Support for a comprehensive federal program to coordinate tribal climate mitigation and relocation efforts

WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), established in 1972, serves all Federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal governments by advocating for the improvement of health care delivery to American Indians and Alaska Natives, as well as upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, the health and welfare of Tribal Nations is intrinsically tied to the health and welfare of our environment; and

WHEREAS, Tribal Nations throughout the United States are experiencing climate threats such as flooding, erosion, ocean acidification, increased wildfires, extended drought, and changes in seasons that have put our homelands and our ways of life in jeopardy; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of Tribal Nations urgently need to relocate their reservations, villages, and communities due to threats from erosion, flooding, permafrost degradation and other threats; and

WHEREAS, moving a Tribal community is complex, multi-layered, and resource intensive, and many Tribal Nations do not have the necessary staff time and expertise required to coordinate such an effort; and

WHEREAS, federal relocation programs that do exist are drastically underfunded, would only cover the cost of relocating one small Tribal community, and often contain matching requirements which are not possible for many Tribal Nations; and

WHEREAS, other federal resources are not usually designed for the purpose of relocating communities, are focused on other narrower funding objectives, and are not aligned with the unique needs of village relocation; and

WHEREAS, waiting years and years to secure enough federal funding and then coordinate these resources will be too late for many Tribal Nations who are facing immediate threats from the impacts of the climate crisis; and