The Intangible Effects of Climate Change | Article

A traditional Quinault Nation story tells of a whale that sits at the base of a glacier. The whale, dropped there by Thunderbird on its way to feed its nest of chicks, lowers its tail to slow the water that pours out from the glacier and into the Quinault River, which flows through the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. However, warming temperatures have accelerated the retreat of glaciers. Today, the Anderson glacier from the Quinault Nation story no longer exists. Sadly, this is just one example of the many intangible effects of climate change, the loss of tribal heritage.

For tribal nations around the world, whose way of life is deeply tied to the Earth, the consequences of climate change are far reaching, altering not just their land, but their values, traditions, stories, languages and cultures. On October 21, the Environmental Law Institute held a webinar, Swept Away: Safeguarding Tribal Cultural Heritage from the Impacts of Climate Change, to explore these issues and develop possible solutions.

“These aren't just environmental impacts, these have impacts on tribal ways of being and knowing and identity,” described Shasta Gaughen, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Pala Band of Mission Indians.

Disappearing sea ice results in the loss of traditional hunting areas and sources. Extreme weather events lead to the cancellation of traditional ceremonies, many of which cannot simply be rescheduled. Increasing global temperatures shift native habitats, changing the availability of culturally important animals and foods. Rising sea levels force the relocation of villages and people. According to Gaughen, these impacts bring up larger questions, like how values can be reinforced without traditional ceremonies, and how the loss of ancestral lands affects identity.

“It's not just the loss of the sites, it's a loss of the meaning of the sites,” continued Gaughen. “It’s not just the loss of the plants and the animals, it's the loss of the values and the traditions that are associated with those things.”

Promoting education and allowing native people to tell their stories is essential to the preservation of tribal heritage. James Rattling Leaf, Sr., Coordinator of Climate Partnerships at the Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance and a tribal member of the Rosebud Sioux, works at the intersection of culture and climate science data. He has helped create a data collection system, called Rez Mapper, that utilizes native languages, engaging both indigenous and “western” ideas. Expanding educational programs, like this database, will open up opportunities for native people, and particularly native youth, to participate in data collection and climate science. It allows them to not only be part of the process, but the solution as well.

“When tribal nations collect data, we're telling our own story in our own way,” Rattling Leaf said. “Those of us who are promoters of data, we are information gatherers and information keepers. Just as our ancestors looked at essential information to tell our stories, these new stories are being held together to sustain our people and forge our future.”

From individual tribal actions to federal and state policies, there are solutions for safeguarding tribal cultural heritage.

The coastal shores of the Quinault Nation are being eroded away, but the tribe is taking steps to protect their villages from sea level rise, restore their lands, and preserve their heritage. For example, Naomi Brandenfels, an archeologist and tribal historic preservation officer, works to uncover culturally important artifacts and establish a pre-contact record before it is washed away.

The village of Taholah lies in a 100 percent tsunami inundation zone, and for those that live there, this risk poses a real concern. The village is currently in the process of relocation, and as construction gets underway, Brandenfels looks for cultural resources in the new site. To protect species with vital importance, the Quinault people are engaging in stream restoration activities, including planting native vegetation and establishing steam meanders. The efforts will facilitate the recovery of endangered animals, like Quinault sockeye salmon, and ensure their presence for future generations.

Through policies and regulations, federal and state governments can play a role in preserving indigenous cultures. Currently, no laws exist that provide protections for tribal cultural resources at risk from climate change. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) ensures tribes are consulted on projects that may impact them, but does not give them power to overturn those projects.

To get a better understanding of where the intersections between cultural preservation and state climate action lie, California has created a Cultural Resources Climate Change Task Force to conduct a gap analysis, using a framework developed by the International Congress on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Following this analysis, the task force will develop policies or a strategic plan that will better safeguard tribal heritage threatened by climate change. The task force is the first step in connecting cultural heritage and state policy and provides an opportunity for the government to listen, respect, and engage with tribal nations.

Although the risk of climate change is significant, tribal nations are resilient and solutions are available to uplift indigenous voices and preserve their cultures into the future.