    [House Hearing, 116 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

              THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON TRIBAL COMMUNITIES

    =======================================================================

                               OVERSIGHT HEARING

                                   BEOFRE THE

            SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE UNITED STATES

                                     OF THE

                         COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
                         U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                         ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                           Tuesday, February 12, 2019

                                   __________

                                Serial No. 116-4

                                   __________

           Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources

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                         COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

                          RAUL M. GRIJALVA, AZ, Chair
                        DEBRA A. HAALAND, NM, Vice Chair
       GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN, CNMI, Vice Chair, Insular Affairs
                   ROB BISHOP, UT, Ranking Republican Member

    Grace F. Napolitano, CA              Don Young, AK
    Jim Costa, CA                        Louie Gohmert, TX
    Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,      Doug Lamborn, CO
        CNMI                             Robert J. Wittman, VA
    Jared Huffman, CA                    Tom McClintock, CA
    Alan S. Lowenthal, CA                Paul A. Gosar, AZ
    Ruben Gallego, AZ                    Paul Cook, CA
    TJ Cox, CA                           Bruce Westerman, AR
    Joe Neguse, CO                       Garret Graves, LA
    Mike Levin, CA                       Jody B. Hice, GA
    Debra A. Haaland, NM                 Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, AS
    Jefferson Van Drew, NJ               Daniel Webster, FL
    Joe Cunningham, SC                   Liz Cheney, WY
    Nydia M. Velazquez, NY               Mike Johnson, LA
    Diana DeGette, CO                    Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, PR
    Wm. Lacy Clay, MO                    John R. Curtis, UT
    Debbie Dingell, MI                   Kevin Hern, OK
    Anthony G. Brown, MD                 Russ Fulcher, ID
    A. Donald McEachin, VA
    Darren Soto, FL
    Ed Case, HI
    Steven Horsford, NV
    Michael F. Q. San Nicolas, GU
    Vacancy
    Vacancy
    Vacancy

                         David Watkins, Chief of Staff
                            Sarah Lim, Chief Counsel
                    Parish Braden, Republican Staff Director
                       http://naturalresources.house.gov

                                    ------

            SUBCOMMITTEE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE UNITED STATES

                            RUBEN GALLEGO, AZ, Chair
                    PAUL COOK, CA, Ranking Republican Member

    Darren Soto, FL                      Don Young, AK
    Michael F. Q. San Nicolas, GU        Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, AS
    Debra A. Haaland, NM                 John R. Curtis, UT
    Ed Case, HI                          Kevin Hern, OK
    Vacancy                              Vacancy
    Vacancy                              Rob Bishop, UT, ex officio
    Vacancy
    Raul M. Grijalva, AZ, ex officio

                                   ------

                                   CONTENTS

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

    Hearing held on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.......................     1

    Statement of Members:
        Cook, Hon. Paul, a Representative in Congress from the State
          of California..............................................     4
            Prepared statement of....................................     5
        Gallego, Hon. Ruben, a Representative in Congress from the
          State of Arizona...........................................     1
            Prepared statement of....................................     3

    Statement of Witnesses:
        Buzzard, Shirley, President, Building Resilient Communities
          for Climate Extremes (BRACE) Institute, Washington, DC.....    16
            Prepared statement of....................................    17
        Johnston, Tyson, Vice President, Quinault Indian Nation,
          Taholah, Washington........................................     7
            Prepared statement of....................................     8
        Jordan, Jennine, Government Relations Liaison, Calista
          Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.............................    11
            Prepared statement of....................................    13
        Jose, Verlon, Vice Chairman, Tohono O'odham Nation, Sells,
          Arizona....................................................    19
            Prepared statement of....................................    21

    Additional Materials Submitted for the Record:
        Chavarria, J. Michael, Governor, Santa Clara Pueblo,
          testimony..................................................    35
        United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund,
          testimony..................................................    40

         OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON TRIBAL
                                  COMMUNITIES

                                  ----------

                           Tuesday, February 12, 2019

                         U.S. House of Representatives

            Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States

                         Committee on Natural Resources

                                 Washington, DC

                                  ----------

        The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2 p.m., in
    room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Ruben Gallego
    [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
        Present: Representatives Gallego, Soto, San Nicolas,
    Haaland, Case, Grijalva (ex officio), Cook, Young, and Hern.

        Mr. Gallego. The Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the
    United States will come to order. The Subcommittee is meeting
    today to hear testimony on the impacts of climate change on
    tribal communities.
        Under Committee Rule 4(f), any oral opening statements at
    hearings are limited to the Chairman and the Ranking Minority
    Member. This will allow us to hear from our witnesses sooner
    and help Members keep to their schedules.
        Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that all other Members'
    opening statements be made part of the hearing record if they
    are submitted to the Subcommittee Clerk by 5 p.m. today or the
    close of hearing, whichever comes first. Any objections?
        Hearing no objections, so ordered.

       STATEMENT OF THE HON. RUBEN GALLEGO, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                   CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA

        Mr. Gallego. Good afternoon, and welcome to the first
    hearing of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the
    United States in the 116th Congress.
        We adjusted the name of this Committee to emphasize our
    renewed and singular focus on the more than 2 million
    indigenous peoples that we are charged with representing. As
    the only Committee with exclusive jurisdiction over these
    issues in the House of Representatives, we have a great
    responsibility.
        As a body, this Congress can make countless improvements to
    the lives and well-being of indigenous peoples, and that starts
    here in this Subcommittee, where we will spend the coming
    months seeking solutions to address the issues these
    communities have identified.
        As a Subcommittee, we will: examine the significance of
    tribal sovereignty and self-determination; strengthen tribal
    consultation and honor our Nation's trust responsibilities;
    ensure environmental justice for tribal communities; support
    tribal control of their own lands and resources; work closely
    with tribes to identify and protect sacred sites; uphold our
    obligations to improve the health, safety, and delivery of
    justice to tribal people; and, last, ensure that all indigenous
    peoples and tribal governments are treated fairly, as co-
    equals, with dignity and respect.
        We have a lot of ground to cover, and I look forward to
    working with my friend and fellow Marine, Ranking Member Cook
    (Oorah!), and the rest of my colleagues, on addressing these
    and other pressing issues.
        Today, we will focus specifically on the impacts that
    climate change is having on tribal communities. These
    communities are on the front lines of the climate change
    battle, and despite contributing almost nothing to climate
    change, they face some of the worst impacts. From floods and
    wildfire, to drought and rising sea levels, indigenous peoples
    face existential threats to their traditional way of life,
    including disruptions of subsistence hunting and fishing, as
    well as their commercial activities and tourism enterprises.
        This is especially true for tribes along coastal areas, who
    are already seeing changes in their lands, including the
    Quinault Nation, whose people live on the front lines of
    extreme weather risks, from flooding to tsunamis.
        These climate-related disasters are forcing indigenous
    communities to make some very heartbreaking choices: the Tohono
    O'odham Nation, who had to resort to FEMA for disaster support
    after hurricanes caused severe flooding; or the Newtok Village
    in Alaska, who had to choose between relocating their entire
    community or losing access to safe drinking water.
        And these are not isolated incidents. Throughout Indian
    Country, the effects of climate change are evident, and they
    are increasing at an alarming rate.
        I would like to also remind us that all the challenges
    facing tribal communities are a mere microcosm of the larger
    climate change picture and that the harms of inaction in Indian
    Country will affect us all.
        Tribes are stewards of millions of acres of trust and
    federally recognized land that provide habitat for more than
    500 endangered species, contain over 13,000 miles of rivers and
    nearly 1 million lakes. They also have stunning national
    treasures, like Antelope Canyon in my home state of Arizona,
    that provide tourism opportunities for visitors from near and
    far, but are at risk of erosion and other harms as climate
    changes. That is why it is important that we work hand-in-hand
    to overcome the collective challenges that we will face.
        Climate change is ignorant of reservation boundaries and
    treaty land maps, and yet indigenous peoples are often left to
    fend for themselves in addressing the issues that arise--and
    that is just not right. We are all in this together.
        The cultures, spiritual practices, and economies of many
    indigenous peoples have already evolved to adapt to local
    environmental changes. This knowledge, accumulated over
    generations of historical and cultural connection with the
    surrounding environment, is integral to this Committee's work.
        In my view, this makes us natural partners in developing a
    climate adaption strategy, both on tribal lands and for the
    surrounding regions. This Committee's partnership with tribes
    to address climate change and other issues affecting Indian
    Country starts today.
        To our witnesses, thank you for traveling long distances to
    share your experiences and educate this Committee about the
    impact that climate change has on your community. I look
    forward to hearing your testimony. I hope that our Members not
    only identify with your story, but also learn from you and your
    expertise as we deal with ways to address climate change head-
    on.

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Gallego follows:]
     Prepared Statement of the Hon. Ruben Gallego, Chair, Subcommittee on
                    Indigenous Peoples of the United States
        Good afternoon and welcome to the first hearing of the Subcommittee
    for Indigenous Peoples of the United States in the 116th Congress.
        We adjusted the name of this Committee to emphasize our renewed and
    singular focus on the more than 2 million indigenous peoples that we
    are charged with representing. As the only committee with exclusive
    jurisdiction over these issues in the House of Representatives, we have
    a great responsibility.

        As a body, this Congress can make countless improvements to the
    lives and well-being of indigenous peoples.
        That starts here--in this Subcommittee--where we will spend the
    coming months seeking solutions to address the issues these communities
    have identified.

        As a Subcommittee, we will:

         Examine the significance of tribal sovereignty and self-
                determination;

         Strengthen tribal consultation and honor our Nation's
                trust responsibilities;

         Ensure environmental justice for tribal communities;

         Support tribal control of their own lands and resources;

         Work closely with tribes to identify and protect sacred
                sites;

         Uphold our obligations to improve the health, safety, and
                delivery of justice to tribal people; and last

         Ensure that all indigenous peoples and tribal governments
                are treated fairly, as co-equals with dignity and respect.

        We have a lot of ground to cover, and I look forward to working
    with my friend and fellow Marine, Ranking Member Cook (Oorah!), and the
    rest of my colleagues, on addressing these and other pressing issues.
        Today, we'll focus specifically on the impacts that climate change
    is having on tribal communities. These communities are on the front
    lines of the climate change battle. And despite contributing almost
    nothing to climate change, they face some of the worst impacts. From
    floods and wildfire, to drought and rising sea levels, indigenous
    peoples face existential threats to their traditional way of life--
    including disruptions to subsistence hunting and fishing, as well as
    their commercial activities and tourism enterprises.
        This is especially true for tribes along coastal areas, who are
    already seeing changes in their lands--including the Quinault Nation,
    whose people live on the front lines of extreme weather risks from
    flooding to tsunamis.

        These climate-related disasters are forcing indigenous communities
    to make some very heartbreaking choices:

        --like the Tohono O'odham Nation who had to resort to FEMA for
                disaster support after hurricanes caused severe flooding

        --or the Newtok Village in Alaska, who had to choose between
                relocating their entire community or losing access to safe
                drinking water.

        And these are not isolated incidents. Throughout Indian Country the
    effects of climate change are evident. And they are increasing at an
    alarming rate.
        I'd like to also remind us all that the challenges facing tribal
    communities are a mere microcosm of the larger climate change picture.
    And that the harms of inaction in Indian Country will affect us all.

        Tribes are stewards of millions of acres of trust and federally
    recognized lands that provide habitat for more than 500 endangered
    species; contain over 13,000 miles of rivers and nearly 1 million
    lakes. They also house stunning natural treasures like Antelope Canyon
    in my home state of Arizona that provide tourism opportunities for
    visitors from near and far--but are at risk of erosion and other harms
    as the climate changes. That's why it is important that we work hand-
    in-hand to overcome the collective challenges that we will face.
        Climate change is ignorant of reservation boundaries and treaty
    land maps. And yet, indigenous peoples are often left to fend for
    themselves in addressing the issues that arise--and that's just not
    right. We are all in this together.

        The cultures, spiritual practices, and economies of many indigenous
    people have already evolved to adapt to local environmental changes.
    This knowledge--accumulated over generations of historical and cultural
    connection with the surrounding environment--is integral to this
    Committee's work.
        In my view, this makes us natural partners in developing climate
    adaptation strategies--both on tribal lands, and for the surrounding
    regions.

        This Committee's partnership with tribes to address climate change
    and other issues affecting Indian Country starts today.

        To our witnesses, thank you for traveling long distances to share
    your experiences and educate this Committee about the impact that
    climate change has on your community.
        I look forward to your hearing testimony, and I hope that our
    Members not only identify with your story, but also learn from you and
    your expertise as we develop ways to address climate change head-on.
        I now would like to recognize the Ranking Member, my esteemed
    colleague, Mr. Cook, for his opening statement.

                                     ______

        Mr. Gallego. I would now like to recognize the Ranking
    Member, my esteemed colleague, Mr. Cook, for his opening
    statement.

     STATEMENT OF THE HON. PAUL COOK, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
                      FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

        Mr. Cook. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        As the new Subcommittee Republican leader, I look forward
    to what I hope will be a positive 116th Congress as we work to
    address the issues facing Native American tribes and Alaska
    Natives.
        I also want to thank the witnesses for being here today for
    this hearing.
        Access to natural resources can be a lifeline to prosperity
    and opportunity for Native communities. That is why this
    Committee has focused in previous Congresses on providing
    greater local control and autonomy to tribes to develop and
    utilize resources on Native American land.
        It is my hope that this Committee will continue along this
    path and avoid the temptation to erect barriers to responsible
    tribal resource management and use. Eliminating or sharply
    curtailing the ability of tribes to carry out resource
    extraction and development on tribal lands would be the wrong
    approach.
        These sorts of proposals would devastate tribal communities
    that have built their economies around oil, gas, and, in some
    cases, coal resources. For example, one tribe relies on coal
    mining for 88 percent of its budget and would be left destitute
    by the new restrictions on coal production and use.
        Even tribes without significant energy resources would be
    hard-hit by proposals that would increase the cost of coal,
    oil, and gas. Native Americans in the Midwest and Northern
    Plains, who already pay a lot to heat their homes, would be
    required to pay even more. Reducing the supply of reliable
    forms of energy would leave entire regions of the country
    facing energy poverty. For Native American communities who
    already face significant economic challenges, this result could
    be disastrous.
        Census figures showed the 2017 per capita income for Native
    Americans to be $19,824, compared to $32,397 for the average
    American. And the Native American poverty rate is 25.4 percent,
    versus 13.4 percent for the rest of the country.
        This Committee would do well to focus on innovative
    solutions to address pollution, promote jobs, and opportunity
    for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, and lower, not raise,
    the cost of energy in tribal communities.
        Today's question--How can we reduce pollution and promote a
    healthier environment while protecting checkbooks and job
    opportunities?
        In past opportunities, this Committee has explored and
    passed legislation providing tribes with tools to achieve
    responsible natural resource management and conservation
    objectives relating to climate change.
        One of the best tools is scientifically sound active forest
    management undertaken by tribes with substantial forestlands.
    Tribes have proven to be excellent forest managers, creating
    healthy forests and removing dangerous fuel that contributes to
    deadly wildfires and the emission of enormous amounts of carbon
    dioxide and pollutants.
        This Committee should explore why the Federal Government
    has not implemented measures enacted by Congress to promote
    tribal stewardship contracting in mismanaged or non-managed
    Federal lands.
        When it comes to climate and energy, policies that impose a
    one-size-fits-all approach would not help tribal economies,
    especially when certain forms of energy are unreliable or come
    at great cost to tribal members.
        Again, I look forward to discussing how we can find
    solutions and work together to improve the lives of Native
    Americans and Alaska Natives.
        Thank you. I yield back.

