Indigenous Climate Resilience in the Northeast

Climate change is already changing the Northeast of the United States, and tribal nations feel this especially strongly. Temperatures are rising, rainfall is becoming more frequent and intense, and coastal areas are experiencing more frequent flooding. Forests are gradually changing, and along with them, the plants and animals are changing — the ones that are important for Indigenous peoples for their culture, food, and local economy.

When you work with the tribes of this region, you immediately understand: the northeast tribes' climate change is not something distant or abstract. It directly affects their land rights, access to natural resources protected by treaties, the quality and safety of water, traditional food sources, people’s health, and the infrastructure their communities depend on.

Who the Northeast Tribal Nations Are and Why Their Voices Matter

More than 40 federally and state-recognized tribes live in the Northeastern United States. These include:

  • The Akwesasne Mohawk
  • The Penobscot Nation
  • The Passamaquoddy Tribe
  • The Wabanaki Confederacy
  • The Shinnecock Nation
  • The Narragansett Indian Tribe
  • The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
  • Others.

Each tribe has its own government, laws, territories, and treaties. They also have official relationships with federal and state agencies. Their status as sovereign states gives them the right to decide for themselves how to combat the effects of climate change on their tribes and what measures to take.

The history of Northeastern tribes shows that they went through relocations, forced assimilation, and serious damage to the environment caused by non-Native authorities. This is why Indigenous communities emphasize that they must determine for themselves how to adapt to climate change. They are not just “participants in the process.” They are governments and legal rights-holders. Their rights to land, water, fishing, hunting, and gathering are protected by treaties and federal laws. This includes the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, the tribal provisions of the Clean Water Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority under its Tribal program.

Indigenous knowledge plays an important role in climate research in the region. This knowledge is based on hundreds of years of observing nature. Tribes know how forests, rivers, fish populations, seasons, and weather patterns have changed long before scientific instruments existed. This experience helps identify early signs of environmental stress. It allows tribal leaders to develop adaptation measures that reflect their cultural values, respect legal rights, and support the long-term well-being of their communities.

How Climate Change Is Affecting Tribal Lands and Communities

Look at the data from the U.S. Global Change Research Program, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You can see a general picture across the entire Northeast. The region is warming faster than the rest of the country. According to the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, since 1900, temperatures here have increased by about 0.5°C, and winters are warming even faster.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the region has also received about a 10% increase in precipitation. The number of heavy downpours has increased, leading to river flooding, washed-out roads, sewer overflows, and landslides. This is especially noticeable for tribal communities, which often live near rivers, wetlands, and along the coast.

Sea level along the northeastern coastline is rising faster than the global average. According to NOAA data for 2024, New Jersey, New York, and southern New England are among the areas with the highest rates of sea-level rise in the United States. This happens because both land subsidence and ocean warming occur simultaneously.

Tribes living inland face different problems. Winters are becoming warmer, there is less snow, and ice formation is irregular. Environmental specialists say that such changes make winter travel less safe, affect traditional activities, and disrupt seasonal hunting cycles. Early snowmelt and rising river temperatures worsen conditions for cold-water fish such as brook trout and salmon.

All these changes make up what researchers call climate impacts on tribes — changes that directly affect land use, cultural resources, infrastructure, and the daily life of communities.

Threats to Traditional Food Systems, Water, and Local Ecosystems

To better understand the scale of the problem, it is important to look at the specific natural resources that tribal communities depend on every day. And right now, several of these areas are under serious pressure.

Wild Rice (Manoomin)

For many tribes in the Great Lakes region, wild rice is both a food source and a part of cultural tradition. According to the U.S. Forest Service, warming water, invasive species, and unstable water levels create a serious threat to the places where manoomin grows. This affects both food security and the traditions connected to the seasonal rice harvest.

Fish Species

Atlantic salmon, brook trout, herring, and American eel are suffering from rising river temperatures and changes in migration timing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that habitat loss, warming water, and changes in streamflow reduce their survival chances.

Medicinal and Culturally Important Plants

Plants used in ceremonies, traditional medicine, or as materials are shifting their ranges northward or declining in number due to climate challenges. According to the Northeast forest climate vulnerability assessment, species such as paper birch, sugar maple, and balsam fir are at increased risk. At the same time, some species, such as oak, are expanding their range.

Water Systems

Heavy rainfall increases the risk of flooding and erosion, while summer drought reduces groundwater recharge. Tribal water systems are forced to operate under both extremes. In the EPA’s 2024 water security assessment, it is noted that many of these systems face higher operating costs because they were built for older, more stable climate conditions.

The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Understanding Climate Shifts

Indigenous peoples' knowledge has been formed over many generations through constant observation of nature and living closely with it. Tribal communities know exactly when birds migrate, what conditions sugar maple needs, how ice forms on rivers, and how the behavior of fish changes at different times of the year. This kind of experience helps them notice climate changes much earlier than scientific reports show.

For example:

  • Elders note that the sap in maple trees begins to flow earlier than usual and flows for a shorter period.
  • Hunters notice that deer move differently, and the health of moose worsens due to winter ticks.
  • Gatherers notice that berries ripen at a different time or change in quality.
  • Fishers report earlier spawning or lower survival of some species.

