President Biden is providing $75 million to three Native tribes to relocate their communities from the coasts of Alaska and Washington to higher elevations due to rising sea levels, as part of a $135 million pledge for tribal resettlement.
“As you all know, there are tribal communities that are at risk of being washed away, being washed away by the superstorm, rising sea levels and raging wildfires,” Biden said during a speech at the Home Department’s Tribal Nations Summit.
“That’s why today I’m announcing a $135 million pledge to help relocate 11 tribal communities from Maine, Louisiana, Arizona, Washington State and Alaska.”
The three communities — two in Alaska and one in Washington state — will each be allocated $25 million to move their key buildings to higher ground, away from rising waters, followed by homes.
Eight other tribes will each receive at least $5 million from the federal government to plan to relocate their buildings.
The project, funded by the Ministry of the Interior, represents the most aggressive form of adaptation to climate change.
Biden also announced a series of other measures Wednesday to improve communication and support for tribal nations.
Biden also announced a series of other measures Wednesday to improve communication and support for tribal nations
Napakiak is a Yupik (Alaska Native) village with almost 400 inhabitants. The village has always had to retreat from the eroding shoreline, but the warming climate has increased the rate of erosion over the past decade
This photo provided by the US Air Force/Alaska National Guard shows the William Miller Memorial School, larger structure upper right, being severely eroded by the nearby Kuskokwim River in the village of Napakiak, Alaska
Napakiak is a Yupik (Alaska Native) village with almost 400 inhabitants. The village has always had to retreat from the eroding shoreline, but the warming climate has increased the rate of erosion over the past decade
“I made a commitment when I ran for president … my government would prioritize Indian nation relations,” Biden said.
Biden noted that he has appointed over 60 Native Americans to positions throughout his administration and in the federal courts. He said he restored the White House Council on Native American Affairs and made “historic investments” in Indian land.
Biden also joked about how much First Lady Jill enjoys spending time with Native American tribes.
“I worry that one day when she leaves, she won’t come home. You think I’m joking, I’m telling you. When I hear more about the Navajos than me… You all think I’m kidding, don’t you?”
Biden added, “My government will work with the tribe to help them transition to clean energy development and do so quickly — which includes the federal government, as the world’s largest single energy consumer, buying more zero-carbon electricity from tribal energy producers.” We will also launch a new electric vehicle initiative for tribal nations to ensure our nationwide electric vehicle network includes indigenous communities.’
David Purdy, a fisherman, fillets a salmon near his home in the Quinault Indian Nation’s main village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Taholah, Washington
Greg Lewis, a fisherman and nephew of David Purdy, holds up two fish he caught in the Quinault River near the main village of the Quinault Indian Nation on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Taholah, Washington
A rainbow appears over homes in Newtok, Alaska. Members of the Yup’ik village are in a multi-year process of relocating to Mertarvik
NEWTOK, ALASKA – OCTOBER 9: Boardwalks stretch across the Yup’ik village of Newtok, Alaska
Earlier this year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs accepted applications from tribal nations for up to $3 million in resettlement grants. Eleven tribes applied and only five were accepted, bidding $5 million instead.
There was no application process for the $25 million in grants. Officials told the New York Times the Bureau of Indian Affairs considered how much planning tribes had already done for the resettlement and the risk they faced.
“I got goose bumps when I found out we got the money,” said Joseph John Jr., a council member in Newtok, an Alaskan village where land is eroding. Newtok will get $25 million to move inland. “It will mean a lot to us.”
In addition to Newtok, the Alaskan village of Napakiak on the banks of the Kuskokwim River will also receive $25 million. Napakiak loses 25 to 50 feet each year to erosion. Taholah, a Quinault Indian nation on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula facing increasing risk of flooding, will receive the final $25 million.
Sea levels along the US coast are projected to rise by 10 to 12 inches over the next 30 years, NOAA says. Floods are expected to occur, on average, more than 10 times more frequently than today. Coastal erosion is responsible for approximately $500 million in property damage in the United States, according to 2021 figures.