Responding to the climate needs of Tribal frontline communities

Staff and scientists from the Integrated Climate Sciences Division (ICSD) will be presenting to the Northwest Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities (NIPSC), which is a federal interagency collaboration in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, co-led by Dani Shannon, (U.S. EPA), Bryan Fiedorczyk (U.S. EPA) and Lisa Stewart (HUD). ICSD staff will present on the topic of Responding to climate needs of Tribal frontline communities using ongoing co-production work on potential landfill contamination being conducted in rural Alaska alongside Alaska Native Villages. The Alaska example will be used as a case study to present the framework and best practices for establishing science co-production with Tribal partners. Presenters will discuss how building reciprocal relationships was incorporated into the scientific process and shaped associated research around landfills in Alaska with tribal communities. The broader implications are that this framework and approach to partnering with Tribal groups can be replicated across agencies and programs in order to better integrate Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledges alongside western science methods.

Impact/Purpose

Staff and scientists from the Integrated Climate Sciences Division will be presenting to the Northwest Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities (NIPSC), which is a federal interagency collaboration in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, co-led by Dani Shannon, (U.S. EPA), Bryan Fiedorczyk (U.S. EPA) and Lisa Stewart (HUD). ICSD staff have been invited to speak at one of the monthly meetings on the topic of Responding to climate needs of Tribal frontline communities. Presenters will discuss how building reciprocal relationships was incorporated into the scientific process and shaped associated research around landfills in Alaska with tribal communities.    Specifically, presenters will use a research project being conducted in Alaska as a case study to support the framework of Stages of Building Reciprocal Relationships with Tribal Nations. The case study will highlight highlight the environmental issue of solid waste management in Alaska Native Villages, particularly around potential landfill contaminants in the face of climate change. The research is ongoing with partners in Alaska, and the work aims to co-produce knowledge with Tribes and rural communities in Alaska to support their climate adaptation and waste management efforts. Results and findings from this presentation could be applied to anyone hoping to work with Tribal partners, but especially those from federal agencies such as the U.S. EPA.

Citation

Schaefer, M., S. Lee, AND L. Oliver. Responding to the climate needs of Tribal frontline communities. Northwest Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities (NIPSC), Seattle, WA, March 07, 2024.