Maria Gunnoe
Maria Gunnoe (born 1968) is an environmentalist who opposes mountaintop removal mining, and is a winner of the Goldman Prize and Wallenberg Medal. Early life. Maria was born in Boone County, West Virginia, where she continues to reside. She is a Cherokee native. Her family has lived in the West Virginia for generations, and she comes from a long line of coal miners. Activism. Gunnoe became involved in activism in 1997 as a volunteer. She expanded her efforts in the 2000s, when a coal company started a mountaintop removal mine near her home. The mining caused pollution and  dangerous flooding near her home, leaving her home nearly washed away. The water near her home was also rendered contaminated. To protect her home, Gunnoe decided that she would start activist work against the coal company and mountaintop mining. She has continued to be active in advocating against mountaintop mining despite receiving both threats and acts of violence, including having her dog shot and killed. She has become an organizer for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and SouthWings, a company that conducts flights to show aerial views and photography of mountaintop mining and mountaintop removal. In 2007, she testified against  the Army Corps of Engineers in a suit brought against them by the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition to stop mountaintop removal. She gathered 20 residents to testify with her. She now serves on the board of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and advocates to protect the Monongahela National Forest from natural gas extraction. Honors & Appearances. Gunnoe is featured in the: