Who's Driving This Bus? A Culturally and Legally Informed Approach for Electrifying Student Transportation in Indian Country
This working paper bridges critical knowledge gaps for school bus electrification stakeholders in order to work with Tribal Nations and Native communities by examining how Tribal history, laws, structures, and cultures influence electric vehicle transitions within modern Native education and transportation systems, while providing concrete measures to overcome the complex electric school bus deployment challenges facing Tribes.
Electrifying school buses in Indian Country isn’t just about swapping engines – it's about justice. For Tribal Nations, the road to electric school buses (ESBs) runs through a landscape shaped by infrastructure gaps, complex legal systems, and legacies of harm.
“Who’s driving this bus? A culturally and legally informed approach for electrifying student transportation in Indian Country” explores how history, governance, and sovereignty intersect with today’s clean transportation goals. This World Resources Institute Electric School Bus Initiative report in conjunction with Lepwe, Inc. lays out:
- Barriers – the systemic and institutional challenges to slowing adoption
- Pathways – solutions grounded in Tribal sovereignty and cultural context
- A framework that provides a roadmap for equitable, community-driven electrification
By centering Native voices and legal realities, the report reframes electrification as a just transition for Native students and communities ensuring cleaner air, healthier futures, and respect for Tribal self-determination.
Projects
Electric School Bus Initiative
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectCollaborating to equitably electrify the U.S. school bus fleet.
Part of Cities
