Tribal Engagement Strategy
SW CASC Engagement
The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) acknowledges that tribes, as the original stewards of the land, are at the forefront of addressing climate change when their languages, culture, and deep connections to the land remain intact. Innovative strategies, influenced by traditional knowledge, advance their actions in climate change adaptation, and the SW CASC works to collaborate, support, and partner with tribes in their efforts. The SW CASC engages with tribal stakeholders and provides funding opportunities and technical support to advance tribal communities in their climate adaptation initiatives. The SW CASC Tribal Engagement Strategy report provides a vision for tribal engagement in the SW CASC region, which covers California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.
The SW CASC seeks to partner with tribal communities in the Southwest to share knowledge and co-develop approaches for effective climate adaptation. The SW CASC has placed the Tribal Engagement Strategy at the center of its strategic planning process.
Anissa McKenna works for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) as a Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison. She works across the SW CASC region of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona to connect 159 Federally Recognized Tribal Nations to tools, information, and other climate resilience resources. Anissa is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona and received their M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Arizona with a focus on arsenic contamination resulting from uncapped sulfide mine tailings. Contact Anissa at amckenna@aihec.org