The 2nd Southwestern Tribal Climate Change Summit brought together 142 attendees representing over 30 Tribes from across the Southwest and North America for a successful three-day convening focused on climate strategies and solutions, and advancement of Tribal resilience efforts.
The Southwestern Tribal Climate Change Summit brought together 142 attendees representing over 30 Tribes to focus on climate strategies and solutions, and advance Tribal resilience efforts throughout the Southwest and North America.
The 2019 Summit, which was back for a second time after the inaugural event in 2017, was held in the beautiful homelands of the Mountain Cahuilla “kaweeyah” Indians. The convening was co-hosted by the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Climate Science Alliance, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Summit attendees participated in a lively panel discussions on the topics of natural resources, public health, and culture and how they are impacted by climatic changes. Afternoons were filled with engaging activities such as our curated art show RISE, basketweaving, nature hikes, hoop dancing, a game of Shinny, and more in an effort to build a stronger community of practitioners.
In addition, eight teams of 37 youth leaders between 8-22 years old joined attendees in the conversation through the Youth Climate Challenge. This immersive experience connected students with leading climate scientists, Tribal environmental professionals, practitioners, artists and fellow youth to inspire them to make a difference in their community. Challenge teams were then guided to formulate climate community plans to implement in their sphere of influence. Stay tuned to see what they accomplish!
Advancing resilience is dependent on strong partnerships and knowledge-sharing among colleagues, within communities, and between friends - our hope is that this gathering spurred inspiration for the important work that is being done both now and in the future.
On behalf of all the co-hosts of the 2019 Southwestern Tribal Climate Change Summit, we’d like to thank both the attendees and our sponsors for their support and for demonstrating their commitment to advancing climate strategies and solutions for our region and beyond!
See all photos on our Facebook page at:
Learn more about the Southwestern Tribal Climate Change Summit here: www.climatesciencealliance.org/tribal-summit
Learn more about our RISE Pop-Up Art Exhibition here: www.climatesciencealliance.org/rise
Learn more about the Youth Climate Challenge here: www.climatesciencealliance.org/youth-climate-challenge