LAWRENCE, Kan. – Representatives from tribal colleges, government agencies and non-government organizations met at Haskell Indian Nations University Feb. 4 – 5, to form a network that will work together to address climate change. By uniting with various agencies, the group believes that they can exchange information more easily and join traditional Indian methods and newer scientific approaches together to become a part of the worldwide effort to stop and possibly reverse climate changes that are currently taking place across the globe.

Dr. Dan Wildcat, professor of American Indian studies at Haskell, believes that it is time for First Americans to be at the forefront of working to stop the dramatic climate changes that are taking place now.

”At this point, we have mainly tribal college representatives here,” Wildcat said. ”We are trying the ideas that are here today to use the tribal college infrastructure for the basis of building … to really make sure that Native peoples are going to be at the table as we discuss climate change and it’s impacts.”

Wildcat noted that communications between various agencies themselves have been primarily within the particular agency itself. What the American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working group desires to do is to get not only agencies talking among themselves, but to bring tribal colleges into the mix. By doing that, the group believes that the colleges will be crucial to getting information about the effects of climate change to Indian people.

”There is definitely a need for this kind of network. Tribal colleges get together and talk amongst themselves. Federal agencies get together and have interagency meetings. NGO’s have meetings and talk to their board of directors,” Wildcat said. ”What we are trying to do here is to have a network kind of centered activity.”

Several panel members reminded those present that the Alaska Native people are already seeing the devastation of climate change first hand as polar ice packs melt, turning some villages into flooded areas. They are some of the first climate change refugees as they prepare to leave land they have lived on for generations because of rising sea levels.

”The idea is that climate change is going to affect every human being on the planet. We believe it will disproportionately and most immediately affect Native people because of where we live and how we live. Not only that, but we believe that in our tribal traditions we have very useful knowledge about how we might address some of the issues we are facing,” Wildcat stated. ”What are we accomplishing at this meeting? We are having some very honest dialogue with federal agencies about the kind of programs that need funding and the questions we need to have answered. I really think that on climate change it is going to take that kind of give and take in order to collaborate. We are beginning to see that.”

With the stakes as high as they are for Native people, Wildcat said he can see the possibility of getting people involved in much the same way that the Healthier Haskell movement began, at the tribal college level and then out to the communities they serve.

”We don’t need any ‘Ivory Tower’ institutions of education. What we need are tribal college institutions that are very tied to their communities,” Wildcat concluded. ”They reflect what the communities’ needs and challenges are. We can try to serve a useful role in addressing those needs and help them address those challenges and give them, we hope, some very well trained professionals and scientists to help them. It is huge, but we as First Americans have to be a part of the solution.”

For more information and a schedule of future events similar to the one held at Haskell, visit http://www.haskell.edu/haskell/.