DeKalb GA News

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is collaborating with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) to integrate Indigenous Knowledge into its climate resilience and adaptation strategies. This initiative aims to enhance information-sharing and co-production of knowledge across the United States and tribal nations.

Rick Spinrad, NOAA Administrator, expressed enthusiasm for this partnership, stating, "NOAA is excited to team up with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium to accelerate information-sharing aimed at building climate resilience, adaptation and co-production of knowledge in communities across the United States and tribal nations." He emphasized the value of Indigenous Knowledge in informing environmental stewardship efforts.

Ahniwake Rose, AIHEC president and CEO, echoed this sentiment by highlighting the benefits of combining Indigenous Knowledge with western science. "This collaboration will create opportunities for our faculty and students, combine Indigenous Knowledge with western science to achieve strong climate resilience for our tribal nations and across the country and empower our tribal colleges and universities to be leaders in the ongoing response to climate change," she said.

The initiative aligns with a memo issued by President Joe Biden in November 2022 directing federal agencies to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into decision-making processes. This move has sparked discussions about how such knowledge systems can complement traditional scientific methods within government agencies like NOAA.

Despite some skepticism regarding the scientific validity of certain Indigenous practices, proponents argue that these traditional knowledge systems have sustained indigenous communities for centuries. The collaboration between NOAA and AIHEC represents an effort to explore how these insights can contribute to modern environmental challenges.