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Cook follows:]
    Prepared Statement of the Hon. Paul Cook, Ranking Member, Subcommittee
                   on Indigenous Peoples of the United States
        Thank you, Chairman Gallego. As the new Subcommittee Republican
    Leader, I look forward to what I hope will be a positive 116th Congress
    as we work to address the issues facing Native American tribes and
    Alaska Natives.
        I also want to thank the witnesses for being here today for this
    hearing.
        Access to natural resources can be a lifeline to prosperity and
    opportunity for Native communities. That's why this Committee has
    focused in previous Congresses on providing greater local control and
    autonomy to tribes to develop and utilize resources on Native American
    land.
        It is my hope that this Committee will continue along this path and
    avoid the temptation to erect barriers to responsible tribal resource
    management and use. Eliminating or sharply curtailing the ability of
    tribes to carry out resource extraction and development on tribal lands
    would be the wrong approach.
        These sorts of proposals would devastate tribal communities that
    have built their economies around the oil, gas, and coal resources. For
    example, one tribe relies on coal mining for 88 percent of its budget
    and would be left destitute by new restrictions on coal production and
    use.
        Even tribes without significant energy resources would be hit hard
    by proposals that would increase the cost of coal, oil, and gas. Native
    Americans in the Midwest and Northern Plains who already pay a lot to
    heat their homes would be required to pay even more. Reducing the
    supply of reliable forms of energy would leave entire regions of the
    country facing energy poverty. For Native American communities who
    already face significant economic challenges, this result would be
    disastrous.
        Census figures show the 2017 per capita income for Native Americans
    to be $19,824 compared to $32,397 for the average American. And the
    Native American poverty rate is 25.4 percent versus 13.4 percent for
    the rest of the country.
        This Committee would do well to focus on innovative solutions to
    address pollution, promote jobs and opportunity for Native Americans
    and Alaska Natives, and lower--not raise--the costs of energy in tribal
    communities.

        Today's question: How can we reduce pollution and promote a
    healthier environment, while protecting checkbooks and job
    opportunities?
        In past years, this Committee has explored and passed legislation
    providing tribes with tools to achieve responsible natural resource
    management and conservation objectives relating to climate change.
        One of the best tools is scientifically sound active forest
    management undertaken by tribes with substantial forestlands. Tribes
    have proven to be excellent forest managers, creating healthy forests
    and removing dangerous fuel that contributes to deadly wildfires and
    the emission of enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and pollutants.
        This Committee should explore why the Federal Government has not
    implemented measures enacted by Congress to promote tribal stewardship
    contracting in mismanaged--or non-managed--Federal lands.
        When it comes to climate and energy, policies that impose a one-
    size-fits-all approach will not help tribal economies, especially where
    certain forms of energy are unreliable or come at great cost to tribal
    members.
        Again, I look forward to discussing how we can find solutions and
    work together to improve the lives of Native Americans and Alaska
    Natives.

                                     ______

        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Ranking Member.
        And I would also like to recognize our Committee Chairman,
    Congressman Raul Grijalva, who has joined us today.
        Mr. Grijalva. Thank you.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you.
        Now, please let me introduce our witnesses for today.
        First, our original invited witness, the Honorable Fawn
    Sharp, President of the Quinault Indian Nation, was unable to
    attend due to the weather in Washington State.
        But we are fortunate that the Vice President of the Nation,
    Tyson Johnston, was already here in DC, so he will graciously
    testify in her stead.
        I will also now recognize Member Don Young for the next
    introduction.
        Mr. Young. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was listening to your
    opening statement, and I was going to put my name on top of it.
    I think you copied my exact words the last time I chaired this
    Committee.
        But I would like to introduce a witness, one of my
    constituents, Jennine Jordan. She is the Government Relations
    Liaison for Calista Corporation. She is an Inuit, and her
    family is from Unalakleet. I am quite proud of her efforts to
    try to bring forth messages from my Native community in the
    state of Alaska.
        I yield back.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you.
        Next, we will be introducing Dr. Shirley Buzzard, President
    of the Building Resilient Communities for Climate Extremes
    (BRACE) Institute.
        And, finally, our last witness is the Honorable Verlon
    Jose, Vice Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation in Arizona.
        Let me remind the witnesses that under our Committee Rules,
    they must limit their oral statements to 5 minutes, but their
    entire written statement will appear in the hearing record.
        When you begin, the lights on the witness table will turn
    green. After 4 minutes, the yellow light will come on. Your
    time will have expired when the red light comes on, and I will
    ask you to please wrap up your statement.
        I will also allow the entire panel to testify before we
    question the witnesses.
        The Chair now recognizes Vice President Tyson Johnston to
    begin his testimony.
        Thank you.

     STATEMENT OF TYSON JOHNSTON, VICE PRESIDENT, QUINAULT INDIAN
                      NATION, TAHOLAH, WASHINGTON

        Mr. Johnston. Thank you very much for the introduction and
    the opportunity to be here with you all today. I know President
    Sharp deeply regrets not being here, since she is very
    passionate about this issue.
        My name is Tyson Johnston. I am the Vice President of the
    Quinault Indian Nation. I come to you today from Washington
    State, where my tribe is located in southwest Washington. We
    are a treaty tribe, a signatory to the Treaty of Olympia of
    1856. We are also a founding self-governance tribe and believe
    in the tenets of self-governance and self-determination.
        We currently manage 210,000 acres of forest and reservation
    land. We are also an ocean-navigating people and co-manage
    natural resources in the ocean and several of our river
    systems. Our villages primarily support themselves from fishing
    income and natural-resources-related work.
        We also have taken a multi-layered approach to climate
    change, because this issue has impacted our community very hard
    and first in many different ways. We have been talking locally
    with our state partners and now here at the Federal level.
        We are a place-based people. We are deeply committed to our
    land. It is incomprehensible to think about having to relocate
    from our sacred lands that make up our identity, but because of
    climate change and the issues that face us, we have had to
    consider options.
        We have currently worked with the Federal Government to
    develop a master plan to relocate our village and essential
    infrastructure. This was funded in 2013 and fully adopted by
    the tribe in 2017, which has given us a blueprint to finally
    address the tsunami inundation zone that is up on the screen.
        [Slide.]
        We face several challenges moving to higher ground. A lot
    of this is related to funding, obviously. We have estimated,
    with our master plan, that in order to fully implement village
    relocation and the relocation of our infrastructure, it would
    cost anywhere between $150 million to $200 million.
        Also, I mentioned earlier how we are a fishing community.
    We have had to declare several fisheries disasters. The best
    science and analysis that we have been able to look at have
    been influenced by the climate change factors of the ocean
    conditions as well as the effects of terrestrial climates.
        Being so close to the ocean, the Quinault Nation is on the
    front lines of all the American people who are dealing with the
    negative effects of climate change. Ocean sea level rise has
    really increased. We have been dealing with coastal erosion on
    our coasts and have seen that really speed up these last
    several years.
        But, most importantly, I think the message I want to leave
    you with is that this is going to be affecting more people
    along the coast, and this is really our time to come together
    and think about what are the best options to protect the
    American people and set up our future generations for success.
        We have taken many efforts, painstaking efforts, to
    mitigate this at our local level as the tribe, but we don't
    have the resources to fully implement that action without the
    support of our trustee and our Federal partners. We owe it to
    our future generations to be bold, actionable, and decisive
    when it comes to addressing this issue.
        Again, I am looking forward to the questions from the
    Committee and offering expertise and support on behalf of the
    tribe to address this issue not only today but for future
    generations.

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Johnston follows:]
     Prepared Statement of Tyson Johnston, Vice President, Quinault Indian
                                     Nation
        Good afternoon Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member Cook and members of
    the Subcommittee. I am Tyson Johnston, Vice-President of the Quinault
    Indian Nation (``QIN''). I want to thank the Subcommittee for holding
    this hearing on the impacts and challenges tribal communities face due
    to climate change. It is critically important for the Federal
    Government, as trustee to Quinault and other Tribal Nations, to examine
    this issue and work with tribal governments to address the challenges
    we face.
            climate change today on the quinault indian reservation
        The Quinault Reservation (``Reservation'') is located on the
    southwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State and
    abuts the Pacific Ocean. Since time immemorial, QIN has relied on the
    waters of the Quinault River and Pacific Ocean for sustenance and
    survival. The village of Taholah is the primary population, social,
    economic and government center of the QIN. It is facing imminent
    threats from potential tsunamis and potential damage from the sea level
    rising.
        QIN, as a signatory to the Treaty of Olympia (1856), has the
    reserved right of ``taking fish, at all usual and accustomed fishing
    grounds and stations.'' This federally-protected treaty right
    guarantees every enrolled Quinault tribal member--now and into the
    future--the right to harvest any and all species of fish and shellfish,
    anywhere within the QIN's usual and accustomed area in perpetuity,
    subject only to restrictions intended to conserve the fisheries.
        However, since 2015, many QIN members have experienced fish harvest
    levels that are significantly lower than they have been in previous
    years. Because of this decline, the Nation requested through the
    Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration a commercial fishery resource disaster be declared. The
    declaration was approved and QIN was awarded funding, however the
    harvest levels continue to decline because of water temperature change
    and deterioration of habit brought on by climate change. This decline
    has been nothing short of devastating for QIN as our tribal members
    depend on fishing for commercial, subsistence, and recreational
    purposes, as well as ceremonial and cultural ones.
        Our Nation has had Models prepared by the Washington Department of
    Natural Resources show a potential of tsunami inundation of 40-50 feet
    in depth in most of the Lower Village of Taholah, well above the
    elevation of the tallest building in the village. A tsunami event at
    the Village of Taholah would be catastrophic for our tribe, the loss of
    life and destruction of our infrastructure would compromise QIN
    government operations.
        Historically, large earthquake/tsunami events along the Cascadia
    Subduction Zone have occurred every 300 to 500 years. The last such
    event happened in February, 1700, so the 300-year threshold has already
    been breached. Approximately 650 residents live within the tsunami zone
    in the Taholah Village. Important Quinault social and cultural
    institutions are located in the tsunami inundation zone and flood prone
    area (including the Senior Center, Head Start Day Care, the K-12
    Taholah School, Community Center, fire cache, police station, jail and
    courts, Veterans Park, Taholah Mercantile, Fitness Center, Temporary
    Assistance for Needy Families, Housing Authority, Canoe Carving Shed,
    Enterprise Board, and the Museum, the repository of Quinault culture).
    On a typical weekday, at least 60 employees of the Quinault Indian
    Nation also work in the lower Taholah Village.
        A comprehensive 2012 report was contracted by QIN to understand the
    effects of climate change on sea levels. The report, entitled
    ``Relative Sea Level Change Along Quinault Indian Reservation Marine
    Coastlines,'' found that the combined effects of thermal expansion of
    ocean waters, vertical land deformation (e.g., tectonic movements),
    melting glaciers and ice fields and seasonal water surface elevation
    changes due to local atmospheric circulation effects will result in sea
    level increases that will substantially increase flood risks in the
    Lower Village of Taholah. The report noted that the changes posed by
    climate change, including increased winter precipitation, soil
    saturation and flow into the Quinault River, will compound and increase
    the coastal flood risks to the lower Village of Taholah.
        Already, high tides, high winds and storm surge conditions have led
    to waves breaking over the seawall that protects the Lower Taholah
    Village from coastal surges. The seawall was breached in 2014,
    prompting a state of emergency to be declared. While the Army Corps of
    Engineers replaced the seawall, it is not a permanent solution. During
    minor storm events, areas around First Avenue in Taholah flood
    regularly with seawater.
        The QIN determined through multiple public processes, including a
    General Council resolution (a vote taken by the entire Tribe), that
    enabling the movement of residents, businesses, and institutions from
    the lower village of Taholah to a new Upper Village Relocation Area was
    the only solution because of these threats.
        This prioritization prompted the Nation to apply for a grant in
    2013 from the Administration for Native Americans (U.S. Dept. of Health
    and Human Services) to prepare a plan to relocate the village to higher
    ground. The grant was received and resulted in the Taholah Village
    Relocation Master Plan (``Master Plan''). The Master Plan was adopted
    by the Quinault Indian Nation Business Committee (a governing body of
    the Nation) on June 26, 2017. The NEPA Environmental Review was
    completed through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and HUD.
                 the plan to relocate the taholah lower village
        The Master Plan document presents land uses, conceptual
    neighborhood layouts, design principles, suggestions for energy
    efficiency measures, preliminary development cost estimates, resilience
    measures and required zoning changes. Although the Quinault Nation
    isn't subject to state zoning requirements of the Growth Management Act
    of Washington State county (GMA), this Master Plan meets numerous goals
    and requirements of the GMA. This includes: community participation;
    concentrated development near transit lines and existing adequate
    infrastructure; encouragement of pedestrian travel; a range of housing
    choices; convenient access to services; and, water quality. The Master
    Plan was in part based on feedback received at community meetings and
    surveys. A Space Needs Assessment was compiled with input from every
    department at the Nation regarding future space needs.
        The project area governed by the Master Plan is located directly to
    the east of the existing Administration Building on land ranging in
    elevation from 125 feet to 165 feet, well above the tsunami danger
    zone. The Roger Saux Health Center is the only existing building at
    this time within the Relocation Area. The Relocation Area is
    approximately 180 acres and is accessed by two roads from the west. The
    Relocation area is adjacent to development on higher ground that is
    served by adequate infrastructure. The Master Plan provides a blueprint
    for the future village, including housing, community facilities, energy
    facilities, a K-12 school, and park areas.
        A primary goal of the Plan is to create a rural community comprised
    of residential neighborhoods around a central corridor of community
    facilities. The heart of the community will be the school, the Health
    Center, the Generations Building, a new Community Center, the Museum
    and the Mercantile. The Generations Building (Wenasgwella?aW in the
    Quinault language) will be the first building to be constructed and
    will house the Head Start, Day Care and Senior programs; these programs
    serve the most vulnerable populations and were identified by the
    community as the priority programs to relocate prior to the Plan
    starting. The new Community Center would also serve as an evacuation
    center. As part of the Plan, a schematic design was done for the
    building with oversized restrooms and showers and storage for tents and
    cots. The Mercantile is the only store in the village and serves as a
    social hub for the village. The village has been laid out so that these
    community facilities are within a 5 to 10 minute walk of each
    neighborhood. To this end, new paths have been plotted and the existing
    Wellness Program walking routes connected to the new path network. The
    paths will enable connection back to the river and the ocean that the
    residents are leaving, as well as allowing easy access to the community
    services at the heart of the new village.
        QIN expects substantial demand for housing in the Upper Village.
    The Census (2000) data indicates that during that period Washington
    State had an 8.7 percent vacant housing rate, while the QIR had a 1.8
    percent vacant housing rate. Taholah's average household size is 3.68.
    The Quinault Housing Authority maintains a housing waiting list of
    families and maintains that if more housing were developed on the QIR,
    there would be increases both in off-Reservation tribal members who
    would apply for a new home, and on-Reservation tribal members that now
    share a home that houses two or more families, would apply for
    additional housing. There are over 125 families on the waiting list.
    Thus, the Master Plan was designed to accommodate those needing to move
    to higher ground and those seeking to move back to the Reservation.
        Taholah is a rural community with limited public transportation
    options; high density residential housing would not be appropriate
    here, as it may be in larger towns. The Master Plan sought to create a
    walkable community, while retaining a rural feel and creating
    opportunities for a mix of housing types and sizes to serve the varying
    demand of residents. Each neighborhood is required to include a mix of
    unit type and lot size, so all segments of the population can be served
    throughout the Relocation process, with denser unit types and lot sizes
    closer to the center of the community (and likely bus stops) and
    density lessening toward the edges. This should allow for mixed-income
    neighborhoods. An effort has been made to include Quinault art in the
    new village and to engage Quinault artists in the integration of art
    and culture into the built environment. Low impact development for
    stormwater has been utilized to protect the salmon runs in the Quinault
    River. Resilience to disaster and sustainability have been included in
    the Plan to best determine how the concepts could be integrated
    physically into the new village.
        A conscious effort was made to tailor the Master Plan to the
    community context. The context is somewhat different than other
    municipalities around Washington. The land for the village is owned by
    the Quinault Nation--private developers will not speculatively develop
    this project; some development will be undertaken by the Housing
    Authority, but most of the housing will likely be developed by
    individual landowners. These landowners will not mass produce homes
    where strict design guidelines can be applied. In many cases families
    will be installing modular homes or simple homes where design
    guidelines might be onerous. Thus, the Master Plan does not impose such
    guidelines on residents; it merely suggests energy efficiency measures
    homeowners should consider when constructing a home. Many homeowners
    require larger lots for storage of nets and boats, as they fish for a
    livelihood. Thus, the plan supports traditional rural lifestyles.
        The Master Plan is also designed to concentrate development in
    Taholah as opposed to on scattered sites around the Reservation,
    creating a limited area of intensive rural development. The Plan
    creates neighborhoods of higher density than those developed on the
    Reservation during the past 50 years with a mix of housing, from large
    lot housing to tiny homes for those transitioning back into the
    community. This compact development will encourage pedestrian travel
    and convenient access to services in the new village.
                      moving forward with the master plan
        With completion and adoption of the Master Plan, the Nation has a
    blueprint for redevelopment of the village, safe from flooding and
    tsunamis that incorporates the vision of the community members,
    sustainable practices, culture, amenities and upgraded community
    facilities. Design has begun on the first building in the new village,
    the Wenasgwella?aW (Generations Building).
        Wenasgwella?aW will house the Senior Program and children's
    programs (Head Start, Early Head Start and Day Care). The Nation is
    also in the process of designing the first residential neighborhood of
    the Master Plan so that there is a place for residents of the Lower
    Village to relocate as soon as possible. However, the Master Plan has
    an estimated price tag of $150 to $200 million and the Quinault Nation
    will not be able to fully fund the plan. We will need assistance from
    our trustee, the Federal Government, to continue the Master Plan and to
    ensure that our citizens and government operations continue.
                                   conclusion
        Again, thank you for allowing me to testify to the Subcommittee
    today on this critical issue to the Quinault Indian Nation. QIN is
    taking the necessary steps to protect our citizens from the effects of
    climate change, but we will need the Federal Government's assistance in
    doing this. I'm happy to answer any questions in person at this
    hearing.

