Transcript Rising Voices 3 Indigenous Climate Conference Highlights

RISING VOICES 3 CONFERENCE
Bringing Together Science and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
to Create Positive Solutions
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado
June 29-July 1, 2015
A Summary of Learning and Sharing
by Cathy Techtmann-UW Extension Environment Outreach Specialist
NCAR Conference Site
Through the support of Epsilon Sigma Phi
Boulder, Colorado is a progressive college community with a vibrant downtown
There many signs that the community is adopting sustainable, carbon neutral strategies
Boulder has experienced impacts from climate change causing excessive
melting of mountain snowpack
Significant flooding of Boulder Creek in 2013 caused loss in property and lives
This marker shows the
water depth at the flood’s
peak approx. 30 feet
The Rising Voices Conference started with ceremony and prayer
A tradition Hawaiian robe presented an elder’s honor
This spiritual beginning brought everyone together in a good way
to share and learn.
Over 100 representatives from Tribal Nations, non-tribal governments,
researchers, elders, and students attended
Rising Voices 3 Conference Goals
• Engage communities in designing climate-change solutions
• Create an environment of mutual respect for multiple ways of knowing
• Directly assist communities in achieving their adaptation goals
• Promote partnerships that foster effective climate solutions from both
western and indigenous perspectives
• Foster regional and international networking to share climate solutions
The key points emphasized through the proceedings….
Despite keen awareness of climate change, indigenous people have
limited participation in climate-change science …. yet indigenous
communities are being the most affected by climate change.
Indigenous people have limited access… there are power imbalances…
there differences in world view.
Western Science emphasizes facts … Indigenous view emphasizes
relationships to spiritual and biophysical components and indicate
important and distinct contributions that each knowledge system can
make.
PRESENTATION SESSIONS
Representatives of indigenous communities shared how climate change is affecting
their culture and communities and what they are doing to foster resiliency.
There were difficult stories…
this Alaskan elder tells of his
village being by flooded by
rising sea levels and facing
relocation.
There were hopeful stories….
indigenous Pacific Islanders
are restoring breadfruit
agroforestry after 200 years
of land & water degradation
of western pineapple
plantations.
Native early career researchers & youth presented of research documenting
climate change impacts on Native communities and responses
Climate change impacts on phenologies of
culturally important plant species on the Leech
Lake Ojibwe Reservation.
Climate impacts on a NW Pacific Tribe that is
landlocked. The map shows their only evacuation
route as sea level rises and tsunami threats
increase.
“Most of use say we are going to stay… I’ve made
my life living off the land and water and it’s my
turn to give something back I’ll go with it.”
- Native community member
Decline of jack pine on the Chippewa
National Forest due to climate change.
Questions posed by a panel of Native student researchers challenged us,
no matter what tribe we were from
• What does climate change mean to you?
• Is your tribe discussing climate change and variability?
• Have you experienced or observed any changes in the climate?
• Has there been any extreme weather events that have affected your tribe that
has had long-term effects?
• What is the biggest concern today impacting your tribe today related to
weather/climate change?
Representatives from the College
of the Menominee Nation
Sustainable Development
Institute (SDI) shared the SDI
Theoretical Model of
Sustainability as a culturally
relevant approach to climate
change.
www. sustainabledevelopmentinstitute.org
As part of the “Learning by Doing” Panel,
I presented the
G-WOW Changing Climate, Changing Culture climate literacy model
This was the only presentation at the conference that focused on strategies for
communicating about climate change by integrating indigenous perspectives
with western science.
http://risingvoices.ucar.edu/presentations
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
gave participants the opportunity to contribute recommendations
on action items from the previous conference
(Rising Voices 2)
The breakout sessions included:
WATER
PHENOLOGY (plants & animals)
HEALTH & LIVIHOODS
RELOCATION
Results were incorporated into indigenous people’s
recommendations presented at 2015 Paris Climate Conference
POSTER SESSION
provided a variety of
research-based projects documenting climate impacts on
Native nations and resiliency responses to learn from.
PUBLIC DIALOGUE SESSION
The Rising Voices Conference also included
a public information program on
Indigenous Peoples in the Global Climate Change.
This open invitation conversation was held one evening in the Courtroom of the
University of Colorado Wolf Law School.
Panel and audience members shared stories of climate and cultural resiliency.
At University of Colorado Law School
Wolf Law School Courtroom public dialogue session
CONFERENCE OUTCOMES
1. Developing new adaptation partnerships….
New insights were gained in tribal adaptation and resiliency strategies to
integrate into Extension climate change outreach.
2. Ideas for new/modified curricula in climate science and adaption….
Sharing the G-WOW Changing Climate, Changing Climate Model,
offered a new climate change curricula that integrated indigenous
perspectives with western climate science to encourage adaptation and
resiliency.
3. Evaluating scientific and indigenous partnerships and collaboration…
Many new partnerships and collaboration on climate change
education were established that will help make climate outreach more
culturally relevant.
4. Joint written products, proceedings, reports… Catalyzing action to policy
audiences, such as Congress, IPCC….
Recommendations from Rising Voices were presented at the 2015
International Paris Climate Change Summit.
Outcome statements by Preston Haridson & Karelta Chief
As a result of attending & presenting at Rising Voices 3
the G-WOW Climate Literacy Model
has been included in NOAA’s US Climate Resiliency Toolkit
http://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/g-wow-guiding-tomorrow-changing-climatechanging-culture-initiative
Conference recommendations
• National advocacy for consideration and partnership of tribes
• Increased funding for tribes but not significant
• National advocacy to protect tribes and Traditional Ecological
Knowledge
• More work to do – education, partnership, outreach, and planning!
Participation Rising Voices 3 Conference Continues To
• inform the development of the G-WOW Changing Climate, Changing
Culture Model climate change educational outreach.
•
strengthen and expand partnerships with tribal climate researchers and
educational outreach specialists.
• provide research-based information and culturally relevant perspectives
that is being shared with others through Extension outreach.
Miigwech-Thank you
Epsilon Sigma Phi for supporting me to participate and present
At the Rising Voices 3 Conference!