Tribal Engagement in National Climate Programs

National Tribal Forum on Air QualityMay 13, 2014

Kathy LynnUniversity of Oregon

Environmental Studies ProgramPacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change

Projecthttp://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/

kathy@uoregon.edu

Garrit VoggesserNational Wildlife Federation

National DirectorTribal Partnerships Program

http://www.nwf.org/tribalprogram voggesser@nwf.org

Tribal Climate Change Policy Initiatives

FundingLegislative and Administrative PrinciplesTribal Climate Change Resources in the PNWTraditional Knowledges and Climate ChangeTribal Sovereignty and the Trust ResponsibilityQuestions for you!

TRIBAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING FEDERAL ACTIONS TO ADDRESS

CLIMATE CHANGETribal Principles Background – Federal Climate Legislation

Purpose of New Principles

Principle ThemesSovereign partners in assessing and addressing climate change.Provided adequate resources to assess and address the adverse impacts of climate change.Access to the financial, technical, and other resources necessary for renewable energy and energy efficiency. AK Native Villages, Coastal Tribes, and Relocation. Equitable representation on committees and workgroups.Establish a high level interagency-tribal government task force to close relationship gaps with federal agencies and implement climate solutions.Address exclusion of tribes from federal natural resource programs.Set-aside of resources for tribes in legislation, administrative actions, and current and future natural resource programs.

Climate Change FundingDepartment of Interior, Cooperative Landscape Conservation

FY 2009-FY 2014, $135-$170 million available annually to Interior AgenciesLittle to No Funding Provided to Tribes in first 4 YearsBIA Trust Land is 10% of DOI Land BaseTribal Lands = 16% of Total Acreage of Agency Lands in the CLC ProgramTribal Lands include 11 million acres more than the NPS, yet NPS received 50 times more funding in FY 2012FY 2013 BIA Climate Funding -- $1 million = Less than 1% percent of total fundingFY 2014 BIA Climate Funding -- $9.947 millionAdvocating to Ensure the Same Amount is Available in FY 2015

Agency Acres (in millions)

BLM 258

FWS 150

BIA/Tribes 95

NPS 84

Total 587

Climate Change Funding

Recommendations for FY 14 BIA FundingEndorsed by 12 Tribes and Organizations Representing 90 TribesTask Force to Improve Communication with Tribes on Federal Initiatives.Establish a Consistent Funding Stream.Nation-Wide Training Program on Climate Planning and Implementation.Ensure that climate research and data, data access, and decision support tools is communicated and tailored to meet tribal needs.Develop interagency coordination to align federal agency efforts to formally engage tribes in those efforts in a clear and consistent manner.Improve tribal consultation to mitigate and minimize the direct impacts of climate change.Sponsor a National Tribal Adaptation Forum.Support the respectful and appropriate application of traditional knowledge.

PNW Tribal Climate Change ResourcesPNW Tribal Climate Change Project

Increase awareness about the impacts of climate change on tribal culture and sovereignty and foster collaboration and opportunities for tribes to engage in regional climate initiatives.Develop tribal climate change profiles and resourcesCoordinate the PNW Tribal Climate Change Network

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals

Spring 2014 Webinar SeriesFall 2014 Climate Adaptation Training

Oregon Climate Change Research InstituteNorthwest Climate Science CenterLandscape Conservation Cooperatives

Provide up-to-date information on climate change related grants

Grant nameAgencyDeadlineDescriptionCategory (Adaptation, health, renewable energy, etc.)Funding AmountEligibility

http://envs.uoregon.edu/tribal-climate/

Tribal Climate Change Funding Guide

Tribal Engagement in Northwest Climate Initiatives:

NW Climate Science Center and North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative

Climate Change Resources:2014 National Climate Assessment2013 Northwest Climate Assessment

Traditional Knowledge

Considerations:The role of traditional knowledges in climate change initiativesGuidelines for bridging traditional knowledges in climate research and collaboration with public agenciesProtection for traditional knowledges

What is Traditional Knowledge?

Community Traditions,

Rituals Practices, and Moral Values

Intergenerational World View of

Interrelationships with the

environmentOften expressedorally through

Language, stories, legends, folklore,

songs, taboos, and laws

Transmitted interpersonally by showing to

individuals entrusted with

care

Sharing Through Rules

and Practices of Governance

TK

Image courtesy of Gary Morishima

The role of traditional knowledges in climate change initiatives

Understanding climate change impactsConsidering implications of climate change mitigation strategiesIdentifying tribally-relevant adaptation strategies

Understand key concepts and definitions related to TKs

What is Traditional Knowledge?Who are the holders of TKs?How are TKs relevant to climate change?Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Free, Prior and Informed Consent

"Free" implies indigenous control over decisions related to consent free from force, intimidation, manipulation, inducements, coercion, or other pressure by any government, agency, company, or external entity in a process that is unbiased and neutral as to outcome. "Prior" means that indigenous peoples must be engaged before alternatives are identified and actions or decisions are made. "Informed" means that all relevant information must be made available and provided in language/forms understandable to indigenous peoples and that indigenous peoples must have access to independent information and experts on law and technical issues upon request."Consent" means that Indigenous Peoples have the right to say "yes" or "no" at each stage of the decision making process.

Indigenous Rights and Sharing Traditional Knowledges

Tribes and knowledge holders have the right to participate or NOT participate in federal collaborations involving TKs

Solar Fountain Source: Siletz Tribal Energy Program

Risks in sharing Traditional Knowledges

Potential for misappropriation or misunderstanding of traditional knowledges.

Guidelines and Best Practices

Engage tribes and non-tribal entities in understanding the role of traditional knowledges in climate initiatives, and risks associated with sharing TKs.Ensure that grant proposals clearly articulate how traditional knowledges will be shared and protected in federal-tribal collaborations.

ResourcesGuidelines for Considering Traditional Knowledges in Climate Change Initiatives (forthcoming).Williams T, Hardison P. 2013. Culture, law, risk and governance: contexts of traditional knowledge in climate change adaptation. Climatic Change. October 2013, Volume 120, Issue 3.Vinyeta, Kirsten; Lynn, Kathy. 2013. Exploring the role of traditional ecological knowledge in climate change initiatives. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-879. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Nakashima, D.J.; Galloway McLean, K.; Thulstrup, H.D.; Ramos Castillo, A.; Rubis, J.T. 2012. Weathering uncertainty: traditional knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation. Paris: UNESCO, and Darwin: UNU. 120p

Tribal Sovereignty in the face of Climate Change

Tribes are “Co-Tenants” of Natural Resources Under the Trust DoctrineWhile Others Procrastinate and Sit Idle, Tribes Can be the Drivers of Change

Questions for you:Question about Tribal Climate Change Principles?What kind of guidance to tribes do you think is most important in regards to traditional knowledge and climate change?What kind of guidance to public agencies do you think is most important in regards to traditional knowledge and climate change?

For More Information:Kathy Lynn - PNW Tribal Climate Change Projecthttp://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu kathy@uoregon.edu541-346-5777

Garrit VoggesserNational Wildlife FederationTribal Partnerships Programhttp://www.nwf.org/tribalprogram voggesser@nwf.org