                                     ______

        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
        The Chair now recognizes Jennine Jordan.

      STATEMENT OF JENNINE JORDAN, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LIAISON,
                 CALISTA CORPORATION, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

        Ms. Jordan. Hello, Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member Cook,
    and distinguished members of the Subcommittee for Indigenous
    Peoples of the United States.
        My name is Jennine Jordan. I currently serve as the
    Government Relations Liaison for Calista Corporation, a
    regional Alaska Native corporation. Thank you for inviting me
    to provide a village perspective in this hearing and to discuss
    how climate change has affected Newtok, 1 of the 56 villages
    within the Calista region.
        In addition to giving my statement today, I will be
    submitting additional written testimony for the record.
        I am Inupiaq, and my family is from the Native village of
    Unalakleet, a remote community of about 700 people in the
    Bering Straits region. I am a shareholder of Unalakleet Native
    Corporation, my village corporation; Bering Straits Native
    Corporation; and CIRI Corporation, my regional corporations,
    each of which were created and mandated by Congress through
    passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971,
    which settled our Alaska Native land claims. I am also tribally
    enrolled with the Native village of Unalakleet.
        I am here to tell you that climate change is affecting
    Alaska's rural communities. Erosion is the principal threat to
    the habitability of many Alaska Native villages. This is
    according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
        The Arctic Sea ice extent that protects coastal communities
    is melting, and, as a result, waves and storm surges are
    accelerating erosion. This is a report found by the Government
    Accountability Office.
        As a result of coastal erosion, my family's village,
    Unalakleet, is considered one of the vulnerable communities of
    Alaska. Unalakleet has been adapting to climate change by
    building seawalls and raising roads. In 2010, the U.S. Army
    Corps of Engineers spent more than $28 million on
    infrastructure for Unalakleet, armoring the beach with rocks
    and a gabion wall.
        Despite these efforts, my family, my cousins, and the
    neighbors in my community see the shoreline armoring being
    chipped away daily. And some folks have moved their homes from
    town to the hillside, which exemplifies a gradual relocation of
    Unalakleet to the higher hills in response to climate change.
        Throughout the state, local companies and Alaska Native
    corporations have pitched in to help communities battling
    erosion costs by climate change. Calista Corporation, for
    example, through its subsidiary, Brice, Inc., has repaired
    gabion walls and breakwater for decades for villages affected
    by climate change. We are currently doing work in St. George
    and at the Kivalina Airport in Alaska on this issue. We do this
    because we enjoy working within Alaska to rebuild communities
    in partnership with the state and Federal Government.
        Newtok, a coastal village of 350 people on the Bering Sea,
    is one of the first communities in Alaska to migrate to a new
    site 9 miles away, Mertarvik. Newtok is currently threatened by
    advancing erosion caused by the Ninglick River adjacent to the
    village. This progressive erosion plus permafrost degradation
    and seasonal storm flooding threaten the very existence of
    Newtok.
        Years of erosion studies show that Newtok must relocate
    because there is no permanent and cost-effective alternative
    for remaining at the current village site. According to the
    Army Corps of Engineers' estimates, it could cost up to $130
    million to move the whole village.
        Even though Mertarvik and Newtok are only 9 miles apart,
    relocation costs are high due to the fact that there are no
    roads connecting the two rural Alaskan communities together.
        In 2007, the state of Alaska created the Subcabinet on
    Climate Change, identifying communities in the most critical
    need of support. The Subcabinet's Immediate Action Work Group
    identified Kivalina, Koyukuk, Newtok, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref,
    and Unalakleet as six communities in peril.
        In addition, the U.S. Government Accountability Office
    identified 31 Alaskan communities that are threatened by
    climate change. Of those, 4 were considered to be dire: Newtok,
    Kivalina, Shishmaref, and Shaktoolik.
        In 2008, I conducted a housing analysis for Newtok while I
    was an intern at the Denali Commission. The housing analysis
    was a product of the Newtok Planning Group, which was formed
    with state and Federal agencies and NGOs to coordinate
    relocation for Newtok.
        These are all generally outlined in the strategic
    management plan, which is listed on the Alaska Department of
    Commerce, Community, and Economic Development's website. Many
    more specific plans are located there with information.
        Numerous Federal and state hearings and reports have also
    been conducted on the relocation of Newtok.
        Stanley Tom, the formal Tribal Administrator of the Newtok
    Traditional Council, testified on October 11, 2007, at the
    Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery outlining the steps Newtok
    has taken to move.
        But their greatest need is for housing at the relocation
    site of Mertarvik. There is such a critical housing shortage in
    Newtok today that multiple families are living in a single-
    family home. The Cold Climate Research Center, a non-profit
    organization that specializes in building in Arctic climates,
    estimates the community needs a total of 105 houses in
    Mertarvik--39 more than the 66 houses standing in Newtok today.
        Newtok Village Council and the Lower Kuskokwim School
    District received $1 million in funding from the Alaska Housing
    Finance Corporation to advance construction in Mertarvik by
    2020.
        The project will construct two state-of-the-art, high-
    energy-performance duplexes with solar photovoltaic panels. The
    duplexes will be the first housing constructed specifically to
    serve professional populations, including teachers, village
    public safety officers, and public health aides, in Mertarvik.
    These grants address our greatest need, which is housing.
        Alaska's rural communities lack critical access to clean
    water for drinking, sanitation, and hygiene. The people of
    Newtok have been living without water or sewer systems for
    generations, so, to address this need, the United Methodist
    Committee on Relief awarded $943,000 to Newtok to install 21
    in-home portable alternative sanitation system (PASS) units in
    Mertarvik, Newtok's relocation site. PASS units are innovative,
    low-cost alternatives to piped infrastructure that provide
    basic sanitation for handwashing, clean drinking water, and
    safe human waste disposal.
        In conclusion, Alaskan permafrost, land that typically
    stayed hard and frozen year-round, has been melting due to
    temperature increases. Larger sea storms sweep the elevated
    ocean levels over the land and cause erosion. This leaves
    residents vulnerable to the sea.
        Infrastructure threats will pose an ongoing concern for
    rural coastal communities, particularly given the high cost of
    construction in rural Alaska. Alaska is indeed on the front
    lines of climate change, and it is affecting all of our coastal
    communities.
        There is a need of Federal funds and bipartisan advocates
    to address climate change due to the Federal trust
    responsibility that the government has with its indigenous
    peoples. The funds already made available are just a drop in
    the bucket compared to the dozens of communities in Alaska that
    will eventually have to relocate due to climate change.
        Thank you very much for providing me this opportunity to
    testify on the impacts of climate change.
        [Speaking native language.]

        [The prepared statement of Ms. Jordan follows:]
      Prepared Statement of Jennine Jordan, Government Relations Liaison,
                              Calista Corporation
        Hello Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member Cook, and distinguished
    members of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United
    States. My name is Jennine Jordan. I currently serve as the Government
    Relations Liaison for Calista Corporation, a regional Alaska Native
    Corporation. Thank you for inviting me to provide a village perspective
    in this hearing, and to discuss how climate change has affected Newtok,
    1 of the 56 villages within the Calista region. In addition to giving
    my statement today, I will be submitting additional written testimony
    for the record.
        I am Inupiaq and my family is from the Native Village of
    Unalakleet, a remote community of about 700 people in the Bering
    Straits region. I am a shareholder of Unalakleet Native Corporation, my
    village Corporation, and Bering Straits Native Corporation and CIRI
    Corporation, my regional Corporations, each of which were created and
    mandated by Congress through passage of the Alaska Native Claims
    Settlement Act (ANCSA) in 1971, which settled Alaska Natives aboriginal
    land claims.
        I am here to tell you that climate change is affecting Alaska's
    rural communities. Erosion is the principal threat to the habitability
    of many Alaska Native villages (USACE 2006, 2009). The Arctic sea ice
    extent that protects coastal communities is melting. As a result, waves
    and storm surges are accelerating erosion (GAO 2003, 2009). As a result
    of coastal erosion, my family's village, Unalakleet, is considered one
    of the vulnerable communities of Alaska. Unalakleet has been adapting
    to climate change by building seawalls and raising roads. In 2010, the
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent more than $28 million on
    infrastructure for Unalakleet, armoring the beach with rocks and a
    gabion wall. Despite these efforts, my family, my cousins, and the
    neighbors in my community see the shoreline armoring being chipped away
    daily. Some folks have moved their homes from town to the hillside,
    which exemplifies a gradual relocation of Unalakleet to the higher
    hills in response to climate change.
        Throughout the state, local companies and Alaska Native
    Corporations have pitched in to help communities battling erosion
    caused by climate change. Calista Corporation through its subsidiary,
    Brice, has repaired gabion walls and breakwater for decades for
    villages affected by climate change. We are working currently in St.
    George and at the Kivalina Airport. We do this because we enjoy working
    within Alaska to rebuild communities in partnership with the state and
    Federal Government.
        Newtok, a coastal village of 350 people on the Bering Sea, is one
    of the first communities in Alaska to migrate to a new site 9 miles
    away, Mertarvik. Newtok is currently threatened by advancing erosion
    caused by the Ninglick River adjacent to the village. This progressive
    erosion, plus permafrost degradation and seasonal storm flooding
    threaten the very existence of Newtok. Years of erosion studies show
    that Newtok must relocate because there is no permanent and cost-
    effective alternative for remaining at the current village site.
    According to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates, it will cost $130
    million to move the whole village. Even though Mertarvik and Newtok are
    only 9 miles apart, relocation costs are high due to the fact that
    there are no roads connecting the two rural Alaskan communities
    together.
        In 2007, the state of Alaska created the Subcabinet on Climate
    Change, identifying communities in the most critical need of support.
    The Subcabinet's Immediate Action Work Group identified: Kivalina,
    Koyukuk, Newtok, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, and Unalakleet as ``six
    communities in peril.'' In addition, the U.S. Government Accountability
    Office identified 31 Alaska communities that are threatened by climate
    change. Of those, 4 were considered to be dire: Newtok, Kivalina,
    Shishmaref and Shaktoolik.
        In 2008, I conducted a housing analysis for Newtok while as an
    intern at the Denali Commission. The housing analysis was a product of
    the Newtok Planning Group, which was formed in 2006 by representatives
    from state and Federal agencies and NGOs which agreed to coordinate
    relocation assistance for Newtok. The Newtok Planning Group has
    published various studies and plans are underway to move the village.
    These are generally outlined in the Strategic Management Plan--Newtok
    to Mertarvik (2012) listed on the AK Department of Commerce, Community,
    and Economic Development's website. More specific plans and much more
    information on relocating Newtok to Mertarvik is also available there.
    Numerous Federal and state hearings and reports have also been
    conducted on the relocation of Newtok. Stanley Tom, the former tribal
    administrator of the Newtok Traditional Council testified on October
    11, 2007 at the Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, outlining the steps
    Newtok has taken to move to Mertarvik.
        The community members' greatest need is for housing at the
    relocation site of Mertarvik, Alaska. There is such a critical housing
    shortage in Newtok today that multiple families are living in a single-
    family home. The Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC), a non-
    profit organization that specializes in building in arctic climates,
    estimated the community needs a total of 105 houses in Mertarvik--39
    more than the 66 houses standing in Newtok today.
        This past summer, four Mertarvik homes were constructed by the
    Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), the area's regional
    housing authority. In summer 2019, 13 more homes are expected to be
    built in Mertarvik, bringing the total on site to 21. Securing funding
    for housing is essential to the relocation process because it will
    expedite the relocation and provide improved quality of life. For
    example, occupied housing at Mertarvik will allow the community to
    become eligible for many traditional state and Federal funding
    programs.
        Newtok Village Council and the Lower Kuskokwim School District
    received $1 million in funding from the Alaska Housing Finance
    Corporation to advance housing construction in Mertarvik in 2020. The
    project will construct two state-of-the-art high energy performance
    duplexes with solar photovoltaic panels. The duplexes will be the first
    housing constructed specifically to serve professional populations
    including teachers, village public safety officers, and public health
    aides in Mertarvik. These grants address the greatest challenge in
    Newtok's relocation to Mertarvik--new housing construction. As part of
    efforts to enable Newtok's relocation to the Mertarvik site, the Denali
    Commission is providing match funding for the award issued to Newtok
    Village Council.
        Alaska's rural communities lack critical access to clean water for
    drinking, sanitation, and hygiene. The people of Newtok have been
    living without water or sewer systems for generations. To address this
    need, the United Methodist Committee on Relief awarded $943,000 to
    Newtok to install 21 in-home Portable Alternative Sanitation System
    (PASS) units in Mertarvik, Newtok's relocation site. PASS units are
    innovative, low-cost alternatives to piped infrastructure that provide
    basic sanitation needs including hand washing, clean drinking water,
    and safe human waste disposal.
                                   conclusion
        Alaskan permafrost, land that typically stayed hard and frozen
    year-round, has been melting partially due to temperature increases
    across the state. Larger sea storms sweep the elevated ocean levels
    over the land and cause erosion into the ocean. This leaves residents
    vulnerable to the sea. Infrastructure threats will pose an ongoing
    concern for rural coastal communities, particularly given the high
    costs of construction in rural Alaska. Alaska is on the front lines of
    climate change and it is affecting all of our coastal communities.
    There is a need of Federal funds and bipartisan advocates to address
    climate change due to the Federal trust responsibility that the
    government has with its indigenous peoples. The funds already made
    available are just a drop in the bucket compared to the dozens of
    communities in Alaska that will eventually have to relocate due to
    climate change.
        Thank you very much for providing me this opportunity to testify on
    the impacts of climate change in rural Alaska.
                                  works cited
    AK Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development's
    website: https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/dcra/
    PlanningLandManagement/NewtokPlanningGroup.aspx.

