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  5. Assessing the Cultural Effects of Climate Change on Northwest Tribes

Assessing the Cultural Effects of Climate Change on Northwest Tribes

Assessing Climate Change Effects on Natural and Cultural Resources of Significance to Northwest Tribes

Dates

Start Date
2013-07-29
End Date
2014-06-30
Release Date
2013

Summary

Tribal communities have spiritually rich and complex connections with the natural environment, and their traditions, identities, and economies rely heavily on local natural resources. Because of this intimate connection with nature, tribes are especially vulnerable to climate changes that disrupt their surroundings. Surprisingly, however, few studies have delved deeply into Native thinking around climate change and its cultural impacts. This project sought to understand the ways in which Native American culture and cultural practices in the northwestern U.S. have been affected by climate change. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with tribal elders and cultural experts belonging to three Northwest tribes – the Confederated Tribes [...]

Child Items (3)

Contacts

Principal Investigator :
Philip W Mote
Co-Investigator :
Samantha Chisholm Hatfield
Funding Agency :
Northwest CSC
CMS Group :
Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) Program

Attached Files

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NW-2013-1_SockeyeSalmon_KatrinaMueller_FWS.jpg
“Sockeye salmon - Credit: Katrina Mueller, USFWS” 		thumbnail 3.26 MB image/jpeg

Purpose

This research project sought to understand the ways in which aspects of Native American culture have been affected by climate change in the Northwest region of the U.S. There are aspects of tribal culture, such as songs, stories, prayers, and dances that include fish, wildlife, or plants as central images or main symbolic figures, and therefore may be affected by environmentally driven changes. The intimate connections that tribes have maintained with the natural environment are more spiritually rich and complex than non-Native consumptive views of natural resources. After careful consideration of tribe size, level of cultural activity, strength of ties to the environment, and connection to culturally significant and aboriginal geographic regions, three Northwest tribes were selected for this study--the Confederated Tribes of Salish and Kootenai, the Qinault Indian Nation, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Information was collected through interviews with tribal elders and individuals with substantial cultural expertise. We found that in addition to changes in specific cultural practices, a profound disruption to identity connected with (a) changes in seasonality, disturbing the sense of natural time; and (b) a sense that wisdom passed down through generations is no longer a sound basis for which decisions are made. These observations contribute to the understanding of Northwest tribal culture and its vulnerability and adaptive capacity to a changing climate. This research documented traditional cultural commonalities among the tribes involved with this project and illustrated inter-tribal cultural adaptations to their prevailing environmental conditions. The results of this study will also provide tribes a resource to assess climate change impacts on their cultural practices and identity.

Project Extension

projectStatusCompleted

Budget Extension

annualBudgets
year2013
totalFunds111595.0
totalFunds111595.0

Sockeye salmon - Credit: Katrina Mueller, USFWS
Sockeye salmon - Credit: Katrina Mueller, USFWS

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Communities

  • National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
  • Northwest CASC

Associated Items

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Additional Information

Data Management Plan Extension

newInput
accessAndSharingPrimary data are restricted to project participants.
metadataNone
exclusiveUseother than the restriction noted above, no exclusion
descriptionPrimary data consist of oral interviews with no more than twelve tribal elders from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Quinault, and Confederated Salish-­‐Kootenai Tribes, conducted in January and February 2014 by project postdoc Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield
repositoryEach tribe will have digital copies of the interview with its own elders. OSU archives will also keep a copy.
contactbefore June 30 2014: Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield, shatfield@coas.oregonstate.edu; after that, Philip Mote, pmote@coas.oregonstate.edu, 541-737-5694 or Gustavo Bisbal, gbisbal@usgs.gov
qualityChecksNone
protocolsDr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield transcribed the audio files using standard procedures in the field of cultural anthropology.
citationTBD - will depend on final project report authorship and titles
formatThe audio files are in .mp4 format
restrictionsPrimary data are culturally sensitive and, following protocols of the field of cultural anthropology and the plan for this project approved by OSU's Institutional Review Board, will not be publicly available. The research results will be made publicly available.
backupAndStorageFiles are stored in a password protected computer.
dataManagementResourcesResources need for data management are insignificant
volumeEstimate70 MB
dataProcessingPostdoctoral Research Associate Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield conducted the interviews and transcribed the audio files using standard procedures in the field of cultural anthropology.
nameInterview Data - Audio Files
output
accessAndSharingNo access None
metadataN/A
exclusiveUseNone
descriptionTranscripts of interviews, tabulations of analysis of subjects identified by interviewees
repositoryIn addition to the NCCWSC repository (ScienceBase) ,the OSU Archives
contactbefore June 30, 2014: Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield, shatfield@coas.oregonstate.edu; after that, Philip Mote, pmote@coas.oregonstate.edu, 541-737-5694 or Gustavo Bisbal, gbisbal@usgs.gov
qualityChecksN/A
citationTBD - will depend on final project report authorship and titles
formatMicrosoft Word documents
restrictionsTranscripts may include culturally sensitive data and, following protocols of the field of cultural anthropology and the plan for this project approved by OSU's Institutional Review Board, will not be publicly available. The research results will be made publicly available.
backupAndStorageDigital copies are kept in a password protected computer
dataManagementResourcesNegligible
volumeEstimateminimal
dataProcessingsee above
nameInterview records and transcriptions
doiN/A

Expando Extension

object
agendas
themes
number1
nameClimate Science & Modeling
options
number2
nameResponse of Physical Systems to Climate Change
options
number3
nameResponse of Biological Systems to Climate Change
options
number4
nameVulnerability and Adaptation
options
btrue
number5
nameMonitoring and Observation Systems
options
number6
nameData, Infrastructure, Analysis, and Modeling
options
number7
nameCommunication of Science Findings
options
nameNorthwest CSC Agenda
urlhttp://www.doi.gov/csc/northwest/upload/NW-CSC-Science-Agenda-2012-2015.pdf

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