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The Red Deal is a manifesto and movement by The Red Nation, a coalition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists, advocating for Indigenous liberation and a revolutionary left position on climate justice. The book builds upon the 2010 People’s Agreement drafted in Cochabamba, Bolivia, which outlined principles of ecofeminism, ecosocialism, and anti-imperialism.

The Red Deal argues that a Green New Deal must be "Red" - focused on Indigenous liberation and decolonization, recognizing that the climate crisis is deeply intertwined with settler colonialism and US imperialism.

The book outlines four core principles for organizing:

1. What creates crisis cannot solve it: The authors call for divestment from institutions that perpetuate the crisis, such as the military, police, prisons, and fossil fuel industries.
2. Change from below and to the left: The Red Deal emphasizes the importance of grassroots organizing and mass movements, building power from below rather than relying on politicians and reforms.
3. Politicians can’t do what only mass movements do: The book argues against reformist approaches that attempt to improve the system while upholding its underlying structures. It advocates for non-reformist reforms that challenge existing power structures and redistribute wealth.
4. From theory to action: The Red Deal emphasizes practical action and movement-building over theoretical debates. It calls for a militant, unified movement to achieve liberation and heal the planet.

The Red Deal is divided into three main sections:

Part I: Divest: End the Occupation

• Focuses on dismantling the military and prison industrial complex (MPIC), arguing for divestment from:
  • Police, ICE, CBP, and Child Protective Services
  • Bordertown violence
  • Incarceration (prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers)
  • Imperial occupation (overseas US military bases)
  • Imperial borders
• Calls for defunding and abolishing these institutions and reinvesting resources in communities.
• Highlights the interconnectedness of Indigenous sovereignty, anti-imperialism, and climate justice.
• Urges support for movements fighting for migrant justice, abolition of prisons, and defunding the police.

Part II: Heal Our Bodies: Reinvest in Our Common Humanity

• Addresses social injustices and systemic inequalities exacerbated by capitalism, including:
  • Citizenship and equal rights for immigrants
  • Free and sustainable housing for all
  • Free and accessible education
  • Free and adequate healthcare
  • Free, reliable, and accessible public transportation and infrastructure
  • Noncarceral mental health support and suicide prevention
  • Healthy, sustainable, and abundant food
  • Clean water, land, and air
  • Ending gender, sexual, and domestic violence
  • Ending Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples (MMIWG2S)
• Calls for a caretaking economy that prioritizes the well-being of people and the planet over profit.
• Emphasizes the importance of grassroots organizing, mutual aid, and community self-defense.

Part III: Heal Our Planet: Reinvest in Our Common Future

• Argues that Indigenous knowledge and leadership are essential for healing the planet.
• Highlights the need for clean sustainable energy initiatives led by Indigenous peoples, with a focus on:
  • Ending fossil fuel extraction and transitioning to renewable energy
  • Addressing the environmental and social impacts of lithium mining
  • Creating sustainable jobs in the green energy sector
• Advocates for traditional and sustainable agriculture based on Indigenous practices, including:
  • Land return and restoration
  • Seed sovereignty and revitalization of Indigenous food systems
  • Ending the dominance of big agriculture and GMOs
• Calls for protection and restoration of sacred sites as a key element of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.
• Emphasizes the importance of enforcing treaty rights and other agreements between Indigenous nations and colonial powers.

The Red Deal is a call for collective action, a powerful articulation of Indigenous resistance, and a vision for a just and sustainable future. The book challenges readers to question existing systems of power, embrace Indigenous knowledge, and join in the struggle for liberation.