Up to $5 million in federal funds has been awarded to the Havasupai Tribe of Arizona for a unique program designed to relocate tribal communities adversely impacted by climate change.
In announcing the funding, which is coming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Department of Interior said what is being called the Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation program is part of a larger effort to both protect and revitalize Tribal communities.
In a statement, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland remarked: “Helping these communities move to safety is one of the most important climate-related investments we could make in Indian country.”
Altogether, the Interior Department is committing some $115 million to eleven Tribes. Besides the funding for the Havasupai Tribe, planning grants of $5 million are being awarded to Tribes in Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Maine.
In a press release sent out by the Interior Department it is noted that Tribal communities across the country are increasingly subject to a rise in sea levels, coastal erosion, flooding, drought, and wildland fire.
A study conducted in 2020 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs estimated that up to $5 billion in funding may be needed in coming decades to address climate change-Tribal relocation needs.
The Interior Department grants are generally being regarded as a new and innovative approach to a historic problem. The program, says the New York Times, is an acknowledgment that a “growing number of places around the United States can no longer be protected against changes brought by a warming planet.”
Last month, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced funding to the tune of $45 million in Tribal Climate Resilience awards designed to help Tribal communities address the challenges of climate change.
By Garry Boulard