    GAO [Government Accountability Office]. 2003. Alaska Native villages:
    most are affected by flooding and erosion, but few qualify for federal
    assistance. Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC, USA.
    [online] URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04142.pdf.

    GAO [Government Accountability Office]. 2009. Alaska Native villages:
    limited progress has been made on relocating villages threatened by
    flooding and erosion. Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC,
    USA. [online] URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09551.pdf.

    USACE [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]. 2006. Alaska village erosion
    technical assistance program: an examination of erosion issues in the
    communities of Bethel, Dillingham, Kaktovik, Kivalina, Newtok,
    Shishmaref, and Unalakleet. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Anchorage,
    Alaska, USA. [online] URL: http://www.housemajority.org/coms/cli/
    AVETA_Report.pdf.

    USACE [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]. 2009. Alaska baseline erosion
    assessment: study findings and technical report. U.S. Army Corps of
    Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, USA. [online] URL: http://
    climatechange.alaska.gov/docs/iaw_USACE_ erosion_rpt.pdf.

                                     *****

    The following documents were submitted as supplements to Ms. Jordan's
    testimony. These documents are part of the hearing record and are being
    retained in the Committee's official files:

        --Newtok to Mertarvik Relocation, Newtok Village Council, December
                2017.

                                     ______

        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Ms. Jordan.
        Now we will have Dr. Buzzard speak.

      STATEMENT OF SHIRLEY BUZZARD, PRESIDENT, BUILDING RESILIENT
    COMMUNITIES FOR CLIMATE EXTREMES (BRACE) INSTITUTE, WASHINGTON,
                                   DC

        Dr. Buzzard. I would like to just echo my colleagues, and
    thank you so much for holding these hearings and calling
    attention to this really urgent problem.
        The impact of climate change is enormous to the health and
    livelihood of many Native Americans but most urgently, as you
    can see, for those who are living on low-lying islands and
    coastal communities.
        In May 2016, Congressman Grijalva sponsored a forum on
    ``Confronting a Rising Tide: The Climate Refugee Crisis.''
    Among those invited to speak at that forum were representatives
    of the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Choctaw, a gentleman from
    the Arctic Council, and people from the Embassy of the Marshall
    Islands.
        My company, Heartlands International, which is a Native
    American-owned small business, was honored to host our visitors
    to Washington and provide them with some food and housing. So,
    we spent a lot of time with them, and they told us that they
    desperately need an intermediary organization to help them
    understand the bureaucracy and the way Washington works.
        These are people who live on disappearing islands. They are
    not equipped to deal with the intricacies of the Federal
    Government or large donors. Even taking a few days off work--
    since these are mostly maritime people, just taking a day or
    two off work was a major hit to their income.
        So, they asked if we would form a non-profit organization
    that would serve as an intermediary between the groups that you
    have heard about and others to help them leverage funds, do
    reporting and accountability, and provide technical assistance
    for areas where they need it.
        In response to their request, we created the Institute for
    Building Resilient Communities for Climate Extremes, or the
    BRACE Institute, which is a 501(c)(3). Our objective is to
    provide support and technical services for the relocation of
    whole communities while keeping their cultural integrity.
        Initially, BRACE is partnering with the following
    communities, which are populations of between 200 and 1,000
    people that are going to relocate in the next 3 years:
    Primarily, we are working with the Choctaw in Isle de Jean
    Charles. We hope to be working with the Native Alaskan
    communities and also with the Quinault.
        Community relocation is a multi-sectoral problem. All of
    the communities mentioned have maritime economies, and if they
    move very far inland, they are going to have to learn new ways
    of making a living, including fish farming, greenhouse
    gardening, or other skills. As the educational level of the
    older members of these communities is marginal, they depend
    heavily on young people to lead the way.
        And the groups we have identified are only the beginning.
    As you have heard, all of the Alaskan coastal communities are
    going to have to move soon. Estimates are that there are
    already about 14 million climate refugees in the world. And
    these are people who have moved to new cities or countries as
    individuals or families because of job loss, famine, and other
    climate extremes. There is really very limited experience with
    relocating whole communities.
        Responding to this urgent need, BRACE works with partners
    in the business and labor sectors to provide technical
    assistance and research. We partner with the Laborers
    International Union of North America on housing construction,
    and they also do job-training skills in the construction
    trades.
        We have a partnership with Illinois State University in
    Normal, Illinois, to provide technical assistance in political,
    economic, social issues that come up and also in terms of the
    documentation of what is working and what is not.
        BRACE is initially targeting these low-lying islands in the
    United States, but we are learning from the Marshall Islanders
    who have moved to Springdale, Arkansas, so we understand some
    of the health and other issues that climate refugees face. Many
    of the Pacific Islands will be disappearing before long.
        We employ a classic community development approach within
    each community, which includes highly participatory methodology
    of helping people make decisions for themselves and building
    the capacity of communities to make their own decisions. We
    place emphasis on building leadership skills of young community
    members and women.
        Our multi-disciplinary approach fosters a better
    understanding of the issues in both the origin and the
    destination communities, because with community relocation, you
    need to think not only about where they live now but where they
    are moving to and what effect that is going to have on the
    destination communities.
        There are dozens of organizations working to mitigate
    climate change and postpone relocation by building seawalls or
    houses on stilts. All of these efforts are welcome, but they
    are short-term and often very costly. BRACE is the only
    organization that works with communities on total relocation
    and on the design of new green communities and with the
    assistance of learning new job skills.
        The main issues we are encountering on start up, of course,
    are funds, not only for BRACE as an institution but to the
    construction of new communities. As you have heard----
        Mr. Gallego. Dr. Buzzard, please, can we come to a summary?
        Dr. Buzzard. Yes.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you.
        Dr. Buzzard. OK. Anyway, we are grateful to be here and
    happy to answer your questions.

        [The prepared statement of Dr. Buzzard follows:]
     Prepared Statement of Shirley Buzzard, Ph.D., President of the BRACE
                           Institute, Washington, DC
        Many thanks to the Subcommittee on Indigenous People for calling
    attention to the effect of climate change on Native Americans. The
    impact of climate change is enormous to the health and livelihood of
    many Native Americans but most urgently for those who live on low-lying
    islands and coastal communities.
        In May 2016, Rep. Grijalva sponsored a forum on Confronting the
    Rising Tide: The Climate Refugee Crisis. Among those invited to speak
    at that forum were representatives of the Isle de Jean Charles Band of
    Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw, a representative from the Arctic Council and
    a representative from the Embassy of the Marshall Islands. My company,
    Heartlands International, a Native American Owned small business, was
    pleased to host some of the visitors to Washington, DC for that event.
    In our discussions during their visit, it became clear that the people
    who live on the disappearing islands are unequipped to deal with the
    Federal bureaucracy and fundraising for their relocation. Taking a few
    days off from their work to travel to Washington, DC was a huge
    sacrifice for them and their families. The functioning of the U.S.
    government and other potential donors is bewildering to them.

        They asked Heartlands to form a non-profit with would serve as an
    intermediary for them in leveraging funds, reporting, and providing
    technical assistance to them. In response to their request, we created
    The Institute called The Building Resilient Communities for Climate
    Extremes (BRACE Institute) a 501(c)(3). Our objective is to provide
    support and technical services for the relocation of whole communities
    while keeping their cultural integrity. Initially BRACE is partnering
    with the following communities. These are all communities of between
    200 and 1,000 people that need to completely relocate in the next 3 to
    5 years:

         The Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Citimacha-Choctaw

         The Alaskan communities of Shishmaref, Kivalina, Newtok
                and Quinhagak

         The Quinault Indian Nation in Tahdah, Oregon

        Community relocation is a multi-sectoral problem. All the
    communities mentioned have maritime economies and if they move very far
    inland, they will have to learn new ways of making a living including
    fish farming, greenhouse gardening and other skills. As the education
    level of the older members of these communities is marginal, they are
    depending heavily on young people to lead the way.
        This is only the beginning. All coastal Alaskan communities will
    have to move soon. Estimates are that there are already 14 million
    climate refugees in the world. These are people who have moved to new
    cities or countries as individuals or families because of job loss,
    famine, and other climate extremes. There is limited experience with
    the relocation of whole communities. Responding to this urgent need,
    BRACE works with partners in the business and labor sectors for
    technical assistance and job training. We partner with Illinois State
    University in Normal (ISU) to provide technical assistance and
    research. We also work with the Laborer's International Union of North
    America (LiUNA) on housing construction and jobs skills training. BRACE
    is a multi-disciplinary and global support center for communities that
    need to relocate due to climate change
        BRACE is initially targeting low-lying islands in the United
    States. We also are learning from the Marshall Islanders who have moved
    to Springdale, Alaska as to some of the health and other issues for
    climate refugees. Many of the Pacific Islands will also disappear
    before long.
        BRACE Institute employs a classic community development approach
    within each community. This includes a highly participatory methodology
    of helping people make decisions for themselves and building the
    capacity of communities to make their own decisions. We place emphasis
    on building the leadership skills of young community members and women.
    A multidisciplinary approach fosters a better understanding of the
    issues in both the origin and destination communities. The complex
    problem calls for a multifaceted solution. BRACE monitors carefully and
    documents what works as thousands of communities worldwide will have to
    relocate in coming years.
        There are dozens of organizations working to mitigate climate
    change and postpone relocation by building sea walls or houses on
    stilts. All of these efforts are welcome, but they are short-term and
    often very costly solutions. BRACE is the only organization that works
    with communities on total relocation and the design of new, green
    communities and assistance with learning new job skills.
        The main issues we are encountering as we start up are, of course,
    funds for the organization and for the construction of new communities.
    The construction of totally new communities is very costly so where
    possible we promote re-location in or near existing communities. Also,
    BRACE wants to be cautious about raising expectations and assuring that
    the communities take the lead with BRACE as a supporting partner.
    Community members know what they need to do and, in many cases, how to
    do that. The Choctaw and Quinault already have excellent designs for
    new green communities and have located land they want to purchase. They
    urgently need a support organization that can provide funding,
    management skills, and technical assistance on construction, and job
    training.
        We are very grateful to be included in these hearings. I am happy
    to answer your questions.

                                     ______

        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Doctor. Much appreciated.
        Next is Mr. Verlon Jose from the Tohono O'odham Nation.

    STATEMENT OF VERLON JOSE, VICE CHAIRMAN, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION,
                             SELLS, ARIZONA

        Mr. Jose. [Speaking native language.] Good day to you,
    everyone. Good afternoon, Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member
    Cook, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee.
        My name is Verlon Jose, and I am the Vice Chairman of the
    Tohono O'odham Nation, a federally recognized tribe with more
    than 34,000 members. The Tohono O'odham Reservation consists of
    more than 2.8 million acres in southern Arizona, one of the
    largest Indian reservations in the United States, and shares a
    62-mile border with Mexico.
        Since time immemorial, we have learned to live in the
    desert and have adapted to high summer heat and scarce water.
    But as climate change has begun to disrupt our traditional and
    modern ways of living, we have had to figure out ways to cope
    with these changes.
        The Nation has 41 monitoring stations on the reservation to
    measure precipitation and temperature. The Nation also took the
    proactive step of developing a climate change adaptation plan
    which examines the impacts of climate change on the Nation and
    its members and potential solutions.
        We appreciate the Subcommittee providing this opportunity
    to address climate change, which is a significant issue for the
    Nation as well as other Native people.
        As a result of climate change, it is getting hotter and
    hotter, and there is more drought across the Nation's lands
    than we have experienced in the past. Arizona is currently in a
    20-year drought. The average annual temperature is increasing,
    as shown in the 2018 Fourth National Climate Assessment and
    monitoring done by the Nation.
        The heat and the drought reduce forage for our livestock,
    food for wildlife, and the recharge of our groundwater
    aquifers. As a result of the dry soils, higher surface
    temperatures, and less vegetation, there is an increased threat
    of wildfires. And the wildfires are larger and start earlier in
    the season.
        The heat, drought, and fires put people, animals, and food
    sources at risk, impose greater costs on the Nation to ensure
    the well-being and safety of our people.
        The day-to-day impacts on our members' ability to gather
    and use traditional foods is staggering. Although we have not
    yet experienced the complete loss of traditional foods, the
    availability of these foods has been drastically impacted by
    the significant change in the average temperature that alters
    the seasonal life cycle of traditional plants. Our members go
    out to gather traditional foods and find that many are blooming
    out of season or not blooming at all as a result of climate
    change.
        As rising heat and drought continues, the Nation will
    likely face increased challenges with respect to our ability to
    store food for our members. Currently, the Nation stores food
    to distribute to members in need. However, we do not have
    enough cooling capacity to store perishable foods, and we have
    only two food distribution trucks to cover 2.8 million acres.
        In addition to high heat and drought, the Nation also is
    experiencing much more extreme weather than ever before, such
    as intense rain, severe thunderstorms, microbursts, and strong
    winds. Fifteen of our communities have been impacted by 50-year
    floods. There are four communities within the Nation where
    flooding is most severe. The Nation is very concerned that if
    we were to see a 100-year flood event, these communities would
    be completely devastated.
        We are experiencing more changes in the rain, and, while
    the annual average precipitation is less, there are shorter,
    more intense rain events throughout the year. For example, last
    fall, Hurricane Rosa dumped an incredible amount of rain on the
    reservation in a very short time. Residents of three villages
    had to move to avoid the extreme flooding. One village got 8
    inches of rain in 6 hours, and a nearby dam almost overflowed.
        Following that intense flooding of our reservation last
    year, in November 2018, President Trump issued a disaster
    declaration for the Nation to assist with recovery efforts. We
    received FEMA funds to assist with the repair of roads and
    bridges and for hazard mitigation measures to prevent further
    risk of life and property from flooding.
        The Nation's climate adaptation plan includes the following
    core strategies: use traditional building knowledge and
    practices to make homes cooler; open available community
    buildings as cooling centers during heat emergencies; plan for
    flood mitigation; hire additional wildland firefighters; ensure
    groundwater is treated for more households; and educate
    community members about climate change.
        The Nation will continue to take corrective steps to invest
    in climate change response, but the costs of addressing climate
    change are significant. Increased funding for Federal programs
    and grants focused on climate change is needed. Increased FEMA
    funding for flood mitigation and firefighter support is a must.
        The Nation and other tribal communities cannot fight
    climate change impacts alone. Congress must live up to its
    trust obligations to help provide us with the resources to
    ensure that we can protect our members, our lands, and our
    natural resources.
        The Nation sincerely appreciates the Subcommittee's
    interest in this critically important issue and the opportunity
    to share our concerns about the impacts climate change has had
    and will continue to have on the Tohono O'odham Nation.
        Climate change threatens to drastically and negatively
    impact the O'odham way of life. We are working to save it. We
    ask Congress to work together with tribal nations to address
    climate change impacts to communities throughout Indian
    Country.
        Thank you for this opportunity to testify. I welcome any
    questions you may have.
        And, last, I think if we address $30 billion to climate
    change, we might make a difference.
        Thank you.

