Native Americans have weathered climate change before, but now there are new challenges
Rising sea levels will affect all coastal communities. But for Native Americans, the pace of climate change threatens traditions that go back thousands of years.
PBS Newshour reports on how the Swinomish Tribe in the Pacific Northwest is trying to adapt to the shrinking salmon population. Overfishing, habitat loss and dams have all contributed to the problem. Climate change exacerbates it.
Tribes from the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, the Gulf and the Great Lakes are all gathering in Washington D.C. this week for a symposium about the effects of climate change on their communities, how they’ve adapted in the past and how to plan for the future.
Washington salmon depend on the cold water from glacial lakes to survive. But as temperatures increase and glaciers shrink, salmon populations are declining, threatening the way of life for the Swinomish Indians, also known as the “salmon people.” In collaboration with KCTS-9′s Earthfix Project, Hari Sreenivasan reports.
Molly Samuel joined KQED as an intern in 2007, and since then has worked here as a reporter, producer, director and blogger. Before becoming KQED Science’s Multimedia Producer, she was a producer for Climate Watch. Molly has also reported for NPR, KALW and High Country News, and has produced audio stories for The Encyclopedia of Life and the Oakland Museum of California. She was a fellow with the Middlebury Fellowships in Environmental Journalism and a journalist-in-residence at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Molly has a degree in Ancient Greek from Oberlin College and is a co-founder of the record label True Panther Sounds. View all posts by Molly Samuel →
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