Bureau of Indian Affairs
Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience
FY 2023 Annual Awards Summary
the shore. However, the Tribe’s planned development is not currently served by a viable drinking water source with
sufficient pressure to serve the units as well as firefighting needs. In order to proceed with construction of the planned
new homes, the Tribe must first construct a high-elevation 750,000-gallon water reservoir and the associated water
distribution line infrastructure to provide water and public safety service to the Tribe’s already permitted buildable
lots. The Tribe will invest in critical climate-resilient water system infrastructure, further enabling the immediate
construction of desperately needed climate-resilient affordable housing for Tribal members.
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan
KBIC Sustainable Fishery Restoration Adaptation for Tribal Climate Resiliency
Project Description: KBIC is facing challenges to maintaining their traditional fishery that include climate change,
habitat loss and/or degradation, and aquatic invasive species (AIS) introductions and expansions. To meet these
challenges to keep native fish species important to the Tribe's cultural identity and way of life, KBIC will expand current
fishery facilities to increase capacity for fishery restoration. A new energy efficient, bio-secure building will be
constructed to house wild trout gametes, serving as a stepwise quarantine facility to further enhance protection and
resiliency of brood stock aquaculture and management programs. The facility will include space for fish transport and
stocking equipment, increasing ability to secure and utilize innovative techniques in stocking, as well as provide critically
needed space for proper disinfecting and storage. An on-site fishery assessment storage space, lab and offices will
provide areas for essential research capacity and equipment, sample and data processing/analyses, archiving, and
dissemination of evaluative elements of hatchery program successes, and/or adjustment/expansion needs and
priorities. Investments from these programs are crucial for safeguarding tribal well-being and ensuring sustainable
adaptation to climate change.
Strengthening Knik Tribe’s Co-Stewardship of Aquatic Wildlife Resources in Cook Inlet, Alaska: Gathering
Knowledge to Ensure Long-Term Food Sovereignty by Learning from the Past, Taking Stock of the Present,
and Planning for the Future
Project Description: Through this project, the Knik Tribe will document Indigenous Knowledge (IK), collate other
existing information, and collect new data on the anadromous fishes and beluga whales of Cook Inlet, Alaska. The Knik
Tribe and other Dena’ina people have depended on these aquatic species for millennia as food and cultural resources,
but their populations have declined under climate change and other human impacts, along with the Knik Tribe’s use of
them. This project is designed to increase knowledge about the past, present, and future status of these resources and
their interconnection with one another, the climate, and with the Dena’ina people. By completing this work, The Tribe
is contributing to a broader, culturally inclusive understanding of these resources and improved management and
conservation efforts, thus positioning the Tribe as a leader in co-stewardship efforts and ensuring the Tribe’s long-term
food and cultural sovereignty.
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, California
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians Climate Resilience Project
Project Description: The La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians project will provide infrastructure to manage climate change
impacts on Trust lands, forest and wildlife ecology, economies, cultural and natural resources using indigenous
knowledge with research, education, ecotourism, and outreach. A cultural complex will be developed including a trail
of indigenous plants, Oak restoration, food sovereignty and facility to showcase climate change resilience efforts for all
Tribal Members and 300,000 annual visitors.