        [The prepared statement of Mr. Jose follows:]
      Prepared Statement of the Honorable Verlon Jose, Vice-Chairman, The
                        Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona
                           introduction & background
        Good afternoon, Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member Cook, and
    distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. My name is Verlon Jose and I
    am the Vice-Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, a federally
    recognized tribe with more than 34,000 members. The Tohono O'odham
    Reservation consists of more than 2.8 million acres in southern Arizona
    (one of the largest Indian reservations in the United States), and
    shares a 62-mile border with Mexico.
        Since the beginning of O'odham history, we have learned to live in
    the desert, and have adapted to high summer heat and scarce water. But
    as climate change has begun to disrupt both our traditional and modern
    ways of living, we have had to figure out ways to cope with these
    changes. The Nation has 41 monitoring stations on the reservation to
    measure precipitation and temperature. The Nation also took the
    proactive step of developing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which
    examines the impacts of climate change on the Nation and its members,
    and potential short- and long-term solutions.
        My testimony will summarize a number of those impacts and some
    potential solutions. We appreciate the Subcommittee providing this
    opportunity to address climate change, which is a significant issue for
    the Nation, as well as other Native people.
                              i. heat and drought
        As a result of climate change, it is getting hotter, and there is
    more drought across the Nation's lands than we have experienced in the
    past. Arizona is currently in a 20-year drought, and drought conditions
    persist across the Southwest. Climate change has resulted in increased
    average annual temperatures on the Nation's reservation, as reported in
    the congressionally-mandated Fourth National Climate Assessment
    completed in November 2018, and confirmed by monitoring done by the
    Nation. The increased temperatures and drought reduce the forage
    available for livestock and the sources of food for wildlife. The heat
    and drought reduce the recharge of our groundwater aquifers, and there
    is less surface water available for livestock and wildlife.
    Additionally, climate change affects the availability of traditional
    foods that our members rely upon.
        As a result of the dry soils, higher surface temperatures, and less
    vegetation, there also is an increased threat of wildfires--and the
    wildfires are larger and start earlier in the season. The heat, drought
    and fires put people, animals and food sources at risk--and impose
    greater costs on the Nation to ensure the well-being and safety of our
    people. For example, many of the Nation's members used to open the
    windows at night to keep their homes cool. But with the hot
    temperatures extending long into the night our members now need to keep
    air conditioning units on throughout the day and night in order to keep
    the temperature in their homes at safe levels. This results in
    increased electricity costs for individual members. The Nation also
    incurs additional costs as we work to ensure the safety of our members
    who may not be able to afford air conditioning units. Traditionally, to
    cope with intense daytime heat the O'odham people constructed wattos--
    open-air shade structures with dirt floors, which we would wet
    throughout the day. As part of our Climate Change Adaptation Plan, the
    Nation is currently exploring a return to some of our traditional
    building practices in order to reduce the cost of air conditioning
    during the hottest months.
        In addition, the day-to-day impacts of increased heat and drought
    on our members' ability to gather and use traditional foods is
    staggering. The Nation has been increasingly creating and implementing
    programs to encourage O'odham people to return to a traditional diet in
    order to improve health. However, returning to a completely traditional
    diet is next to impossible because of the damage done to our
    traditional food sources as a result of climate change. Although we
    have not yet experienced the complete loss of traditional foods, the
    availability of these foods has been drastically impacted by
    significant changes in the average temperature that alters the
    phenology, or the seasonal life cycle, of traditional plants. Our
    members go out to gather traditional foods and find that many are
    blooming out of season or not blooming at all as a result of climate
    change.
        Additionally, as rising heat and drought continue, the Nation will
    likely face increased challenges with respect to our ability to store
    food for members needing food assistance. Currently the Nation stores
    food to distribute to members in need. However, we do not have enough
    cooling capacity to store perishable foods and we have only two food
    distribution trucks to cover all 2.8 million acres. Rising heat and
    drought will only compound the challenges that we face in storing
    adequate food for distribution to our members.
                        ii. extreme weather and flooding
        In addition to higher heat and drought, the Nation also is
    experiencing much more extreme weather than ever before, such as
    intense rain and severe thunderstorms, microbursts and strong winds
    (called jecos). Fifteen of our communities have been impacted by 50-
    year floods. In many cases, when these areas flood throughout the year,
    the flood waters come straight up to the doorways of our members'
    homes. There are four communities within the Nation where flooding is
    most severe, including Santa Rosa Valley, Menager's Dam, Chui Chu
    Village, and Vamori Village. The Nation remains very concerned that if
    we were to see a 100-year flood event these communities would be
    completely devastated.
        We are currently experiencing much more variability in rain, and
    while the annual average precipitation is lower and the rainstorms are
    fewer, there are shorter, more intense rain events throughout the year.
    For example, last year Hurricane Rosa dumped an incredible amount of
    rain on the reservation in a very short time. Residents of three
    villages had to move to avoid the extreme flooding. In one location a
    berm broke as a result all of the rain, and about 3 feet of water swept
    through the village. Another community got 8 inches of rain in 6 hours.
    That community is located near a dam, which came very close to
    overflowing--luckily it did not, but if it had it would have destroyed
    the village.
        The intense rain events and increased flooding also wash out roads
    and strand communities: residents, school buses, and emergency vehicles
    are cut off from the homes by the flood waters. These extreme weather
    events put people, homes and other infrastructure at risk. Following
    the intense flooding of our reservation last year, in November 2018
    President Trump issued a disaster declaration for the Nation to assist
    the Nation with recovery efforts. Funds from the Federal Emergency
    Management Agency (FEMA) were transferred to the Nation to assist with
    the repair of public facilities such as roads and bridges as well as
    hazard mitigation measures to prevent long-term risk to life and
    property due to the flooding.
                            iii. potential solutions
        As I noted in my opening remarks, the Nation has created a Climate
    Change Adaptation Plan to begin to focus on how we can mitigate the
    impacts of climate change. The plan includes the following core
    adaptation strategies: (1) use traditional building knowledge and
    practices to make homes cooler; (2) open available community buildings
    as cooling centers during heat emergencies; (3) plan for flood
    mitigation; (4) hire additional wildland firefighters; (5) ensure
    groundwater is treated for more households; and (6) educate community
    members about climate change.
        To respond to extreme storms and flooding, we need to continue to
    do floodplain mapping and create inundation maps for all dams and
    levees. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has analyzed several areas
    prone to flooding on the Nation and has offered potential solutions,
    including a reconnaissance report to reduce flooding in the Santa Rosa
    Valley and a feasibility study for potential flooding in and around
    Chui Chu village. The Nation is working on implementing these steps.
    The Nation is also identifying areas for drilling and aquifer testing
    to accurately quantify groundwater resources on our reservation.
    Additionally, the Nation is facilitating the development of an
    environmental trust fund to assist with covering the costs of
    mitigating climate change impacts.
        With respect to addressing impacts from heat and drought, we have
    created a Nation-wide agricultural plan to attempt to ensure the
    survival of traditional foods and provide these foods to our members.
    Measures include seed-banking of traditional plants, expanding food-
    crop acreage, finding better ways to get water to crops, and enhancing
    the Nation's food-distribution infrastructure. The Nation has
    undertaken the long-term inventory and monitoring of wild food plants.
    We also have implemented a Nation-wide program to check on elderly and
    ill members of our communities during the increasing number of extreme
    heat events. Additionally, the Nation is developing a volunteer
    firefighter program to increase the number of firefighters available to
    fight fires caused by extreme drought and heat.
        Although the Nation will continue to take proactive steps to invest
    in climate change response, the costs of addressing climate change are
    significant. Increased funding for Federal programs and grants focused
    on climate change solutions and response is needed, including, for
    example, increasing FEMA grant funding for flood mitigation, hazard
    mitigation, mitigation planning, fire prevention and firefighter
    staffing, support and training, and providing funding for BIA climate
    resilience programs to support tribal adaption planning and training.
    The Nation and other tribal communities cannot fight climate change
    impacts alone. Congress must live up to its trust obligations to assist
    in providing tribal governments with the resources to ensure that we
    can protect our members, our lands, our natural resources and our
    tribal economies from the impacts of climate change.
                                   conclusion
        The Nation sincerely appreciates the Subcommittee's interest in
    this critically important issue, and the opportunity to share our
    concerns about the impacts climate change has had and will continue to
    have on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Climate change threatens to
    drastically and negatively impact the O'odham way of life and we are
    working to save it. We ask that Congress work together with tribal
    nations to address climate change impacts to communities throughout
    Indian Country. Thank you for this opportunity to testify, and I
    welcome any questions you may have.

