Climate Change and Indigenous Rights by Donavin Harte

I had the great pleasure of growing up being a part of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

My experience within the tribe gave me my love and respect for the environment and conservation that I hold today. Growing up, I learned the importance of caring for our land so it will care for us. I learned how to grow food sustainably, have respect for all living things—-plant or animal, and not to use more than you need while also giving back from the land when you take from it. Many of the methods of sustainability and conservation I learned are what guide the Kowabdanawa odë kė (Potawatomi Department of Natural Resources). Kowabdanawa odë kė translates to “they/those who watch over this land”. Their mission is to protect and promote the “wise” use of natural resources through careful planning and environmental stewardship. This mission was developed with the vision of creating and maintaining a strong, healthy, and sustainable environment for the tribe to grow and thrive within. This is possible for our tribe because of economic prosperity and federal recognition of having somewhat autonomous land. However, many other tribes in the Americas—and indigenous people around the world—and not as fortunate. 

In the United States alone, 40% of indigenous groups do not have recognized land to legally call theirs. Globally, only 10% of the habitable area of Earth is under the control of its indigenous inhabitants. However, at least 22% of the land on Earth is called “home” by indigenous people. This discrepancy in ownership comes from indigenous groups who have lost their lands due to colonization, conflicts, impacts of climate change, abuse, and other socio-political factors. Currently, the biggest factors contributing to land loss, or land degradation are climate change and land conflicts. 

Quannah Chasinghorse is a member of the Hän Gwich’in and Sičangu/Oglala Lakota tribes.

She is a land protector and activist. She states that “BIPOC communities are most affected by [climate change]” even though they are contributing the least. In a recent interview, she describes how climate change has impacted many Alaskan Natives’ way of life; food sources such as salmon are dying out, the land is changing, the ice is melting, and people are dying because of these changes. The Inari Sami people have seen “[their] food systems hit by drought, loss of wildlife and the disappearance of wild plants, changes in rainfall and seasons, erratic weather patterns and migration shifts”. The Sami people have even had to start feeling their reindeer nutritional supplements because the lichen that the reindeer eat is disappearing. The two stories above both occur in the Arctic region; however, this is not the only area affected by climate change. All over the globe—the Americas, Africa, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East—different indigenous groups are having their ways of life changed due to climate change. Some are able to speak up and fight for their land, but for many, speaking up can be a dangerous act. In 2022, 177 murders were documented just from people trying to defend their environment. Most of these Murders occurred in Columbia, Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras. Of the 177, at least 34% were indigenous community members. These people were killed for trying to protect their environment from powerful economic and political interests and personnel. So, what is being done to help Indigenous groups combat climate change and help protect land rights?

There are many key ways to help Indigenous communities battle climate change and protect the people and their rights: Legal recognition, Government consultation, conflict resolution, International support, and the recognition and protection of tenure rights. Legal recognition involves supporting or lobbying for legislation that acknowledges indigenous peoples' rights to their ancestral lands and resources. Government consultation involves meaningful consultation with indigenous communities before undertaking any projects or activities that may affect their land or resources. Conflict resolution involves establishing fair and accessible mechanisms for resolving conflicts over land and resources is crucial. As well as the establishment of independent tribunals or commissions to address land disputes. International support means that international organizations, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders need to provide support and solidarity to indigenous communities in their struggle for land rights; including funding for legal advocacy, technical assistance for land titling processes, and raising awareness of indigenous land rights issues on the global stage. Lastly, recognizing and respecting indigenous customary tenure systems is vital for securing land rights. This involves acknowledging the legitimacy of traditional governance structures and land management practices within indigenous communities. We must support indigenous communities in their efforts to gain tenure rights and secure their ancestral lands, thereby promoting social justice, environmental conservation, and sustainable development.

There are many organizations and individual people already fighting for these objectives. Individuals such as Txai Surui, Emmanuela Shinta, Naelyn Pike, Isalill Kolpus, and many more. These activists and land protectors help give indigenous communities around the world a voice to discuss issues facing their people. Organizations such as Amnesty International, The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Land Rights Defenders, and the Stewarding Native Lands program have all been working to protect activists, indigenous cultures, their lands, and fighting for indigenous rights and livelihoods across the globe. 

In conclusion, Indigenous groups around the world have been disproportionately affected by climate change due to their close connection to the land, reliance on traditional practices for survival, and often marginalized socio-economic status. Internationally, we must address and help solve the impacts of climate change on indigenous communities by recognizing their rights, incorporating traditional knowledge into adaptation strategies, ensuring meaningful participation in decision-making processes, and providing support for sustainable livelihoods and cultural revitalization efforts. Indigenous peoples' resilience, adaptive capacity, and traditional knowledge can offer valuable insights for building more resilient and sustainable societies in the face of climate change. 

A.I. Disclaimer: Chat GPT was used to help come up with research Ideas for how we can help indigenous communities gain tenure rights, how climate change has affected different indigenous communities, and to help write the conclusion for the paper.