Climate Change Impacts on Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples’ health and wellbeing are closely connected to the natural environment. Indigenous communities value many plant and animal species as traditional foods, medicine, or for their spiritual significance. Some of these species are also tied to economic livelihoods. In addition, many Indigenous communities have distinct cultural connections to their lands and waters. This direct relationship with the natural environment increases Indigenous Peoples’ vulnerability to climate hazards that threaten natural resources.

Degradation and loss of forest, marine, freshwater, and riparian ecosystems make it more difficult for Indigenous communities to fish, hunt, and harvest plants. Warmer temperatures are expected to allow the invasive emerald ash borer to spread and further threaten New York State’s black ash trees. These trees provide wood materials for traditional Indigenous lacrosse sticks, Haudenosaunee basket-making, and other traditional crafts. Disappearance of the ash trees would disrupt both culture and economic prosperity.

Agriculture on Tribal lands is exposed to climate impacts from extreme heat, changes in precipitation and drought, and sea level rise. Many Indigenous Peoples view food as medicine, and certain foods are needed for optimal health. Climate change is affecting if and when some of these foods can be grown and harvested.

Diseases carried by pests are also of concern to communities with strong ties to their environment. Warmer temperatures can create prime conditions for ticks to expand their range, for example, which could increase the risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

Climate change also adds to existing environmental justice issues that affect Indigenous Nations’ lands, culturally significant sites, and ecosystems. These environmental justice concerns stem from historical and ongoing injustices, including forced displacement and disproportionate impacts from industrial activity. For example, industrial activity has harmed ecosystems and degraded water quality in the Onondaga Lake and St. Lawrence River watersheds. This environmental degradation has impaired the Onondaga and Mohawk Nations’ ability to fish, harvest plants, and engage in recreation in these waters. Climate change may impair these activities even further.

For Indigenous Nations living on the coast, climate change hazards pose additional risks to ecosystems, communities, and the human right to a healthy environment. For the Indigenous Peoples of Long Island, sea level rise could make parts of their lands uninhabitable. Sea level rise could permanently flood coastal heritage sites that are of social, cultural, historical, archaeological, or educational importance to coastal Indigenous Nations like the Shinnecock Nation.

Indigenous Peoples face disproportionate impacts on infrastructure—such as water, energy, and transportation infrastructure—from climate change. Inequities and limitations in funding and maintenance make infrastructure in Indigenous communities more vulnerable to climate impacts.

Tribal governments operate and maintain their own water supply systems, which they operate in compliance with many state and federal water standards and requirements. However, Tribal Nations face challenges financing water infrastructure because they are often not eligible for state and federal financial support. Preparing water systems for climate change is necessary for addressing potential impacts such as water quality problems from heavy precipitation or storms, but requires resources and support.

All the climate impacts above affect the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and their communities. Other factors can also put Indigenous Peoples more at risk from climate change impacts. These factors—such as higher rates of health problems and less access to health care and financial resources—arise from legacies of discrimination.

Indigenous communities often have higher rates of certain chronic medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Many community members living on Akwesasne Territory, for example, suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to the land’s extensive industrial contamination. These conditions increase a person’s sensitivity to heat, a particular risk as heat waves become more common in New York State. Climate change may also worsen air quality, which would exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Studies have also found that Indigenous Peoples face more challenges in accessing health care—including mental health care—and health insurance, increasing their risk from the health impacts of climate change.

Indigenous Peoples can also face barriers to building financial credit history (for example, to obtain loans) due to the lack of private land ownership on Tribal lands. Having fewer financial resources makes it harder to prepare for and recover from climate change hazards, such as extreme weather events that damage property or disrupt livelihoods.

Indigenous Knowledges and cultural traditions are important sources of information about natural hazard risks, climate change exposures, and natural resource management practices. Integrating Indigenous Knowledges into adaptation planning and decision-making can help foster equitable resilience in the face of a changing climate. Indigenous Peoples in New York State are working on climate adaptation solutions and are at the forefront of climate resilience knowledge.

Many Tribal Nations have developed detailed climate change vulnerability and adaptation plans that offer insights and lessons on resilience. These plans draw on Indigenous Knowledges to identify strategies that respond to climate change pressures on the valued ecological resources and cultural traditions of each Tribe or Nation. For example, in its 2019 Climate Vulnerability Assessment, the Shinnecock Nation details how sea level rise affects buildings through both flooding of houses and saltwater intrusion into wells used for drinking water. The 2013 Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Akwesasne in the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation identifies how climate change affects buildings and describes building-related resilience and mitigation strategies, like removing brush and woody debris from around houses, cutting trees close to power lines and homes to prevent storm damage, and developing green building programs.

To build shoreline resilience to climate change impacts, the Shinnecock Nation is using natural materials to create “living shorelines” that provide flood and erosion protection while also creating habitat for aquatic and coastal species. Additionally, individual Shinnecock citizens have reclaimed farming kelp, which can help reduce nutrient levels caused by excessive runoff from heavy precipitation that leads to harmful algal blooms.

Some Tribal Nations are diversifying their income streams as climate change affects economically important resources. For example, the Oneida Nation plans to produce certified organic maple syrup and cannabis, and the Seneca Nation is using hemp crops as an additional income stream.

Tribal Nations are at the forefront of environmental knowledge and climate resilience, and they understand the needs of their communities in a changing climate. Including Tribal Nations and Indigenous Knowledges in statewide adaptation efforts is critical to building equitable resilience. Historical injustices have contributed to the heightened risks Indigenous Peoples face, and climate change worsens existing environmental justice issues that affect Tribal Nations’ lands and people.

Learn more about climate change impacts on Indigenous Peoples and adaptation strategies in other assessment materials, such as: