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The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is receiving the
grant as part of a program aimed at building resilience to
extreme weather and environmental changes in U.S. coastal
communities, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The program
stems from a 2022 federal climate and health care law.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will work
with tribal governments as part of the effort. The funding was
announced at a news conference Wednesday.
“The funding and partnerships not only acknowledges the state of
our lands but acknowledges Alaska’s tribes as the rightful
leaders in this space,” said Natasha Singh, the tribal health
consortium's interim leader.
According to a NOAA summary, the funding will “serve nearly 100
Alaska Native communities and focus on three major adaptation
actions,” such as establishing programs for communities to
assess their risks from climate change, sharing knowledge on
adaptation strategies and providing more technical assistance.
“It really is our goal and our vision to (meet) where they’re at
and help them, empower them to make decisions that will enable
them to thrive into the future,” said Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer,
who leads the tribal health consortium’s Climate Initiatives
Program.
She said funding will support dozens of new full-time positions,
some of which will be technical and subject matter experts added
to consortium offices in Anchorage, with others in parts of
rural Alaska affected by climate change.
NOAA Deputy Administrator Jainey Bavishi said the funding and
new partnership “will fundamentally change the landscape of
Alaska tribal climate change adaptation."
Singh said people's health and well-being are directly impacted
by the effects of climate change. Coastal erosion and melting
permafrost threaten buildings and infrastructure, for example,
and access to traditional foods can be precarious. Expanded
technical assistance and resources can help communities begin
identifying and implementing solutions that work best for them,
she said.
“Now the hard work begins, as we use this tribal self-governance
model to allow tribes to lead us,” Singh said.
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