Working Together to Increase Tribal Climate Resilience

Krista Heeringa¹, Ryan Toohey², Malinda Chase¹

¹International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, USA, ²Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center, US Geological Survey, Anchorage, USA

kmheeringa@alaska.edu

Alaska Indigenous community wellbeing is inextricably linked to the land, air, and water which provides essential physical, mental, and spiritual nourishment that also sustains transmission of culture. Rapid climate change poses unique challenges to Alaska’s Indigenous communities. Community Partnerships for Self-Reliance (2015-2020) and Looking Forward, Looking Back: Building Resilience Today (2018-2020) were pilot projects that developed partnerships between communities, academia, and agencies that supported community-initiated research and adaptation planning. Each of these projects informed the development of the Alaska Tribal Resilience Learning Network, a community of learning and sharing that centers Indigenous knowledge and experience in climate adaptation planning. This presentation highlights key lessons in developing partnerships from these projects and presenter experiences that strengthen Tribal and community resilience.