One of the many consequences of climate change is its impact on medicinal plants. With increasing global temperatures, higher levels of carbon dioxide, and rapidly changing weather, plant growth and distribution is declining. According to the National Institute of Health, research has found that environmental stressors can significantly modify chemical characteristics of plants, including salinity, aridity, illumination, and temperature, and affect the secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are organic compounds that mediate functions of defense and reproduction. Climate change has also been found to change the synthesis and secretion in these compounds, due to factors like temperature or droughts, and can alter the functionality of plants (Ugo-Alum, 2024). This means that climate change is not only making it harder for plants to survive, but it is also changing the ways in which it can be used. 

Lack of access to traditional medicinal plants results in a disruption in the way of life and affects health, well–being, and ability to practice culturally significant ceremonies and gatherings. Physical environmental degradation has been linked to several mental health burdens including; diminished social interaction, diminished sense of self, and loss of connections to the environment and community (APHA, 2016). Indigenous communities disproportionately experience these burdens due to their close  relationship with the land and its resources. These experiences worsen due to institutional barriers that prevent tribes ability to access and control ancestral lands that are increasingly being degraded by climate change.

Historically, indigenous voices have been left out of important human rights and environmental decision-making. In the U.S, when there is conflict between environmental values and Indigenous rights, policy makers fail to consult and consent Indigenous views. Government bodies must work to emphasize the interests of Indigenous peoples beyond race/ethnicity and property rights. There are two principal factors that should be taken into account; first, acknowledging the history of colonial efforts to deny Indigenous sovereignty, and second, incorporating Indigenous connections to the land into policymaking (Pearl, 2024). Indigenous voices matter more than just being heard, they must contribute to identifying problems and finding solutions to these problems. 

This research proposal focuses primarily on members of the Ojibwe or Annishinabe tribe, who occupy land in the Great Lakes region and Southern parts of Canada. The methods for this research would include interviews, surveys, and a case study. Historically, indigenous voices have been ignored and discounted in historical and environmental research. For this reason, it is imperative that more thorough and ethical research is being done, and why I propose research collaboration with tribal members.

1. Interviews: Engaging in a structured conversation with participants to collect data and gain insight on the relationship between the significance of medicinal plants in Ojibwe or Annishinabe tribes and effects of the worlds changing climate.

2. Surveys: General questions for tribal members, non-tribal members, policymakers, and environmentalist involved in the topic. Survey questions may include but are not limited to:

• Do you have any previous knowledge on medicinal plants?

• Are there any threats to these plants or their habitat?

• What recommendations would to make to protect these plants and their habitat?

• What are the traditional uses of these plants?

• What parts of the plant are used? 

3. Case study: Design an in-depth qualitative investigation of medicinal plants and effects of climate change on Annishinabe communities, with the help of a local tribal member as co-researcher. 

The main objective of this research proposal is awareness and Indigenous climate action. It is important to address influencers of the issue that are in the foreground of this discussion. Promoting and incorporating indigenous voices into this research allows for the exploration of culture and society, which can transform from research to implementation of plant conservation and indigenous environmental justice.