The abuse and mismanagement of the environment by industry and government have been marked points of concern in Smith’s work. Through her activism and her art, Smith continues to attend to the environmental changes she sees—from global concerns to the health of ecosystems near her home and even in her backyard garden. Smith has said, “Ecology is a science that has been practiced by the Native people on this continent for thousands of years. For instance, in my tribe, after harvesting the bitterroot for the spring feast, there is the specific act of cleaning the plants to ensure next year’s crop. This is giving back. This has been our way of survival.”