When tribes develop their climate adaptation plans, they combine their traditional knowledge with data from NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Forest Service, and state environmental agencies. This approach gives a more complete understanding of the changes than relying on only one side—scientific or traditional. It also helps develop adaptation measures that protect not only infrastructure but also the community's cultural values.

Tribal Plans to Protect Land, Water, and Cultural Practices

Many tribes in the Northeast have already developed their own climate adaptation plans. These plans outline the steps needed over the next 10–20 years. Usually, everything begins with a vulnerability assessment — the tribes study how climate change affects people’s health, cultural traditions, infrastructure, and local ecosystems.

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe was one of the first to prepare a detailed plan. The Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes also created their environmental and climate plans. Several Wabanaki tribes work together with regional universities, including the University of Maine. They monitor river temperatures, forest conditions, and changes in species composition.

Such plans usually list specific actions. For example:

  • protecting and restoring wetlands to reduce flood risks;
  • expanding programs for restoring native plants;
  • improving river passages so fish can migrate freely;
  • creating early-warning systems for severe weather;
  • developing community gardens and seed banks to strengthen food security;
  • updating building codes and infrastructure projects to account for climate risks.

When tribes plan these measures, they think not only about protecting roads, homes, and water systems. It is just as important for them to preserve their culture and traditions. And this combination of physical safety and cultural survival is what makes their approach to planning unique.

Community Actions That Strengthen Local Climate Resilience

Tribal communities often begin taking real steps even before official adaptation plans are fully completed. These actions are connected to what people are already seeing on their land. In different places, you can see how tribes restore shorelines using local plants, build elevated walkways in areas that regularly experience flooding, expand monitoring of river conditions, and repair culverts so that fish can migrate more easily.

In many communities, tribal schools and youth programs help collect data on snow depth, water quality, and seasonal changes in plant cover. This allows combining scientific learning with traditional knowledge and cultural practices.

In many tribes, adaptation also includes preparing for emergencies. This may mean updating evacuation routes, improving local communication systems, and working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Together, they develop disaster-mitigation plans that take tribal priorities into account. FEMA supports such projects both technically and financially through the “Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities” (BRIC) program. Tribes can apply to this program directly, without going through the state, which simplifies the process.

Indigenous Climate Resources Available to Northeast Tribes

When tribes develop climate strategies, they draw on a wide range of resources. Many of these have already been compiled by the Northeast Indigenous Climate Resilience Network. These include planning templates, data portals, funding lists, and case studies from other Indigenous nations.

Key resources include:

These programs help tribes gather data, hire climate staff, conduct planning workshops, and implement on-the-ground projects. They reduce reliance on external contractors and strengthen tribal governance capacity.

Regional and Federal Programs That Support Tribal Climate Work

The Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center works directly with tribal nations through funding, climate modeling tools, and co-produced research. The Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments program (GLISA) provides regional climate projections and support for tribal engagement. The U.S. Geological Survey offers hydrologic and ecological models that help tribes track water levels and species shifts.

Federal programs that support tribes include:

In 2024, the Department of the Interior awarded more than $120 million to tribes nationwide for climate resilience, habitat restoration, and community adaptation. This level of funding is important because tribal climate offices often operate with very small teams and need long-term support.

Barriers That Slow Climate Adaptation in Tribal Communities

Even when a tribal community has strong leadership and a clear vision, in practice, tribes still face serious systemic difficulties. One of the main ones is funding. Climate adaptation requires long-term investments, while most available grants are short-term and competitive. In many tribal climate offices, there is only one or two staff members, who have to manage several programs at the same time.

There is another problem as well, a lack of data. Climate models do not always cover tribal lands in sufficient detail. Some scientific studies even exclude tribal territories because there is not enough long-term monitoring data for them.

Infrastructure also creates many challenges. Roads, housing, and water systems in many communities were built decades ago, without considering today’s climate risks. Now these facilities need major upgrades, and the cost of such projects often exceeds the budgets of tribal governments.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that jurisdictions on tribal lands overlap with those on federal and state lands. This leads to delays in obtaining permits and completing environmental reviews.

And finally, the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples, built on centuries of observing nature, is still undervalued in federal structures and in the academic field. If it is ignored in the early stages, climate decisions may fail to consider cultural values or the obligations established by tribal treaty rights.

The Path Forward for Building Stronger Climate Resilience

To move forward, tribes focus on strengthening their governance capacity, expanding their teams of climate specialists, and gaining access to more accurate and reliable data. Many communities want to use climate models designed specifically for their territories — such as hydrological forecasts, forest vulnerability assessments, and predictions of habitat changes for plants and animals.

Partnerships with universities and federal agencies continue to grow. These projects work best when tribes themselves determine the goals and direction of the research, and scientific groups support them and follow their priorities. This ensures that the results are truly useful for the community and not dictated by outside expectations.

Funding reform also plays an important role. Tribes need multi-year funding, not one-year grants. Only this allows them to hire climate specialists, create comprehensive plans, and carry out major long-term projects.

Another important step is improving communication between tribes and neighboring cities, counties, and states. Many climate-related threats — wildfires, major floods, coastal storms — do not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. Joint planning helps reduce conflicts and build more effective emergency response systems.