                                     ______

        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chairman.
        The Chair will now recognize Members for questions. Under
    Committee Rule 3(d), each Member will be recognized for 5
    minutes.
        I will start by recognizing our overall Committee Chair,
    Chairman Raul Grijalva, for the first questions.
        Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much to all the witnesses.
        And, indeed, Mr. Chairman, thank you for the hearing, and
    the members of this Subcommittee. It is historic, having a
    discussion about something that is with us already in many
    parts of Indian Country and certainly looming as an issue that
    has to be dealt with. So, I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman and
    the Members, for having this hearing, and the Ranking Member.
        Let me ask Vice President Johnston and Vice Chairman Jose a
    question that was alluded to in both your comments. The trust
    responsibility, the consultation, the responsibilities that the
    Federal Government has to tribes--and this is for both of you--
    how is that relationship with respect to this particular issue
    working? Or what does it need to work better?
        If you don't mind, we will start with you, Mr. Vice
    President.
        Mr. Johnston. Thank you for that question.
        When my ancestors signed the Quinault River Treaty of 1855
    and later the Treaty of Olympia of 1856, they did that with the
    thought that our resources and our access to them would be in
    perpetuity forever to take care of their families, the coming
    generations. That was their wisdom when they sat in those
    councils to create those terms.
        And now, because of the issues that we face because of
    climate change and the crisis that our communities are
    suffering, a lot of those treaty rights are at risk.
        I think with a lot of Federal agencies that we work with
    there is inconsistency about that trust relationship. Some of
    them, I think, work or are touched by that issue more often.
    Working with the Bureau or even working with organizations such
    as NOAA, they are educated, to a degree, on what the trust
    relationship looks like.
        I think what would help improve that is if there was
    consistency across the board, if all of the agencies somehow
    had that mandated as something that legally they need to
    understand what that relationship should comprise.
        I think that the trust relationship could always be better.
    You know, it is a two-way street. It is something that is
    living and is forming even today in the discussions that we are
    having in this room.
        But I think from where I am sitting, from the emergency
    perspective, dealing with this issue, it is the consistency and
    the lack of understanding one agency has over the other.
        Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Jose?
        Mr. Jose. Thank you for the question.
        Trust responsibility. I have been looking for that
    definition for a long time. I think it is a matter of
    interpretation, as the Tohono O'odham Nation and, I believe,
    many other nations--we are not looking for handouts, we are
    looking about positive collaboration and working together.
        As indicated in my testimony, we have taken some proactive
    measures to address climate change. What tribal nations need
    when it comes to trust responsibility is a true seat at the
    table. I have often asked that question when measures are taken
    here in Congress: Who have you consulted? And the response is
    usually, ``Oh, we have our experts who have studied this and so
    forth.''
        One of the things that I always say is that, well, your
    experts have never consulted with our experts. Those are the
    ones that are living there that face these issues.
        This is man-made, this is caused climate change. We really
    need to take a proactive measure at that and assist, as I
    indicated in my testimony, about addressing the issues, even to
    include wildland fires. We are more reactive than proactive.
        So, trust responsibility needs to be improved, have the
    Nation have a seat at the table, have the boots on the ground,
    consult with the people in the area that is affected or of
    concern.
        Thank you for the question.
        Mr. Grijalva. Thank you.
        Ms. Jordan, the cultural impacts of climate change on
    Alaska Native communities, part of the question.
        The second part is, is climate change in Alaska a myth or
    is it part of reality there?
        So, both those questions, if you don't mind.
        Ms. Jordan. Thank you, Congressman Grijalva.
        Traditionally, Alaska Native people were nomadic. We were
    nomadic tribal people. And due to government policies with
    boarding schools in particular in Alaska, we had to make our
    communities permanent so that we could send our children to
    school. Now we cannot just get up and move like we did in the
    past when we were nomadic.
        Climate change is affecting our subsistence hunts. Many
    Alaska Natives rely on subsistence foods instead of processed
    foods, such as seal, fish, whales, et cetera. When the ice is
    melting, we see that there is a decline in some of these
    populations, which affects what we eat.
        With respect to your second question, yes, we are
    definitely seeing climate change in Alaska. It does exist. We
    see it every day in our coastal communities.
        My aunt's house in Unalakleet was flooded just a couple
    years ago because the sea level is rising. It is flooding
    houses and destroying houses. And my aunt's house isn't even on
    the shore of Unalakleet.
        So, it is changes in the sea. We absolutely see it.
        Mr. Grijalva. Thank you. And thank you for your indulgence,
    Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it and yield back.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Chairman.
        I would like now to yield to Member Don Young of Alaska for
    questions.
        Mr. Young. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I only have two
    questions.
        Jennine, what is the responsibility--and I think it was
    alluded to, the trust relief--but what is the responsibility of
    the Federal Government in helping the communities in Alaska, I
    think there are six now, that have to be relocated? What will
    be our responsibility?
        Ms. Jordan. Well, we would say that it is a Federal trust
    responsibility with our Alaska Native communities.
        These six communities that are considered dire are going to
    need funding. And, as Mr. Johnston mentioned, there is a lack
    of coordination between Federal agencies on funding and who is
    going to spearhead funding initiatives.
        Housing is an issue in Alaska, to move our communities. And
    Alaska Native communities can't receive Federal funding with
    respect to the Stafford Act. It is based on singular events
    like earthquakes and hurricanes, not slow-moving disasters
    caused by climate change. This does not fit into the Stafford
    Act. Therefore, Alaska Native communities don't qualify for
    Federal disaster funds.
        So, I would recommend a Federal agency right now that can
    address climate change refugees in Alaska. Mertarvik does not
    qualify for many state and Federal agency funds because of
    housing. And entities that provide housing grants and energy
    initiatives won't provide those until sanitation facilities are
    built. So, having a coordinated effort so that there is not the
    chicken before the egg.
        We have the Denali Commission, which helped substantially
    in the past with infrastructure in Alaska. And that,
    unfortunately, has not been funded, although it did get funded,
    I believe, $15 million a few years ago, which was used for
    Newtok. But the Denali Commission really did spearhead the
    effort to put infrastructure and help our rural communities,
    and, unfortunately, there is no funding for it right now.
        Mr. Grijalva. Good point.
        Mr. Young. Thank you, Jennine. Mr. Chairman, I would say
    one thing. We ought to, if anything we do, consider a funding
    program to make sure that we do address this issue, because,
    very frankly, it is not the Alaska Natives' responsibility or
    their blame.
        And I don't know how many have been up there. The erosion
    is bad. And we might do a little better if we took a lot of
    this money that we have for meetings and discussions and
    everything else and put it into really solving the problem and
    adapting to it. I mean, we might want to think about that too.
        With that, I yield back to the gentleman. Thank you.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Representative Young. Duly noted.
        Now I would like to recognize Congresswoman Deb Haaland
    from the great state of New Mexico.
        Ms. Haaland. Thank you, Chairman, for yielding and for
    convening this important hearing.
        Thank you, Vice Chairman Jose, Vice President Johnston, Ms.
    Jordan, Dr. Buzzard, for taking the time to be here today to
    help Congress understand how climate change is affecting tribal
    communities.
        As I said yesterday in my response to the State of Indian
    Nations address, I am committed to protecting our sacred lands,
    addressing climate change, and moving renewable energy forward
    so we can pass our natural treasures down to our children.
        I believe it is essential that we focus on environmental
    justice as we make this transition to reduce our carbon
    footprint, because all too often, the communities that are most
    impacted by our changing climate are the communities that are
    least responsible for causing the problem and the least well-
    equipped to adapt to the changes.
        I have a question for you, Vice Chairman Jose. The Tohono
    O'odham Nation is having an especially difficult time securing
    the Federal funding it needs to respond to the devastation of
    Hurricane Rosa. This systematic breakdown follows a pattern set
    by Hurricanes Katrina, Maria, and so many others in which
    under-represented groups bear the brunt of natural disasters.
        Can you speak to the financial burden climate change has
    put on your community or tribal communities in general?
        Mr. Jose. Thank you, Congresswoman Haaland.
        I am not sure if we can actually put a financial amount on
    the burden that it has on our people when it comes to climate
    change. It is changing a way of life. It is changing our
    traditional practices. Our traditional foods are off course,
    and causes a lot of challenges to us due to our health, due to
    our medicinal purpose and so forth.
        With Tropical Storm Rosa, the Nation spent over $4 million
    just addressing that. And even though there was a Presidential
    Declaration, we all know that that doesn't cover the entire
    amount that we spent that we could have used for health,
    education, housing, infrastructure, and so forth.
        So, when it comes to funding, I can't even begin to put an
    amount. And how do you put a price on changing someone's way of
    life? It is an enormous cost and burden to not only the Tohono
    O'odham Nation but tribal communities and the country in
    general, the world in general.
        So, I think we really need to be proactive and address
    those things proactively rather than reactively. And, as I
    said, if there is an intent to spent $30 billion on something,
    why don't we put it to something that is proactive in
    addressing the challenges of climate change?
        Thank you.
        Ms. Haaland. Thank you very much, Vice Chairman.
        I yield back my time, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you.
        I now recognize Ranking Member Cook.
        Mr. Cook. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        I am sorry Congressman Young had to leave, because he has a
    lot of experience, obviously, with the tribes and the weather
    and everything else. He told me one time that he only will
    shave when it rains for 3 days in a row. Whether that is
    climate change or not, I don't know.
        But I am concerned about this partly because I have a
    number of tribes in my area, in Southern California. And, of
    course, our big disasters that we are worried about are fires.
    You have heard the news. And everybody has problems--we don't
    have a flooding problem, because I am out in the desert, but
    flooding from the oceans, we do have flooding. Right now, we
    have had a lot of rain, this and that.
        I am unlike, perhaps, some of my colleagues. I don't
    understand the whole thing. I am always looking for data on how
    it applies.
        But I have to be honest with you. As a former mayor, I am
    going to be--I have a deficiency in my community that perhaps
    puts some of my citizens or tribal members in danger or affects
    their economy. I am going to be trying to get money or funds
    for that. That is the only way we are going to solve that
    problem.
        And, of course, this is where you have flood-control
    projects. This is where you have the thinning of perhaps some
    of the forests so we don't have the fuel.
        Part of the reason my statement had that thing in there, I
    am always going to go back. I am committed to changing what has
    happened in the past. The tribes have so much poverty and
    everything else, and now they are being hurt even more.
        So, that being used as an incentive--I will call on, I
    don't know, any of you. But I will ask Ms. Jordan whether, if
    we created certain funds for whether it is called climate
    control or what have you, but certain economic factors where we
    could have a superfund, where we could at least--we know that a
    dam has to--or that is a bad word, but some kind of thing where
    you control certain rivers that don't wipe out settlements or
    villages or anything else. And I always was looking for a
    certain fund, because I hate to use the term a ``rainy-day
    scenario,'' but I think even more so than other peoples,
    because of past history, something like that that could be used
    for these emergencies, however they are caused.
        Can you comment on such a radical solution, perhaps, Ms.
    Jordan?
        Ms. Jordan. Thank you, Ranking Member. I appreciate the
    question. And I absolutely think that there should be a fund or
    an agency that can address and take on climate change directly.
        Unfortunately, with the example of Newtok moving to
    Mertarvik, many of the funds--the estimates were $130 million
    with the Army Corps of Engineers. And I have done some math,
    and about $46 million has been spent just to start the project
    of moving over to Mertarvik. But that is just a drop in the
    bucket.
        They try to get funds from the Denali Commission. You heard
    in my testimony that they were trying to get funds from a
    church for sanitation purposes. They tried to apply for funds
    through the Stafford Act. They were actually denied FEMA funds.
        So, I absolutely agree.
        Mr. Cook. And do you think the Federal Government has been
    slow in declaring this a national emergency or crosses that
    threshold so we could get money for these projects?
        In other words, if I am hearing this right, you want to see
    if this Committee can use its power to expedite some of these
    occurrences, to get the money and funds, because somebody
    referred to the red tape and the bureaucracy. I am not trying
    to put words in your mouth, but I am just trying to gauge----
        Ms. Jordan. Absolutely. Correct. Yes.
        Mr. Cook. OK.
        I see the gentleman wants to answer, so if the Chair will--
    --
        Mr. Gallego. I yield more time, 2 more minutes.
        Mr. Johnston. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
        Thank you for the question, Mr. Cook.
        Earlier, when you gave your opening statement, I believe
    you said one-size-doesn't-fit-all. And I think when you think
    of our tribes in the United States that have a special
    relationship with the United States, one-size-doesn't-fit-all.
    And if we had an opportunity to access a program like you
    mentioned that promotes self-determination and self-governance,
    that allows us to really design what that would look like in
    our community, that would be most helpful, because we know our
    communities best.
        Mr. Cook. Thank you.
        And I just want to comment, I am on your side on this. God,
    I hope I am not on TV, but I kind of hate the Federal
    Government, OK? And I worked for it for 26 years. I guess I am
    working for it again.
        But I think everybody on the panel just wants to cut
    through the red tape when we have something like--and I am
    looking for solutions, funds, or what have you. Because I look
    at that poverty line, which has been contributed to--well,
    because of past history, and I want to correct it.
        I know we are asking you questions, but you people are a
    lot smarter than I am. And anytime you have a solution on
    this--I mean, it is going to be huge. But if we can cut through
    that crap that is, ``Well, you have to submit this document and
    5,000 pages of this before we correct this, this, and this''--
    and I think a lot of us here, even though we are different
    parties, we are looking at ways to help the people that we
    represent. And I will be honest with you, you are the experts.
        I yield back because I am out of time.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Mr. Cook.
        I now recognize Mr. Case from Hawaii.
        Mr. Case. Thank you, Chair and witnesses.
        As this is the first meeting of this Committee, my
    Subcommittee members, I bid you ``aloha'' from the Native
    Hawaiians, the indigenous peoples of Hawaii, the indigenous
    peoples just as are you and as are the Native Americans and the
    Alaska Natives and the residents and indigenous peoples of my
    colleague to my right.
        The Native Hawaiians, as with all indigenous peoples, were
    highly sensitive to the changes in our environment, in our
    weather, to the seasons. They could detect short-term, long-
    term changes and make adjustments. The Native Hawaiians in
    Hawaii had a highly sustainable culture of hundreds of
    thousands without any imports from the outside world, since
    they knew nothing of the outside world, other than for the
    ancestral lands to the south. And they survived and prospered
    for generations and generations by careful land and resource
    management.
        They had a system of land management in which the land
    divisions stretched from the top of the mountains out into the
    fisheries in kind of pie-shaped structures all the way around
    the islands. And, in that way, each of those divisions was able
    to manage, from the uplands through the harvest lands and out
    into the ocean.
        And I can tell you in no uncertain terms--and you know this
    for yourselves--that, had we been back in the situation of
    climate change 300 years ago, with the kind of rapid change in
    our climate and with our atmospheric changes and with the ocean
    changes, the Native Hawaiians would have detected changes in
    the ocean temperature, they would have detected changes in the
    fisheries, in the corals, they would have detected a different
    growing season, they would have detected changes in the upland
    forests and the birds, and a sustainable take from all of that.
    They knew these things, as you did, and they would have--
    although maybe they wouldn't have understood the science as we
    understand it--they would have made adjustments.
        And I ask you this question in that spirit. And I am going
    to just focus with you, Vice President Johnston, because you
    are talking about the ocean resources. In Hawaii, we
    particularly worry about--we have changes in our ocean
    temperature; we have changes in our coastlines; we have erosion
    on our coastlines; we have changes in our forests, causing our
    native birds to adjust their habitat, adjust their habits; and
    we definitely have changes in our fisheries. And we are trying
    to find the ways to manage our fisheries, not only through
    over-exploitation but through the impacts of climate change on
    temperature, on the feeding relationships from predators on
    down.
        So, I ask you this, Mr. Johnston. You spoke a little bit
    about this, but in the management of your ocean resources,
    what, if anything, have you noticed in the last decades that
    you now may attribute to climate change in terms of the changes
    in your fisheries? Do you have control over your fisheries? And
    what are you doing about it from a management perspective?
        Mr. Johnston. Thank you so much for that wonderful
    question.
        The Quinault Indian Nation has adjudicated treaty rights 30
    miles out on the west side of the border into the ocean. And we
    have noticed, even in this last decade, just a high increase of
    temperature.
        And this increase of temperature has allowed an influx of
    different things that we have been seeing--invasive species,
    deepwater fish being in our area that we haven't seen before.
    We have seen domoic acids rise in our shell beds for our clams,
    for our different shellfish that we access.
        We have seen these changes happen at that macro level. And
    even working with our partner agencies and the Federal
    Government, we have been able to see conditions that are just
    not conducive to our fish going out into the ocean and coming
    back and spawning. It has been some of the worst ocean
    conditions that we have ever witnessed.
        We have had to declare two fisheries disasters within the
    last two decades. One was more recent, in 2015. We actually
    just are mulling over the thought of calling in for another
    fisheries disaster for our prized blueback salmon that go into
    our Quinault River, a subspecies of sockeye.
        Mr. Case. Under your treaty rights, do you have the power
    to manage your fisheries in that way? Do you have full
    discretion over how you manage?
        Mr. Johnston. We have full discretion in a co-management
    relationship with the state of Washington. And that is
    something that we perfected since the U.S. v. Washington Boldt
    decision.
        But this has just become a new way of living, with these
    new conditions. We are looking out for the best science but
    also calling on our partners that work with us at the state and
    Federal level to honor the indigenous history, knowledge, and
    science that we possess in parity with theirs.
        Mr. Case. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Gallego. Since we have nothing coming from my right-
    hand side, we will move to Representative Soto for his
    questioning.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        And thank you all for coming today.
        One of the primary functions of this Committee is, I have
    always believed, to make sure to provide justice for so many
    indigenous peoples throughout the United States and really to
    right the wrongs as best we can that have happened throughout
    American history.
        And when it comes to climate change, one of my biggest
    concerns relates to our history, that so much of the fertile
    land was stolen over the course of centuries. And many of our
    Native American tribes are on lands in areas that are more
    vulnerable to climate change as a result of that tragic and
    unfortunate history that we have to come to grips with today,
    and not just today but in the past and now in the future.
    Whether it is desert or tundra or islands or mountainous
    regions or low-lying regions, so much of the areas that we are
    talking about are more affected, more vulnerable to climate
    change than other lands throughout the United States.
        I do have some hope in the fact that we will have a
    trillion-dollar infrastructure package that hopefully we will
    pass out of this Congress with bipartisan support.
        I guess my biggest question to each of you would be: If we
    were to include one specific project, major project, in this
    package to help you all combat climate change for your
    community, what would that project be?
        And we will start from left to right, starting first with
    Vice President Johnston.
        Mr. Johnston. I think the one thing we would ask for is the
    continued support in funding of our relocation efforts. We have
    put thousands of man-hours, dollars, Federal grants, to develop
    what a master plan would look like to revision our communities,
    so the ability to implement that effectively, on the ground,
    driven by our community and our Nation's need, would be the ask
    that I would make.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you.
        Ms. Jordan?
        Ms. Jordan. Thank you.
        I would echo that funding is absolutely something that we
    need for our communities.
        As I mentioned in my testimony, there are many Alaska
    Native villages that are seeing the real effects of climate
    change right now. It is just right out their door, literally,
    the ocean.
        So, having a coordinated funding approach with a process in
    place that acknowledges that there are so many communities in
    need would be what I would ask for.
        Mr. Soto. And then, Dr. Buzzard, overall, what would you
    recommend----
        Dr. Buzzard. I strongly support what the previous speakers
    have said.
        I think the challenge is making access to those funds easy.
    Because, as I said before, many of the tribal communities don't
    know how to access Federal funds or don't really want to get
    into the whole proposal-writing business. So, I think having an
    intermediary organization that can parcel out those funds, be
    sure that they are used correctly, and provide assistance where
    they need it, I think that is a fabulous idea.
        Mr. Soto. And the current departments in place to do that
    aren't able to accomplish that function?
        Dr. Buzzard. I think we have already heard there is so much
    overlap and contradiction in Federal agency rules and
    regulations. All of that needs to be simplified and made much
    more accessible to small communities.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you.
        And Vice Chairman Jose?
        Mr. Jose. Congressman, thank you for the question.
        I believe and echo the sentiments of the other witnesses
    here, and also echo and thank Ranking Member Cook about
    developing a superfund of some sort to cut the red tape out, as
    was stated earlier. I believe not only tribal communities, but
    communities and cities across America, want to address this.
    But the lack of resources, the lack of funding to do some of
    these things is a two-way street. It is not for the government
    to solve all--but it is for the people to step up and address
    that, but there needs to be a better system to do it.
        There needs to be a better system so the individuals, the
    communities can address those funds and use them. Because, too
    often, people put resources available, but they don't know how
    to fix the problem because they are not actually there. And
    that is why I mentioned a seat at the table, to really have
    true consultation on how to address those things. Funding needs
    to be available to take proactive measures to address climate
    change.
        Thank you for the question.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you all for your input.
        Mr. Gallego. Thanks to all the witnesses.
        And, Dr. Buzzard, I have a question. You stated in your
    testimony that community relocation is a multi-sectoral
    problem. Please expand on that and what it means to relocated
    communities.
        Dr. Buzzard. Yes, relocation is a multi-sectoral thing.
        You have the economic issues of new jobs or retraining for
    jobs. You have political issues of sovereignty. If you are
    moving into an existing city, are you going to be a little
    reservation or what? Or, of course, when you get into things
    like the Pacific Islanders that are trying to buy land in
    Australia, what kind of sovereignty are they going to have? Are
    they going to be reservations? There are a lot of issues about
    sovereignty and political issues as these relocate.
        There are psychological problems, because relocation is
    hardest particularly for the older people who are used to
    traditions and customs, and all of a sudden they aren't able to
    do those. And they are exposed to a lot of cultural change,
    shock.
        There are health issues. The people who are most affected
    by relocation are usually the women, disabled people, and
    elderly.
        So, one of the reasons we partner with the university is
    that we can get technical assistance or we can get research to
    bring to bear on how to minimize these things from all
    directions.
        But it is not just a simple thing of packing up and moving.
    There are a lot of other external issues.
        Not to mention the relationships with the destination
    community. Because if you start bringing in people, foreigners,
    and plunking them down in an existing town, you can create all
    kinds of problems. We have been doing some research with the
    Marshall Islanders in Springdale and trying to look at how that
    has affected the situation in Springdale.
        But, yes, it is complicated, and it is not a simple thing.
        Mr. Gallego. Thank you, Doctor.
        A question for Vice Chairman Jose.
        After the most recent flooding on the Reservation, a
    disaster declaration was issued by the Administration and FEMA
    funds were made available to the Nation. And I think you kind
    of hit on this before.
        Were these a sufficient amount of funds in terms of being
    able to rebuild the roads and land previous to the state before
    the flooding? Were there enough funds actually to take care of
    the problems, essentially?
        Mr. Jose. Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member Cook,
    distinguished members of the Committee, there are never enough
    funds.
        There was never enough funds in the beginning. And that is
    why some of these disasters are very severe, because of lack of
    maintenance on waterways and roads that were already in
    deplorable conditions. And when you have the amount of water
    and rain that hit the Tohono O'odham Nation in such a short
    time, the roads were easily destroyed.
        The berms, the levees that were there to divert water were
    totally destroyed because of lack of maintenance. And with 2.8
    million acres of land, it was challenging for us to address
    those things because of lack of resources, equipment, manpower,
    and so forth.
        So, to answer your question, we didn't get--and you know
    that in any declaration, you don't get 100 percent of what you
    spend there. So, no, there wasn't enough.
        And I think that, in order to address that again
    proactively--had we been addressing it all along, I think we
    could have mitigated some of the devastation that happened when
    you have 3, 4 feet of water and mud coming into your homes.
        Mr. Gallego. Excellent.
        Do we have any other questions for our panel?
        Mr. Case, sure.
        Mr. Case. Thank you.
        Let me ask a question that is going through my mind that
    may well be a difficult question.
        We are talking here about climate change, which is an
    international issue. It really calls for international action,
    national action, local action, action right across the board.
    It is impacting everybody.
        And we had testimony in another subcommittee of this
    Committee this morning from the Appalachian coal community. And
    the question in that testimony was how do we best transition in
    a situation where we have to move from fossil fuel use over to
    renewable energy, and there are going to be dislocated
    communities along the way.
        And it was a very good discussion, but the relationship
    between the Federal Government and the communities of
    Appalachia is different from the relationship between the
    Federal Government and the Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
        And the Ranking Member, in his testimony, made the comment
    that--I think it was somewhere along the lines of--we should
    not require tribes who are undertaking certain practices, for
    example, oil and gas and coal extraction--I think those were
    what he cited--just to solve this problem. I know that is not
    exactly the way he put it, but that was the gist of it to me.
        And the question I have, really, is: If we have to move
    together to actually move away from fossil fuel extraction, how
    do we do that with the indigenous peoples and the relationship
    that we have when we all have to move at the same time?
        For example, what if we tell Appalachia, ``Sorry, we can't
    do coal anymore''? How do we then say to the tribe that is
    doing extraction of fossil fuels, ``You have to join the
    party''? I mean, how do we have that discussion in the
    different relationship the Federal Government has with you?
        Maybe Vice Chair Jose can take a crack at that. I don't
    know if I got the question right. But how do we all get on the
    same wagon here?
        Mr. Jose. Thank you for the question, Congressman.
        I believe in order to get on the wagon all together, it is
    about proactive measures in educating.
        When we talk about fossil fuels, we need to think about
    transportation systems that can work. When we have 2.8 million
    acres of land--well, back in the day, we used to ride horses,
    we used to run from place to place. And, right now, look at the
    amount of cars that are out here, just here in the area. Maybe
    we need to develop systems that will allow us to move without
    using fossil fuels. We need to look at solar, using solar and
    providing funding for some of those things.
        It is all about education and proactive measures. Because
    climate change doesn't discriminate. It is going to affect all
    of us, and maybe the impoverished people more than anyone
    because of lack of resources. So, it is really about education.
        I believe that American cities and towns and Native
    communities are ready to do that, but the challenges are the
    resources. I believe we can get all on the same page, all on
    the same bandwagon if we educate and provide resources to do
    so.
        Mr. Case. Thank you.
        Anybody else have a reaction to my question?
        It really has more to do with the jurisdictional question.
    It has to do with the Federal Government's power and how the
    power is exercised in this particular case, where you are
    trying to get uniformity across the country in terms of a
    transition from one type of energy to another.
        Ms. Jordan. Thank you, Congressman.
        I did want to comment that I believe that climate change is
    an international issue. I used to serve on the Arctic Economic
    Council, which was under the Arctic Council. And the Arctic
    Council really looks at climate change as well as diplomacy
    with other Arctic nations.
        Our biggest problem in the Calista region--we represent 56
    villages--is unemployment. We have about a 26 percent
    unemployment rate. It is the highest in the Nation, I believe.
    I work with folks that are some of the most impoverished people
    in the Nation.
        So, we need economic development to really stimulate the
    area, because there is no infrastructure, there are no roads;
    it is tundra. People use diesel fuel to heat their homes and
    stoves.
        I actually manage a grant called the Chumai grant under the
    Department of Energy, and we provide energy audits to those
    households and are measuring how high and how costly it is to
    have energy out in rural Alaska. And it is because there is no
    infrastructure. There is none. And there are no jobs.
        So, for us, economic development is very, very important.
    And we do use fossil fuels, because that is what is available.
        Thank you.
        Mr. Case. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Gallego. Again, thank you to our panelists.
        Thank you to all the Members that have attended. We will be
    moving to a closing statement.
        I hope we have all gained some valuable insights into the
    real-world effects of climate change on indigenous peoples and
    their communities and what they are doing to combat and adapt
    to those impacts.
        However, tribes are wrongly shouldering too much of the
    burden on this front. The Federal Government must live up to
    its trust responsibility and provide the resources the tribes
    deserve to address climate change impacts.
        In the meantime, as we have heard, tribes are often left
    scrambling to patch together funds from various state and
    Federal grants and to dig deep into their own pockets.
        I know there are proposals already offered by my colleagues
    that would start to address these issues, and I hope that we
    can work together to advance real legislative solutions to what
    we have heard today.
        In closing, let me again thank the witnesses for their
    valuable testimony and time, and the Members for their
    questions.
        The members of the Committee may have some additional
    questions for the witnesses, and we will ask you to respond to
    those in writing.
        Under Committee Rule 3(o), members of the Committee must
    submit witness questions within 3 business days following the
    hearing, and the hearing record will be held open for 10
    business days for these purposes and for the responses.
        If there no further business, without objection, the
    Subcommittee stands adjourned.

