President Biden’s latest climate funding handout involved $121 million for Indian Tribes including several in Oklahoma—all with the intent of fighting climate change.
The funds, according to the announcement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, are designed to help “Tribal communities prepare for the most severe climate-related environmental threats to their homelands.” It is also the largest amount of annual funding awarded to 96 Tribes and 10 Tribal organizations for 124 projects.
“Indigenous communities face unique and intensifying climate-related challenges that pose an existential threat to Tribal economies, infrastructure, lives and livelihoods,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we have made transformational commitments to assist Tribes and Tribal organizations as they plan for and implement climate resilience measures, upholding our trust and treaty responsibilities and safeguarding these places for generations to come.”
The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, headquartered in McLoud, received $2,828,723 for a Wildfire Mitigation and Repression Implementation Project to “address the effects of climate change and drought on trust lands within the KTO reservation; and mitigate the probability of devastating wildfires that could destroy critical tribal facilities.”
The project, according to the BIA will amount to efforts to reduce the number of emissions, keep carbon in the ground and protect wildlife populations.
The Kickapoo Tribe also received $150,000 to hire “Climate Emergency Staff” amounting to two full-time staff members to directly manage climate-related threats and risks.
A $250,000 grant was awarded the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for a Vulnerability Study for Climate Resiliency within the tribal boundaries. The project will involve a focused vulnerability study to assess the most immediate climate-related risks to infrastructure and natural resources.
The Comanche Nation of Oklahoma received $249,946 for a Climate Resilience Capacity Building study. The tribe intends to hire a Climate Resilience Officer to work with the Comanche Nation to develop comprehensive climate-informed planning, risk assessments and adaptation strategies for the Tribe.
“This initiative will significantly enhance the Comanche Nation’s capacity to protect its people, assets, and infrastructure from escalating climate threats, thereby improving overall
community resilience, adaptation, and long-term sustainability,” stated the announcement.
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma received a $250,000 grant to focus on a water, fire and wastewater management plan and improvement of the tribe’s water and wastewater infrastructure.
” This initiative focuses on ensuring reliable fire protection and enhancing public health in the face of growing climate threats. Key objectives include reducing dependence on external water sources through the design of an advanced water filtration system, improving fire suppression capabilities by installing and upgrading 30 fire hydrants, and promoting public health by planning and designing two additional cells for the wastewater lagoon to minimize contaminants and odors, thereby enhancing overall environmental quality.”
A $150,000 grant was awarded the Kiowa Indian Tribe in Oklahoma for the hiring of a Relocation, Managed Retreat and Protect-in-Place Coordinator. The announcement called the hiring a “critical component” of the Tribe’s long-term climate resilience strategy at mitigating the impacts of climate-induced risks such as drought, wildfires and land degradation.
Source: BIA
