Climate Change and Pacific Rim
Indigenous
Nations
DR. ZOLT ÁN GROSSMAN
Geography/Native Studies,
The Evergreen State College,
Olympia, Washington http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz
Senior Research Associate,
Northwest Indian
Applied Research Institute www.evergreen.edu/nwindian

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Climate
Change
Reports
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Climate change is already here

Indigenous Peoples:
Miner’s Canary of Climate Change?
“Like the miner's canary, the Indian marks the shifts from fresh air to poison gas in our political atmosphere…”
Felix Cohen (1953)
“Indigenous Peoples are like the miner’s canary.
When their cultures and languages disappear this reflects the profound sickness in the ecology.”
Paul Havemann & Helena Whall (2002)
“I say canary in the coal mine because the Arctic is one part of the world that is experiencing faster impact from global warming.”
Al Gore (2006)

1941
Early warnings in the Arctic
2004

Early warnings in the Arctic

Early warnings in the Pacific xxxxxxxxxxx

Early warnings in the Pacific
May 2005 June 2005

Early warnings in North America

Nisqually Glacier,
Mount Rainier,
Aug. 2006-2009

Medicine Creek Treaty Tree

Harvesting rights in North America

Threats to fishery
Declined spring snowpack reduce summer streamflows
Earlier and quicker spring melts create floods, throw off timing of ecosystem relationships
Higher stream water temps harm fish and habitat
Near Skokomish Reservation
Enormous economic impacts from unreliable water sources

Threats to water resources

Impacts on forest resources

Shifting invasive species

Dungeness Spit 2010, 2050, 2100
Sea-level rise

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Sea-level rise
Hoh Reservation on Washington coast threatened by storm surges and tsunamis. Home have fallen in the Hoh River due to coastal flooding.
Tribal offices are permanently sandbagged, and the Tribe is working with the National Park Service to move housing to higher ground
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Sea-level rise
Olympia city government map that overlays a 22-feet tidal elevation on downtown. This figure reflects a moderate sea-level rise of only
4 feet over the FEMA-projected
100-year flood level.
Info : http://www.lightblueline.org
Blue Line March marks future
Olympia shoreline
Oct. 24, 2009
(350: International Day of Climate Action)

Unpredictable winds
Winds shift from W-E to S-N; along mtn. range ridgelines;
Not uplift for precipitation
Trees toppled by December 2006 windstorm knocked out region’s power for days

Winter
Megastorms
Floods and mudslides,
December 2007

Seattle cut off from Portland,
December 2007
Winter
Megastorms

Winter
Megastorms
Blizzard, December 2008;
Flooding, January 2009

Climate change refugees?

Climate change: potential
Culture
Killer

Traditional
Ecological
Knowledge

Climate stresses on culture

Indigenous cooperation

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Framework
Convention on
Climate Change

Environmental treaties
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Bolivian President
Evo Morales addressing special session on climate change,
March 2008

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Community = Survival

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Gather information

2. Secure water sources

3. Secure food sources

4. Adapt to new foods

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5. Cooperate in local planning: land use
Clear-cuts causing mudslides in December 2007 storm in
Lewis County WA
Nisqually agreement with Olympia on alternate springwater sources

Local emergency planning
Local and tribal governments sharing resources. Only have each other in an emergency--
Not FEMA.
Swinomish working with Skagit River Delta local governments on flood prevention/response
Umatilla

6. Cooperate to reduce emissions

Adopting renewable energies
KILI-FM,
Pine Ridge

7. Protect local habitats

8. Assert tribal powers globally
Indigenous NGOs at UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) and UN Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC)

9. Involve tribal youth

10. Work with other Indigenous

The Indigenous Nations Treaty

The Indigenous Nations Treaty

United League of Indigenous Nations
United League of Indigenous Nations http://www.ULIN-web.org
http://www.IndigenousNationsTreaty.org
Alan Parker, Director,
Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute (NIARI),
The Evergreen State College,
Sem 3112, 2700 Evergreen Pkwy. NW
Olympia, WA 98505 USA
Tel.: (360) 867-5075
E-mail: parkeral@evergreen.edu
Website: http://nwindian.evergreen.edu

Faculty Contact
Dr. Zoltán Grossman, Senior Research Associate,
Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute (NIARI),
Faculty member in Geography / Native American Studies,
The Evergreen State College,
Lab 1 3012, 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
Olympia, WA 98505 USA
Phone: (360) 867-6153 / 359-8871
E-mail: grossmaz@evergreen.edu
Web: http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz
NIARI: http://www.evergreen.edu/nwindian
Climate Change and Pacific Rim Indigenous Nations project
Web: http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/climate.html
Report:
Powerpoint: http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/IndigClimate2.pdf
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/IndigClimate2009.ppt
Article: http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/Indigenous Nations’ Responses.pdf

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission www.nwifc.org
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) http://www.critfc.org/tech/climate/cc_workshop.html
United League of Indigenous Nations www.ulin-web.org
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/session_seventh.html
Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples (UNPFII) http://www.tebtebba.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=18&Itemid=27
Anchorage Declaration on Climate Change (2009) http://www.indigenoussummit.com/servlet/content/declaration.html
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) http://unfccc.int/2860.php
UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) http://www.ipcc.ch
Native Climate Commons (UN & Tulalip Tribes) http://climate.nativecommons.net
National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC) www.ntec.org
Native Peoples - Native Homelands climate change workshops www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/native.pdf
(1998) http://portal3.aihec.org/sites/NPNH/Pages/Default.aspx
(2009)
Native Communities and Climate Change (2007) www.colorado.edu/Law/centers/nrlc/publications/ClimateChangeReport-
FINAL%20_9.16.07_.pdf
Planning for Seven Generations (2008) http://www.cbp.ucar.edu/tribalconfhome.html
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States (2009) http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/download-the-report
Tribal Climate Change Forum (2009) http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/programs/policy/tribal-climate-change-policy-training-meetingmaterials/?searchterm=tribal%20climate
Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) Climate Justice Campaign http://www.ienearth.org/climatejustice.html
Native Energy / Intertribal Council on Utility Policy (COUP) www.intertribalcoup.org www.nativewind.org
National Wildlife Federation www.tribalclimate.org
Coast Salish Gathering http://www.coastsalishgathering.com
Climate Change at Quileute and Hoh http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/papiez.html
Tribes and Climate Change (N. Arizona Univ.) http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest.asp
Climate Change Impacts on Tribal Resources (Tulalip) www.tulalip.nsn.us/pdf.docs/FINAL%20CC%20FLYER.pdf
Swinomish Climate Change Initiative http://www.swinomish-nsn.gov/departments/planning/climate_change/climate_main.html
Energy Planning: A Guide for Northwest Indian Tribes www.nwseed.org/documents/NWSEED_Tribal%20GB_Final.pdf
Pacific Northwest Research Station (U.S. Forest Service) www.fs.fed.us/pnw
Environmental Justice and Climate Change (EJCC) Initiative www.ejcc.org
Energy Justice Network www.energyjustice.net
Climate Impacts Group (Pacific Northwest) www.cses.washington.edu/cig
Sea-level rise on Pacific Northwest coast http://www.nwf.org/sealevelrise/Maps_of_the_Pacific_Northwest_Coast.cfm