Final Report: Supporting Cooperation Between Tribes and Climate Scientists in the Northeast Region
Dates
Publication Date
2018-05-23
Citation
Caldwell, C., 2018, Supporting Cooperation Between Tribes and Climate Scientists in the Northeast Region.
Summary
Indigenous peoples and Tribal communities have lived in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region for millenia. Throughout this time, they have lived through great uncertainty through colonialism and assimilation periods. Yet, the effort to make meaningful plans for their communities is now threatened by the uncertainty of changing trends in the environment, such as shifting lake levels and patterns of precipitation. These changes create potential financial burdens on Tribal governments and stresses on Tribal cultural practices such hunting, fishing, and harvesting of subsistence and medicinal plants. Our project focused on developing climate scenario planning activities led by the Tribes and Tribal members we worked with, and supported [...]
Summary
Indigenous peoples and Tribal communities have lived in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
region for millenia. Throughout this time, they have lived through great uncertainty through
colonialism and assimilation periods. Yet, the effort to make meaningful plans for their
communities is now threatened by the uncertainty of changing trends in the environment,
such as shifting lake levels and patterns of precipitation. These changes create potential
financial burdens on Tribal governments and stresses on Tribal cultural practices such
hunting, fishing, and harvesting of subsistence and medicinal plants. Our project focused on
developing climate scenario planning activities led by the Tribes and Tribal members we
worked with, and supported by U.S. Department of Interior led Northeast Climate Science
Center resources to provide relevant climate science information. Over the course of the
project we were able to engage at various levels with up to six Tribal contacts in the region,
either directly or through other activities that included Tribes represented from the NE
region. Through our direct work with Tribes we were able to provide temporary support as
Tribes either started or continued climate adaptation planning work. The process was initially
focused on working with Tribal decision making bodies (e.g. Natural Resource Departments,
Conservation Commissions) but also worked within community activities to the extent
requested by the Tribal representatives. In addition, we worked with Tribal students and
professionals who participated in other events such as, a Tribal Climate Camp, Indigenous
Planning Summer Institute, and a Tribally led regional climate change monitoring network.
In all cases, the effort to provide necessary information to advance Tribal climate adaptation
planning needs resulted in the identification of specific resource issues. The integration of
different NECSC climate science resources primarily provided localized climate profiles
based on these identified resources.
