In the face of disproportionate impacts from climate change, American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are at the forefront of addressing climate change through indigenous-led approaches to climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience. Tribes have unique rights, cultures, and economies that are vulnerable to climate change impacts. For indigenous peoples, the environmental impacts of climate change and some of the proposed solutions threaten ways of life, subsistence, lands rights, future growth, cultural survivability, and financial resources.
The Tribal Climate Change Project is now part of the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation (LF). The L.I.G.H.T. Foundation (LF) is an independent, Indigenous-led, conservation 501(c)(3) nonprofit established on the Colville Indian Reservation in the traditional territory of the Nespelem Tribe in present-day north central Washington State. LF supports the restoration and cultivation of native Plant and Pollinator Relatives and the culturally respectful conservation of habitats and ecosystems which are climate resilient and adaptive. LF has a three-pronged mission: 1) to cultivate positive relationships between Indigenous Peoples and landowners to achieve shared outcomes in ecological stewardship, habitat conservation, and climate adaptation; 2) enrich communities to support teaching gathering traditions and honoring native plants in culturally appropriate ways; and 3) perpetuating the ecological heritages of Indigenous Peoples through intergenerational knowledge transmission and supporting traditional landscape practices.
The L.I.G.H.T. Foundation is proud to be the first inter-Tribal entity to host the PNW TCCP. It is our hope that this partnership will support and advance climate information and resource sharing for Indigenous food sovereignty and gathering/harvesting rights, protection of native pollinator habitats and health, and Indigenous water security and sovereignty actions. For more information about LF, visit: https://thepnwlf.org/.
The Tribal Climate Change Project began as a collaborative project between the University of Oregon Environmental Studies Program and the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in 2009 and has had significant support from diverse partners, including the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center among others.
Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Network
A hallmark of the PNW Tribal Climate Change Project is the Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Network, which serves as a means to exchange information on climate change policy, programs, grants and other opportunities for tribes to engage in climate change issues. The Network also provides input into the development of project resources and helps focus on the most critical areas for research and action. For more information about the Network, including a link to join the email listserve, click here: https://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/network/.
Online Tribal Climate Change Guide
The online Tribal Climate Change Guide is a clearinghouse of information for Tribes on funding opportunities, publications, trainings, and more. This guide is updated on a weekly basis and we encourage our partners and visitors to the guide to share information that you would like to see added. For more information, visit: https://tribalclimateguide.uoregon.edu/.