WHEREAS, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) is an Alaska Native tribal health and social services consortium established by the Interior Alaska tribes and tribal communities, to provide a unified voice in advancing sovereign tribal governments through the promotion of physical and mental wellness, education, socioeconomic development and culture of the Interior Alaska Native; and
WHEREAS, TCC passed Resolution 2017-31 Climate Change Impacts to Interior Alaska Native Villages that outlined the negative impacts of climate change in the Interior; recognized the traditional knowledge and spiritual relationship with our land; and, stressed the need for state and federal agencies to fund, partner, consult and engage with Interior tribes to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts; and
WHEREAS, climate adaptation generally refers to taking action to address the risks related to the impacts of a changing climate, and mitigation generally refers to taking action to reduce the release of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere; and
WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nation’s body for assessing the science related to climate change, issued a special report in October of 2018 for policy makers, emphasizing the already detrimental impacts of climate change on the world, Arctic and sub-Arctic, and therefore the necessity to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, about pre-industrial levels; and
WHEREAS,the Fourth National Climate Assessment, the official US report published every four years on climate change issues across the United States, states several significant Key Messages about Alaska, Indigenous People, Health, Adaptation and Mitigation; and
WHEREAS, other Indigenous People, States and Countries are taking a proactive short-and long-term action to address immediate and future climate issues and impacts; and
WHEREAS, our land, animals, fish, waters, plants, and the air we rely on are all under increasing stresses stemming from extractive development, increased outside hunting and fishing competition, and the uncertain impacts of a changing climate; and
WHEREAS, our traditional beliefs, knowledge and way of life have sustained and guided us in living on our lands since the beginning of time and our People always prepared for the day, to meet challenges and hardship, and celebrate successes.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that TCC seek funding to establish a Climate Change advisory committee which seeks to increase TCC’s response to the threats of climate change; the committee will consist of tribal, local, and others needed experts to create a regional and village based climate adaptation action plans; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED TCC work with existing climate advocates to develop and implement an education campaign that increases awareness and understanding of the climate science, impacts, and responses and available resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED TCC work collaboratively with a broad range of partners, including community, tribal, university and research partners, to mitigate, adapt, and reduce harmful impacts; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we collectively build the strength of our tribes by increasing our skills, talents and capacity to address immediate, short-term and long-term mitigation and adaptation demands that are needed with the impacts of climate change.
Submitted by: Beaver Village
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