Abstract As the impacts of climate change increasingly and disproportionately affect indigenous peoples, equitable approaches to regional climate change adaptation must center the voices, needs, and priorities of Indigenous communities. Although the tribal climate change principles identify actionable recommendations to address the unique needs of Indigenous peoples in the contexts of climate change adaptation efforts undertaken at the Federal level in the United States (U.S.), there has yet to be exploration of how such principles might be applied at the regional level. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 18 representatives from inter-Tribal organizations and non-Tribal organizations engaged in regional climate adaptation in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, this research sought to describe challenges faced by, and opportunities available to, non-Tribal entities when engaging with Tribes on regional climate adaptation initiatives. All respondents reported high levels of motivation to work with Tribes on climate adaptation and identified several perceived benefits of integrating Tribal partnerships and indigenous ways of knowing into regional climate adaptation initiatives. Respondents underscored the need for strong, trusted relationships that respect the sovereignty and priorities of Tribal nations to guide engagement. However, non-Tribal organizations’ own capacity constraints, perceived Tribal capacity constraints, and institutional cultures rooted in colonialism and structural racism were discussed as obstacles to meaningful engagement. As such, we identify an urgent need to prioritize sustained investments in both Tribal and non-Tribal actors’ partnership capacities and climate change adaptation capabilities to place Indigenous voices and needs at the forefront of regional climate change adaptation planning and implementation.
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Climate data and information needs of indigenous communities on reservation lands: insights from stakeholders in the Southwestern United States
Indigenous communities on reservation lands across the USA continue to demonstrate their leadership in climate resilience through active engagement in co-producing interdisciplinary solutions to adaptation. These initiatives, however, often ask Indigenous peoples to provide knowledge and resources to assist with adaptation efforts beyond their communities, which can limit their capacity to act locally. Trusting their expertise, we utilize a participatory research approach that asks tribal government employees, agriculturalists, researchers, and outreach professionals to prioritize the climate information and data they perceive as necessary to enhance the climate resilience of water resources of Indigenous communities. In doing so, this study provides empirical evidence specific to the climate adaptation needs of Indigenous communities on reservation lands in the arid southwestern USA. Study respondents prioritize climate information and data that serve to assess local climate change impacts, enhance food security, and integrate and protect the traditional knowledge of their communities. In this arid and predominantly rural region, respondents prioritize water quality data as their highest need followed by streamflow and air temperature data. They most frequently access their respective tribal government sources of climate information and data. These results indicate that localized climate data and information are highly prioritized. Future research and action to alleviate information and data gaps should account for the relevance, accessibility, and protection of these resources while prioritizing methods that ensure Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination rather than knowledge extraction.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10361506
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Climatic Change
- Volume:
- 169
- Issue:
- 3-4
- ISSN:
- 0165-0009
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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