Indigenous geothermal energy use. Concepts like the Two-Eyed Seeing from Aliseet legends explain how everyone must combine Indigenous and diverse knowledge systems with modern perspectives. This collaboration has led to some of the most influential infrastructure by any standards.
Some of the most meaningful and innovative ideas are coming from leaders in Indigenous communities. This willingness to pioneer is creating game-changing solutions for geothermal's future. These methods are advanced yet considerate of cultural heritage.
New Zealand's Tūaropaki Trust is a globally recognized leader in this space. This Māori-owned trust channels its geothermal plants' power to create green hydrogen – a clean fuel used to power a network of refueling stations for heavy transport. It is a visionary model of "sector coupling" – turning a stationary energy source into a mobile one – all guided by the Māori principle of long-term guardianship of the land and its resources.
Additionally, researchers have been exploring applications beyond conventional electricity informed by Indigenous leaders and companies. Deep tech could be inspired by these use cases, especially as the modern sustainable energy design climate is focused on grid stability, electricity generation and related endeavors. Some applications include:
- Food drying
- Digesting paper pulp
- Refrigeration
- Pasteurization
- Greenhouse climate management
- Balneology
- Freshwater distillation
A Culture of Resilience
Global Indigenous cultures could serve as a blueprint for environmental respect and sustainable design. They have spent thousands of years communing and working with the planet rather than against it. Their knowledge has led to the discovery of geothermal hot spots, where people can sustainably harvest the potential of this powerful energy.
Now that the planet has greater access to advanced technologies, geothermal energy's efficiency can be even greater. However, geothermal tech should be implemented with the same care and gratitude shown by Indigenous cultures to ensure the best possible outcome.
Guest blog written by Jane Marsh
Jane spent 4 years as the editor-in-chief at Environment.co, specializing in sustainability, climate change, and renewable energy. In her free time, she enjoys nature trails, eco-friendly DIY projects, and volunteering with environmental groups.