Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous Peoples
Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and other Indigenous peoples and communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The CASCs are working with Tribes and Indigenous communities to better understand their specific vulnerabilities to climate change and to help them adapt to these impacts. Browse our projects below.
Tribes and Tribal Organizations
Tribes and Tribal Organizations
The CASCs partner with Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations to better understand their specific vulnerabilities to climate change, to assist in their adaptation planning, and to identify and address their climate science needs.
Pacific Island Indigenous People
Pacific Island Indigenous People
The Pacific Island CASC partners with Indigenous communities throughout Hawai'i and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands to support their specific climate adaptation efforts.
Alaska Natives and Corporations
Alaska Natives and Corporations
The Alaska and Northwest CASCs partner with Alaska Native Tribes, regional Tribal consortia, and for-profit corporations established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) to support their specific climate adaptation efforts.
Filter Total Items: 139
From Water to Life: Impact of Climate Warming on Potential Wetland and First Foods Habitat in Traditional Use Areas of The Klamath Tribes
Project Overview First foods are integral components of the culture, spirituality, medicine, well-being, and health of the Klamath people. Throughout the Klamath Basin, climate change has substantially impacted the seasonality, abundance, and quality of first foods and other culturally important resources. These impacts compound with long-term challenges to food security and food...
The Combined Impacts of Climate Change and Intensive Agriculture on Wild Rice, a Culturally Critical Resource and Relative for Indigenous Communities
Project Overview Wild Rice is an important piece of Indigenous culture for tribal communities in the Upper Midwest. However, given the high vulnerability of this aquatic plant to climate change, tribal communities have seen a significant decline of Wild Rice in the past century. Despite the expansion of monitoring and restoration efforts, intensified agriculture has also contributed to...
After the Dams: Fire Impacts and Restoration Opportunities for a Culturally Important Klamath River Willow
Project Overview The sandbar willow of the Klamath River is used within the Karuk Tribe’s ongoing cultural practices of basketweaving. The willow has been threatened by intensifying fire and dams, but restoration and the recent historical dam removals provide an opportunity to increase the quantity, quality, and access to this important resource. Researchers supported by this Southwest...
Building community-based monitoring partnerships between rural schools and wildlife refuges in Alaska
Project Overview In Alaska, winters are becoming shorter and more unpredictable, leading to changes in lake and river ice, impacting access to hunting grounds, fuel wood transportation and recreation for local communities. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will revitalize and modernize a freshwater ice observation network with a youth-centric partnership that teams...
Co-producing Robust Estimates of Feral Horses on Tribal Lands
Feral horse populations in the southwestern United States, including on tribal lands, are far above sustainable levels. This overpopulation poses threats to rangeland ecosystems as the feral horses compete with native species and livestock for limited resources – which likely will become even more limited with climate change. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project will...
Evaluating the Vulnerability of Indigenous Shell Middens and Marsh Habitat Diversity to Sea Level Rise
Project Overview Coastal marshes in the Gulf of America host diverse ecological communities and hold Native American cultural artifacts within shell mounds (middens). However, both are vulnerable to erosion and submergence due to rising sea levels and more frequent severe storms. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will develop a risk-assessment tool to evaluate the...
Predicting Climate-Driven Invasive Fish Spread to Support Indigenous and State Freshwater Management in Florida
Project Overview Climate change and invasive fish species threaten the resilience and biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S., including the Everglades, which are vital to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will model invasive fish distributions under changing climate conditions and refine the model...
Rekindling Relations: Integrating Mvskoke Indigenous Knowledge for Bio-Cultural Climate Adaptation
Project Overview A collaborative research team including the North Central CASC, University of Oklahoma, and College of the Muscogee Nation will conduct ethnographic interviews in the Mvskoke Language (Opvnvkv) documenting Mvskoke Indigenous Knowledge (IK) on several culturally significant species relevant to climate adaptation. The findings will support local management efforts by...
Restoring Climate-Resilient Atlantic White Cedar Wetland Forests in the Northeast: Lessons from Culture and Science
Much of the cranberry bog farmland in Massachusetts used to be Atlantic white cedar ecosystems, which provide important habitat, water filtration, and cooling effects on the landscape. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will experiment with modern restoration strategies and integrate Indigenous cultural stewardship practices to build and sustain climate-resilient...
Science-Driven Methods for Scaling Afforestation of Dry Grass-Dominated Landscapes
Project Overview Restoring grass-dominated landscapes into resilient forested ecosystems is a key strategy for addressing the growing risk of wildfire Hawaiʻi. However, conventional afforestation efforts typically require regular maintenance due to the persistent invasion of grasses in planted areas. In collaboration with Native Hawaiian Organizations, researchers supported by this...
Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation
Project Overview The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation faces challenges in maintaining stream health due to recent extreme weather events, oil and gas development, and row crop expansion. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will assess how these changes affect stream health while providing career development for undergraduate researchers from Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish...
Transforming Community Climate Adaption Through Indigenous Place-based Connection
Project Overview Sea-level rise, stronger storms, and coral reef bleaching events occurring with climate change threaten infrastructure, livelihoods, and cultural practices in Hawai'i. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will integrate Indigenous Knowledge and scientific research to co-produce climate adaptation strategies and conservation guidance for the...