Alaska Institute For Justice Brings Together Alaska Native Tribes And Federal Agencies To Collaborate On Building Climate Resilience At Three-Day Workshop

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Monday, September 18, 2023 at 2:14 PM

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Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Institute for Justice (AIJ), in partnership with Permafrost Pathways, is hosting a workshop to connect ten Alaska Native Tribes with federal government agencies in leading a conversation to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.

Approximately 120 people will participate, with attendance evenly split between Alaska Native Tribes and federal agencies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Denali Commission. With funding from Permafrost Pathways, Alaska Institute for Justice’s support goes to ten Tribes in Alaska to hire full-time staff to work on climate adaptation, including Akiak Native Community, Akiachak Native Community, Chevak Native Village, Chinik Eskimo Community (Golovin), Organized Village of Kwethluk, Native Village of Kwigillingok, Native Village of Kwinhagak (Quinhagak), Native Village of Nelson Lagoon, Native Village of Nunapitchuk and Native Village of Kipnuk.

According to the AIJ, the goal is to protect the human rights of Alaska Natives as the land upon which they have lived for 10,000 years, along with its social, cultural, and traditional significance, is threatened by a radically changing environment. Bringing together government agencies and the Tribes' local Indigenous knowledge and solutions will be more effective in decision-making and investment by bringing together a wide variety of interests, values, and worldviews to the table.

“2023 has shown all too clearly that climate change is here with the intensifying and unique impacts on the environment. Our support at Alaska Institute for Justice to ten rural Alaska Native Tribes is positioned to deliver on climate adaptation objectives together while protecting the human rights of Alaskans and building a more sustainable, safe, and resilient future,” said Robin Bronen, Alaska Institute for Justice’s executive director.

In April 2022, Woodwell Climate Research Center was awarded $41.2 million dollars through the TED Audacious Project to build a network, Permafrost Pathways, to fill gaps in our understanding of how much carbon is released into the atmosphere from thawing permafrost but also to put research to work shaping policy and advocating for increased resources for Alaska Native communities. Permafrost Pathways is a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Every year TED selects and nurtures a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges with the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, who come together to get them launched. Permafrost Pathways brings together leading experts in climate science, policy action, and environmental justice to inform and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to address permafrost thaw.

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