        [Whereupon, at 3:19 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

                [ADDITIONAL MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD]

    Written Testimony of J. Michael Chavarria, Governor of the Santa Clara
                                     Pueblo
    Introduction
        Thank you Chairman Gallego, Ranking Member Cook, and members of the
    Subcommittee for this opportunity to testify on the critically
    important issue of climate change and its impact tribal communities
    like the Pueblo of Santa Clara. My name is J. Michael Chavarria and I
    am the Governor of the Pueblo of Santa Clara, located in north-central
    New Mexico. I also serve as Chairman of the Eight Northern Pueblos
    Council, Inc. and Vice-Chair of the All Pueblo Council of Governors
    (APCG). In the last decade, Santa Clara has had five Presidential
    Disaster Declarations: three by the request of the State of New Mexico
    and two directly by the Pueblo after the Stafford Act was amended.
    Overall, the ability to directly request Presidential Disaster
    Declarations has given Santa Clara Pueblo greater control over our own
    disaster relief efforts. My community has faced numerous natural
    disasters whose impacts and severity have been heightened, in part, by
    the increasing effects of climate change on our natural environment.
    Climate Change Poses an Existential Threat to Our Pueblo Beliefs and
            Identity
        The Pueblo of Santa Clara is certified as a National Historic
    Landmark under the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. Sec.
    470 et seq.; NRHP ref. #74001199). As such, our Pueblo is recognized as
    a finite, irreplaceable resource. The land and its natural resources
    form the essence of who we are as Pueblo People across generations: our
    origin stories are rooted in its geographic features, our contemporary
    life finds sustenance in its flora and fauna, and our future
    generations will shape their identity and dreams in the light of its
    sun-drenched plateaus. This intimate relationship is replicated in
    indigenous communities across the country. For all of us, climate
    change poses a disconcerting and tangible threat to the continued
    existence of our traditional practices and unique cultural identities.
    My testimony focuses on the experience of the Santa Clara Pueblo and
    its multi-generational effort to restore our forests and watershed
    after the devastating Las Conchas wildfire.
    Federal Trust Responsibility and Environmental Justice
        The Federal Government has a solemn trust responsibility to protect
    the interests and welfare of pueblos, tribal nations, and Native
    communities--including from the harmful and increasingly dangerous
    effects of climate change. Changes in vegetation cover, the adequacy of
    water supplies, and the frequency and intensity of wildfires, among
    other natural phenomena, impact the short- and long-term well-being of
    our tribal members. In 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order
    12898, which directs all federal agencies to make achieving
    environmental justice part of their missions. Accordingly, as agencies
    work to fulfill the federal trust responsibility, they must take into
    consideration the drivers and ongoing needs of environmental justice in
    Native communities.
    Background on the Las Conchas Wildfire
        Historically, the Santa Clara Canyon and watershed have provided
    timber, pasture, traditional, economic, and recreational resources for
    our Pueblo. The Santa Clara Creek watershed occupies a vast majority of
    our Reservation lands and is home to many of our Pueblo members. Our
    infrastructure, governmental services, and economic activities are
    concentrated in the downstream end of the Creek near its confluence
    with the Rio Grande. Countless traditional cultural sites occupy this
    landscape.
        In the summer of 2011, the Santa Clara Pueblo was devastated by the
    Las Conchas Fire, then the largest wildfire in New Mexico history.
    Although mercifully no lives were lost and no homes at Santa Clara were
    burned, we still saw our traditional and treasured homeland and
    spiritual sanctuary, the Santa Clara Canyon, practically destroyed. It
    is estimated that more than 16,000 acres of our forestlands were
    burned. Together with the lands that we lost in the Oso Complex Fire of
    1998 and the Cerro Grande Fire of 2000, over 80% of our forests and an
    immeasurable part of our cultural heritage has been destroyed.
        In addition, the fire burned thousands of acres of traditional
    lands located outside of our reservation that contain cultural sites
    and resources of great importance to us. This area encompasses our
    lands of origin, the P'opii Khanu--the headwaters of our Santa Clara
    Creek, as well as numerous cultural and traditional sites. In addition,
    the loss of the forest is devastating to wildlife and wildlife habitat,
    recreational resources, and to the purity of our water--which we use
    for irrigation and many traditional purposes. (See Attachment 1 for
    fire impact on Santa Clara watershed.) Throughout this tragedy, the
    Santa Clara People have shown grit and determination to persevere on
    the long road to recovery so that while this generation may never see
    the canyon in its glory again, that will not be said of the next
    generation.
    Contribution of Climate Change to the Disaster
        Climate change played a significant role in heightening the
    severity of the Las Conchas fire, along with several factors that
    contributed to its spread. At the time of the fire, it was reported
    that drought conditions in the Southwest caused living trees in the
    canyon to have a lower moisture content than the wood that you would
    typically buy at a lumberyard. This is a result of drought conditions
    in the Southwest that the scientific community continues to associate
    with climate change. In addition, higher temperatures in general create
    more conducive conditions for wildfires. While drought and wildfires
    can be a natural part of life, the severity and frequency of these
    phenomena are intensified by climate change.

         According to EPA and National Research Council research,
                an annual temperature increase of just 1.8+F could result
                in four times the number of wildfires in New Mexico every
                year.\1\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ ``The Age of Western Wildfires,'' Climate Central at 9 (Sept.
    2012), available at https://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/wildfires/
    Wildfires2012.pdf.

         Higher temperatures affect the retention of water in
                plants and soil, as well as in reservoirs and streams,
                which creates a more conducive environment for the rapid
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                spread of wildfires.

         Increasing temperatures also degrade the quality of
                ecosystems making it difficult for native species to
                flourish, thus, hindering recovery efforts and leaving the
                area vulnerable to invasive species.

        Climate change was not the only reason this fire was so
    devastating. The forest had become unhealthy, with excessive
    undergrowth and too great a tree density, making conditions ripe for an
    intense fire that would kill the mature trees. As a part of managing
    the impact of climate change, we must manage the conditions in our
    forests.
    Increased Risk of Flooding due to the Fire and Climate Change
        All five of the Pueblo's Presidential Disaster Declarations have
    involved infrastructure damage stemming from catastrophic flash floods.
    Three of the Declarations were made by request of the State of New
    Mexico and two were made by the Pueblo after the Stafford Act was
    amended. Flooding has wiped out existing water control structures
    within the canyon, destroyed once-pristine native cutthroat fish
    habitat, impacted roads, taken away culverts, and damaged the
    traditional cultural properties of our sanctuary.
        Because the Santa Clara Canyon has been stripped of its vegetation,
    the area has a heightened risk of flooding and landslides. Over 50% of
    the Santa Clara Pueblo watershed burned during the Las Conchas fire.
    Because of the high severity of the burn, there has been a dramatic
    reduction in the infiltration rates in the burned area and the soil is
    now what is hydrophobic. This has resulted in a four- to eightfold
    increase in runoff and sediment/debris flow into the Santa Clara Creek,
    posing a threat to the lives and safety of the people of Santa Clara
    Pueblo and increasing the potential for widespread property damage. The
    channel through Santa Clara Pueblo no longer has the conveyance
    capacity necessary to safely pass large post-fire flows. Hundreds of
    residential structures including several public structures are at risk
    from flood and debris flows if no action is taken immediately. (See
    Attachment 2 on the potential flood risk zone to Santa Clara for a 10-
    year event.)
        An average monsoon season storm one inch rain event over 8 hours on
    August 21, 2011 led to intense flooding and the emergency evacuation of
    Santa Clara and US Army Corps of Engineer personnel. This rain event
    resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration. As the Department of
    the Interior, Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (``BAER'')
    Team noted, the intense flames from the fire burned trees and
    vegetation off the steep slopes of the canyon and heated the soils
    causing severe damage to the natural resources of the area and placing
    the downstream tribal members of the Santa Clara Pueblo at risk to
    extreme flooding. The post-fire watershed effects were rife for massive
    landslides and debris flows which occurred on August 21, 2011. The
    event produced massive debris (including boulders) and severe mud flows
    to the canyon bottom. The canyon reservoirs were overwhelmed by this
    average rainfall event and filled with sediment. Flood protection
    emergency measures put in place after the Las Conchas fire were inches
    away from being compromised. It is important to note that this storm
    was an isolated thunderstorm over a small portion of the Santa Clara
    watershed (one drainage) and not over the entire watershed. Another
    similar event occurred in July 2012, destroying much of the recovery
    undertaken over the prior year. If the rain event of August 21, 2011
    had occurred over the entire post-fire watershed, our Pueblo would have
    been devastated.
        Further, in November 2013, Santa Clara Pueblo became the first
    tribal government to request and receive federal disaster recovery
    assistance under the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). The
    Federal Emergency Management Agency used the NDRF to create a
    comprehensive federally-led strategy for the Pueblo to identify all
    possible actions that would build the community's resiliency to future
    flooding. The NDRF provided the Pueblo with an opportunity to
    effectively develop recovery strategies for our respective areas.
    Heightened Human Health and Environment Impacts
        The recent natural disasters have raised numerous interrelated
    short and long-term concerns for Santa Clara and nearby tribal
    communities, almost all of which are further complicated by climate
    change. The environmental impacts of the disasters include water
    quality deterioration from ash, debris, and sediment changes that
    affect fisheries, wildlife, flora, and agriculture. The destabilized
    ecosystem also poses a physical safety risk due to erosion and shifting
    or falling trees and boulders. Runoff from the Santa Clara Creek also
    flows into the Rio Grande, which affects downstream communities like
    Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and our neighboring Pueblos who all rely upon
    these waters for municipal water sourcing. Ash contamination and
    sediment transport have impacted these resources, while limiting water
    holding capacity in reservoir facilities. The U.S. Army Corps of
    Engineers has noted that sediment deposition from the Los Conchas Fire
    remains an existential threat to the holding capacity of Cochiti
    reservoir.
        In terms of human health, the effects range from physical impacts
    from the smoke and compromised environmental quality to deep emotional
    strain caused by the unprecedented loss of or damage to our cultural
    and sacred sites. We are still processing how to recover from the loss
    of these places and the diminishment of animal and plant species that
    have been integral to Santa Clara cultural and spiritual practices for
    generations. Further, our community has taken on increased financial
    burdens in response to these disasters and changes in the environment
    to reinforce infrastructure, implement fire suppression measures, and
    support the work of our award winning Santa Clara Pueblo Forestry
    Department, among other expenditures.
    Working to Mitigate the Risks of Climate Change at the Pueblo Level
        Santa Clara has a highly regarded Forestry Department, numbering
    some 40 personnel. Santa Clara fire crews and equipment served on the
    front lines of the Las Conchas fire. We have a dedicated commitment to
    the maintenance and restoration of healthy forests on, around, and
    adjacent to the Pueblo. We work diligently to effectively and
    efficiently manage our natural resources for the safety of our
    community and property. For example, our work on installing fuel breaks
    on tribal lands was effective at stopping the spread of the Las Conchas
    fire in those areas. In areas that lacked proper management techniques,
    the land, trees, and wildlife were devastated. In the past decade, we
    have faced four forest fires that have threatened our forests--the Oso,
    Cerro Grande, South Fork and Las Conchas fires--and none of them
    originated on Pueblo lands. Although fate and climate change play their
    part, we have suffered horrible consequences largely due to the failure
    of others to properly guard in some fashion against causing a fire.
    Tribal-Federal Partnerships
        For several years, the Pueblo has worked to establish a partnership
    with the U.S. Forest Service under the Tribal Forest Protection Act to
    address the long-term health of Forest Service lands around our
    reservation. Further, the Pueblo is in negotiations with the U.S. Park
    Service to assume responsibility for federal functions in managing the
    Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is adjacent to our Pueblo in
    the Jemez Mountains. Each of these efforts is founded on the desire to
    strengthen tribal sovereignty and advance land management practices for
    the protection of our resources and community. As part of managing the
    impacts of climate change, the Pueblo is and must remain an active
    leader in the management of our forestlands.
    Forest Restoration and Recovery
        The Pueblo is also engaged in the complex process of forest
    regeneration and recovery in the canyon with a variety of federal and
    state partners. As we work to develop forest resiliency to the future
    effects of climate change, our efforts have taken into account research
    on the effect of climate change on forest regeneration, including a
    study of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem undertaken by the University
    of California--Merced.\2\ The study predicts that the expected rising
    temperatures caused by climate change could increase the frequency of
    large wildfires in Yellowstone to an unprecedented level. The study
    also predicts that the increased occurrence of wildfires will alter
    ecosystems, resulting in ``fewer dense forests and more open woodland,
    grass and shrub vegetation, with forests becoming younger, the mix of
    tree species changing and some forests failing to regenerate after
    repeated fires. This would affect the region's wildlife, hydrology,
    carbon storage and aesthetics. These conditions are already present in
    our forestlands and local ecosystem.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Please see http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/study-climate-change-
    increase-yellowstone-wildfires -dramatically.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Other climate change related stressors are expected to further
    complicate our forest and ecosystem regeneration efforts going forward.
    These include an increased severity of droughts, the introduction and
    proliferation of invasive species, soil degradation, and habitat
    fragmentation. Alone, each of these issues could cause significant
    damage to our fragile ecosystem and watershed. Together, they pose an
    alarming threat to our future. Take the tamarisk, for example. The
    tamarisk, or salt cedar, is an aggressive invasive species that can
    uptake nearly 200 gallons of water per day.\3\ It displaces native
    vegetation and destabilizes local habitats. This directly impacts avian
    and other species that depend on native vegetation for breeding and
    sustenance.\4\ As a result of climate change, the tamarisk is expected
    to expand its geographic distribution throughout the southwest and
    other regions. When compounded by the increasing scarcity of water and
    increasing severity of weather events, tamarisk and other invasive
    species have the capacity to severely hinder forest restoration efforts
    in the Santa Clara Canyon and watershed.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ ``Saltcedar (Tamarix),'' National Riparian Service Team, Bureau
    of Land Management (Dec. 12, 2007), available at https://www.blm.gov/
    or/programs/nrst/files/tamarisk_paper.pdf.
        \4\ ``Tamarix spp. In: Fire Effects Information System,'' U.S.
    Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (Feb. 21, 2019), available at
    https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/tamspp/all.html.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Conclusion
        In New Mexico, and across the Southwest, we have experienced the
    harmful effects of major wildfires, most recently the truly devastating
    Camp Fire in California. The ecosystems and well-being of our
    environment are being dramatically affected and sometimes permanently
    altered with each new occurrence. At the Pueblo of Santa Clara, we need
    only look out from our backyards to see the fundamental changes wrought
    by natural disasters heightened by climate change on the Santa Clara
    Creek and Canyon ecosystems. Never again in our lifetime will we see
    our traditional and treasured homeland and spiritual sanctuary, the
    Santa Clara Canyon, as we have known it. It will take generations for
    our community and lands to recover from the devastation of this fire
    and, because of climate change, it is not clear how that future will
    unfold.
        This is our only homeland; it is the place we have been entrusted
    with since time immemorial. We devote the resources we can to the
    healing of our land and the protection of our community, but we do not
    have the resources to do it alone. The Federal Government must take
    steps to effectively manage the meta-factors that drive climate
    change--such as worldwide deforestation, fossil fuel consumption, and
    greenhouse gas emissions--before it is too late. Acting on climate
    change today is a moral and legal imperative, essential to all of us as
    Pueblo People, Americans, and citizens of this world during a period of
    what now appears to be almost inevitable rapid climate change.

