Akwesasne Residents Resist Hyperscale Data Center on Indigenous Land

Akwesasne Community Fights Back Against Data Center Expansion

Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, located along the St. Lawrence River, is at the center of a growing conflict between Indigenous sovereignty and corporate expansion. Community members, led by long-time activist Dana Leigh Thompson, are resisting plans for a hyperscale data center on land bordering their territory.

Land and Legacy of Contamination

The proposed facility would replace a former aluminum smelting site, now repurposed for digital currency mining. This location, once Reynold’s Metals, has a history of environmental harm, releasing toxic PCBs into the ecosystem for decades. Three Superfund sites—designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for hazardous waste—line Akwesasne’s borders, including the defunct General Motors and Alcoa Grasse River sites.

Thompson emphasizes that these sites are not just industrial relics but ongoing threats. "When a boat passes, all the water goes out, pulls it out, then it acts like a suction cup," she explains, describing how pollutants from buried PCBs are stirred up by water movement.

Policy and Resistance

The conflict is intensified by a 2025 executive order signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which aims to fast-track permits for data centers on Superfund sites. Thompson notes that 1,373 such sites exist near Indigenous communities in the U.S., disproportionately exposing them to environmental risks.

"We don’t care how many signs they put up [saying] no trespassing," Thompson asserts. "This is our land. This is the land of the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka. Period."

Community members, including Thompson, continue to stand firm, advocating for environmental justice and cultural preservation. The fight reflects a broader struggle across North America where Indigenous lands face repeated industrial encroachment, often without meaningful consultation or consent.

A Call for Sovereignty and Sustainability

As the data center proposal moves forward, Akwesasne’s resistance highlights the urgent need for policies that respect Indigenous rights and prioritize ecological health over corporate interests. The community’s message is clear: ancestral lands cannot be treated as disposable sites for industrial expansion.