Understanding the Interactions Between Human Health, Environment, and Climate in Salish Sea Communities

The overarching project goal was to develop overlapping conceptual models of environmental and community health indicators in reference to climate forecasts. The sensitivity of species and habitats to climate was cross-walked with recently developed Coast Salish community health indicators (e.g., ceremonial use, knowledge exchange, and physiological well-being) in order to demonstrate how Indigenous Knowledge can be used in conjunction with established landscape-level conservation indicators (e.g., shellfish and water-quality) and employed to identify resource management priorities. Project products included: (1) maps and models that highlight potential impacts in regard to Swinomish first foods and cultural sites; (2) an evaluation of community health impacts, concerns, and priorities in relation to these impacts; (3) more detailed climate change assessment and strategies matrices, specifically filling in information gaps on vulnerable first foods and community health and well-being indicators, for use in planning; (4) development of tools to be shared with other coastal tribal communities for climate change planning; and (5) an education and dissemination plan that will engage multiple sectors of the Swinomish Community and beyond.



This project was funded jointly by the Northwest CSC and the North Pacific LCC.