By Oriya Cohen and Rebecca Marx, Photo: Konoplytska/Shutterstock, Housing Matters, November 17, 2021
Since the founding of this country, the United States government has persecuted tribal communities and forced many to relocate—resulting in the loss of 99 percent of their ancestral land. Today, the areas to which tribes were forcefully relocated are some of the most vulnerable to climate change.
Exacerbating these hardships, the federal government has severely underinvested in the housing and infrastructure of tribal communities, resulting in substandard and overcrowded housing conditions, lack of safe and accessible water, and unreliable electricity. Now, the effects of climate change compound these challenges. Fires, drought, and extreme heat in the Southwest; hurricanes, storm surges, and changing rain patterns in the Southeast; and flooding and thinning ice in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska threaten tribes’ traditional practices and livelihoods.
Despite these challenges, tribes have been persevering on the front lines of the climate crisis through ingenuity, traditional stewardship practices, and their commitment to past, present, and future generations. More financial support would allow them to expand their efforts and better address the scale of climate risks in their communities.
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