Our squirrels will have elephant ears : indigenous perspectives on climate change in the south central United States

As climate change impacts areas around the world Indigenous communities are being impacted disproportionately. In the US a number of tribes are in differing levels of response and adaptation. In the south central U.S. there has been little research done and this study attempts to fill that gap and looks at how Native Americans in the SC region are identifying climate change. Through a series of workshops that collaborated with the South-Central Climate Science Center (SC-CSC) and other agencies to facilitate discussions with Native participants on their perspectives of climate change and variability, a space was created for indigenous peoples to communicate their stories of place in their own words in relation to climate change. Participants identified not only climate change mechanics but also the impacts that come from these and also shared varying levels of adaptation and preparedness

Bringing Indigenous and Earth Sciences, Knowledges, and Practices Together to Understand and Respond to COVID-19

COVID-19 is having specific and devastating impacts, yet it is spurring resilient responses among Indigenous populations due to unique histories, cultures, geographies, and capacities. The Working Group on Indigenous and Earth Sciences Knowledges and Practices in Response to COVID-19 came together to foreground Indigenous perspectives in defining research questions for potential intercultural collaboration between Indigenous and Earth sciences to drive urgent, culturally relevant, and appropriate responses to COVID-19. The Working Group included intercultural, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary representatives from the Rising Voices Center for Indigenous and Earth Sciences, a nation-wide network of scientists, educators, students, and community leaders and organizers. To identify priority research areas and emerging questions, the Working Group hosted a webinar discussion and fielded a questionnaire with the Rising Voices community as well as utilized their own perspectives and expertise. The results highlighted four dynamics that many Indigenous Peoples are presently facing with the COVID-19 pandemic, including food security and safety; pre-existing conditions; turning to resilience and wisdom; and emerging questions at the nexus of Indigenous wisdom and knowledge and Earth sciences. Valuing Indigenous observations, knowledges, wisdom, and practices equally with Earth Sciences, this work contributes to decolonizing Earth Sciences, disaster management, and public health. It works to mitigate the particular threats and impacts that Indigenous communities and populations face from COVID-19 and the increasing spread of infectious diseases. Doing so addresses injustices in Earth Sciences and disaster management and the disproportionately adverse impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities