Even The Most Connected With Nature Are Not Spared By Climate Change by Nour Gajial

October 12th marked a day of acknowledgement for Indigenous groups.

In addition to celebrating the Indigenous population, we as Americans should use this moment as an opportunity to learn more about the people who roamed the land we now call home. Historically, Indigenous groups have been associated with having a strong connection to land and nature. Many Native American rituals and traditions are dependent on their natural resources, but in the 21st century, climate change has started impacting our environment which Native communities are dependent on.   

In past decades, states, specifically in the Pacific Northwest, have banned Native tribes from conducting small scale forest fires which are ignited during rituals and have been used by past generations to keep the land healthy. However, due to climate change, large scale forest fires along the West Coast have devastated numerous communities. Out of many states, California was hit very hard. As the environment becomes more dry, forest fires have been larger than ever requiring an abundance of resources and proving to be extremely costly to put out. In great desperation, officials in California reached out to the people who knew the land the best – Native tribes in the area. Together, the tribes were able to help large communities through burning small scale patches of extra vegetation which would decrease the size of the fire. Ironically, they put out the large fires through creating small fires. Although this method of preserving land was initially seen as a threat to officials, it was in fact very healthy for the environment and saved numerous communities from burning. 

Although Native groups are protecting others from the effects of climate change, the Native American population is deeply affected by the changes happening in our environment. For example, many tribes are heavily reliant on salmon fishing , was one of their main sources of food, however, in recent years the availability of salmon has been decreasing. Salmon thrive off cold freshwater from streams to survive, but as the temperature of our planet increases, glaciers have started melting, impacting the coolness of streams. If the streams get too hot, the water reaches a point where it is inhabitable for salmon to survive so the fish will die off. Unfortunately, this has been happening for the past couple of years and serves as a concern too many tribes. Unfortunately, there are no immediate solutions to this problem, but the dwindling resources implies that tribes in the area are forced to find new methods of gathering food, therefore putting their survival at risk.

As we all are living through this period of climate change, we should be mindful of the impact it is having on Native tribes since their communities are dependent on our environment. Although we cannot reverse what has already been altered, we should be aware of our actions moving forward because our small actions today can eventually have a large impact on others in the future. 

By Nour Gajial

My name is Nour Gajial and I am currently a junior at Lakeside High School in Seattle, WA. I am a Muslim Pakistani-American teenager with a passion for writing and creating art. In my free time you will probably find me writing poetry, drawing, or rowing on Lake Washington. I have lived in 2 countries and 3 states, which has given me a unique perspective which I am super grateful for. Through creating writing and art pieces, my goal is to share my experiences with others and inspire/educate my audience. 

Cover photo: Washington’s salmon fishing seasons set for 2018

https://nwtreatytribes.org/washingtons-salmon-fishing-seasons-set-for-2018/

*This article is a collaborative project between Last Real Indians, Mazaska Talks and the Colorization Collective