     [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

      Testimony of United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection
                                      Fund
        On behalf of the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty
    Protection Fund (USET SPF) we write to provide the House Natural
    Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous People of the United States with
    the following testimony for the record of the hearing ``The Impacts of
    Climate Change on Tribal Communities'' held on February 12, 2019.
        USET SPF is an intertribal organization comprised of 27 federally
    recognized Tribal Nations, ranging from Maine to Florida to Texas.\1\
    USET SPF is dedicated to enhancing the development of federally
    recognized Tribal Nations, to improving the capabilities of Tribal
    governments, and assisting USET SPF Member Tribal Nations in dealing
    effectively with public policy issues and in serving the broad needs of
    Indian people.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ USET SPF member Tribal Nations include: Alabama-Coushatta Tribe
    of Texas (TX), Aroostook Band of Micmac Indians (ME), Catawba Indian
    Nation (SC), Cayuga Nation (NY), Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana (LA),
    Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana (LA), Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
    (NC), Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (ME), Jena Band of Choctaw
    Indians (LA), Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe (CT), Mashpee Wampanoag
    Tribe (MA), Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida (FL), Mississippi
    Band of Choctaw Indians (MS), Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut
    (CT), Narragansett Indian Tribe (RI), Oneida Indian Nation (NY),
    Pamunkey Indian Tribe (VA), Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township
    (ME), Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point (ME), Penobscot Indian
    Nation (ME), Poarch Band of Creek Indians (AL), Saint Regis Mohawk
    Tribe (NY), Seminole Tribe of Florida (FL), Seneca Nation of Indians
    (NY), Shinnecock Indian Nation (NY), Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
    (LA), and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) (MA).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Human-induced climate change will have a lasting impact on Tribal
    lands, waters, and communities across the United States. USET SPF
    Member Tribal Nations have a unique historical experience, which
    factors in climate change impacts as well as options for climate change
    adaption.
    South and Eastern Tribal Nations: A Historical Context
        Current broad understanding of Tribal Nations and historical
    context within the United States stems from the 19th century, when the
    United States the country and settlers expanded westward. Tribal
    Nations were forced to sign treaties, cede large tracts of land, and
    reside on reservations yet were promised autonomy and support from the
    federal government to manage natural resources, education, and health
    care. Tribal Nations within the USET SPF region also signed treaties
    and were forced to cede lands. However, many USET SPF member Tribal
    Nations are ``First Contact Nations'' and faced 17th- and 18th-century
    local colonial governments and distant European nations at the onset of
    colonization of North America.
        During the 17th and 18th centuries, colonial wars and disease also
    decimated Indigenous populations. After the United States was
    established, often the lands and rights acknowledged in colonial
    treaties or agreements east of the Appalachians were left to the states
    to either recognize and fulfill obligations or abolish. Within decades
    after establishment of the United States, a federal policy of removal
    was adopted, and many Tribal Nations whose aboriginal territories were
    in the Appalachians, Southeast, and Midwest were forcibly removed to
    western territories. For example, the ``1830 Indian Removal Act'' split
    entire Tribal Nations and families and forced tens of thousands of
    Indigenous people to reservations in Oklahoma.
        USET SPF Tribal Nations, today, have persevered despite
    colonization and federal policies of assimilation, termination and
    other events that have unfolded over the past 400 years. Despite
    disease, warfare, and removal, our Tribal Nations have persisted and
    exhibited profound resilience. In environments considered harsh to
    European and American settlement such as the Gulf Coastal Bayous, the
    Everglades, the Appalachians, or the Northern Forests, Tribal Nations
    not only survived, but adapted and rebounded as communities and
    nations. Tribal communities even integrated into more populated
    landscapes, have maintained self-governance and distinct cultural
    identities tied to cultural and traditional homelands and family
    kinship systems. The 20th century witnessed a rebound in population of
    Indigenous communities within the USET SPF region and a resurgence of
    Tribal voices on a national platform to promote Tribal sovereignty and
    self-determination, management of natural resources on remaining Tribal
    lands that are now mere fractions of once held territories, and the
    restoration of Tribal lands lost to the colonies and early states.
    The Fourth National Climate Assessment: Key Messages
        On November 23, 2018, the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4)
    was released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).
    According to the USGCRP, the report ``focuses on the human welfare,
    societal, and environmental elements of climate change and variability
    for 10 regions and 18 national topics, with particular attention paid
    to observed and projected risks, impacts, consideration of risk
    reduction, and implications under different mitigation pathways.'' The
    report includes a chapter on climate change and Indigenous peoples as
    well as discussion on climate change and Indigenous peoples in other
    regional and sectoral chapters. The NCA4 acknowledges Indigenous
    peoples in the United States as, ``diverse and distinct political and
    cultural groups and populations'' and affirms, ``Though they may be
    affected by climate change in ways that are similar to others in the
    United States, Indigenous peoples can also be affected uniquely and
    disproportionately.'' The NCA4 Chapter 15 ``Tribes and Indigenous
    Peoples,'' provides three key messages regarding climate change impacts
    and Indigenous peoples. The key messages are listed below with
    subsequent comments pertaining to Tribal Nations within the USET SPF
    region.

        Key Message 1: Climate change threatens Indigenous peoples'
    livelihoods and economies, including agriculture, hunting and
    gathering, fishing, forestry, energy, recreation, and tourism
    enterprises. Indigenous peoples' economies rely on, but face
    institutional barriers to, their self-determined management of water,
    land, other natural resources, and infrastructure that will be impacted
    increasingly by changes in climate.

        Tribal Nations across the United States have regained the
    management of natural resources for over 100 million acres of Tribal
    lands. However, USET SPF member Tribal Nations have substantially
    smaller Tribal land bases from which to assert direct jurisdiction and
    management of natural resources. This means our Tribal Nations must
    work with state, municipal, and non-Tribal federal jurisdictions to
    address climate change impacts on natural resources of cultural and
    economic significance beyond Tribal lands. Institutional barriers arise
    as the interests and management plans of non-Tribal jurisdictions often
    do not align with Tribal priorities or cultural values at best, or at
    worst, Tribal Nations are not even included in local and regional plans
    that would have implications on their natural resources and areas of
    cultural significance. Often fish and wildlife, wild foods, medicinal
    plants, and places of cultural significance, some of which may be
    outside of Tribal reservation or trust lands, are impacted by climate
    change. For some USET SPF Tribal Nations, the Tribal reservation or
    trust lands have been reduced to one square mile or smaller, and
    climate change impacts to these vulnerable land bases pose serious
    threats to Tribal cultures and lifeways. Finally, one of the greatest
    threats of climate change will be migration of species and shifting of
    ecosystems beyond Tribal lands or even beyond Tribal regions, rendering
    the fixed political boundaries and territories of present day Tribal
    lands unconnected to long held traditional lifeways.

        Key Message 2: Indigenous health is based on interconnected social
    and ecological systems that are being disrupted by a changing climate.
    As these changes continue, the health of individuals and communities
    will be uniquely challenged by climate impacts to lands, waters, foods,
    and other plant and animal species. These impacts threaten sites,
    practices, and relationships with cultural, spiritual, or ceremonial
    importance that are foundational to Indigenous peoples' cultural
    heritages, identities, and physical and mental health.

        Many of the places that have significance to the cultural
    heritages, identities, and physical and mental health of Indigenous
    peoples from Tribal Nations within the USET SPF are located off Tribal
    reservation or trust lands. In many instances, places of cultural
    significance are now located within national parks, monuments, wildlife
    refuges, and sea shores, or state parks, forests, or private lands.
    While climate change impacts the ecosystems, water, and landscapes of
    these places, our Tribal Nations continue to struggle with non-Tribal
    jurisdictions for access to these places for activities of cultural,
    spiritual, or ceremonial importance. USET SPF member Tribal Nations and
    their citizens often find themselves in a position of having to request
    access to locations of cultural significance to partake in cultural
    activities they have been engaging in for thousands of years. Loss of
    access to these places impacts both the physical and mental health of
    Indigenous peoples and has been doing so for many years. Climate change
    impacts do threaten sites, practices, and relationships with cultural,
    spiritual, or ceremonial importance which are foundational to
    Indigenous peoples, yet current barriers to access and a lack of a
    meaningful role in the climate adaptation planning process of these
    areas compounds the issue.
        Key Message 3: Many Indigenous peoples have been proactively
    identifying and addressing climate impacts; however, institutional
    barriers exist in the United States that severely limit their adaptive
    capacities. These barriers include limited access to traditional
    territory and resources and the limitations of existing policies,
    programs, and funding mechanisms in accounting for the unique
    conditions of Indigenous communities. Successful adaptation in
    Indigenous contexts relies on use of Indigenous knowledge, resilient
    and robust social systems and protocols, a commitment to principles of
    self-determination, and proactive efforts on the part of federal,
    state, and local governments to alleviate institutional barriers.

        The impacts of the 2012 northeastern summer drought and heat wave
    as well as coastal flooding from Hurricane Sandy respectively prompted
    the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and the Shinnecock Indian Nation to complete
    climate change adaptation plans for their Tribal lands, waterways, and
    communities. Other Tribal Nations within the USET SPF region have
    followed suit through exploring climate change adaptation options and
    opportunities to fund climate change adaption activities. Often
    departments within Tribal Nations such as natural resource or cultural
    preservation departments take the lead, but not exclusively as Tribal
    emergency management or economic development programs have also
    explored climate adaptation options. The same institutional barriers of
    limited jurisdiction and access to traditional territory or places of
    cultural significance remain factors in Tribal climate adaptation
    planning. Funding climate change adaptation also remains a challenge
    because federal natural and cultural resources funding can be very
    sector, species, or place specific whereas Tribes are concerned about
    the health of the whole system. Many Tribal managers are in the
    position of pursuing multiple grants and searching for funding from
    different sources with varying objectives required in order to address
    larger climate change impact on their Tribal Nations. Federal funding
    for climate change adaptation is also at the whims of United States
    executive and congressional political power shifts. Opportunities
    available this year may not be available next, hobbling a consistent or
    long-term climate change adaption plan.

        Climate change adaptation may also mean placing lands into trust to
    provide communities safety from sea level rise and to provide Tribal
    Nations access to species of cultural importance whose ranges have
    shifted due to climate change. 21st century court cases, such as the
    2009 Carcieri decision with the Narragansett Indian Tribe and the
    Littlefield et al. 2016 with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, challenge the
    ability of Tribal Nations to have lands taken into Trust by the Bureau
    of Indian Affairs even when those lands are on cultural domains or
    aboriginal Tribal territories. Thus, if a location becomes
    uninhabitable or ecosystems with cultural significance shift due to
    climate change Tribal Nations face difficulties if adaptation responses
    mean to relocating or re-acquiring lands that provide access to
    cultural resources.
    Conclusion
        Successful adaptation for USET SPF member Tribal Nations will rely
    on use of Indigenous knowledge, resilient and robust social systems and
    protocols, and a commitment to principles of self-determination.
    However, it will also require the acknowledgment from federal, state,
    and local governments that the impacts of early colonial and United
    States history have created many of the institutional barriers USET SPF
    member Tribal Nations face today in adapting to climate change. Should
    you have any questions or require further information, please contact
    Mr. Kitcki Carroll, USET SPF Executive Director, at
    KCarroll@usetinc.org or 615-495-2814.

                                     [all]