About Us
About the Indigenous Climate Resilience Network
The Indigenous Climate Resilience Network (ICRN) engages numerous Tribes, inter-Tribal organizations, and scientific partners who generously support climate resilience work with respect to Indigenous peoples. The geographic scope of the network is expanding and currently emphasizes the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest regions of the United States. An Advisory Council guides the activities of ICRN, and the ICRN webpage, regular meetings, and email communications are administered by the College of Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute (CMN-SDI).
Our Purpose
The purpose of the ICRN is to serve as a network of Tribal government leaders, Tribal professionals and managers, Indigenous students and knowledge-keepers, and climate justice activists. This network will focus on sharing information and opportunities to influence federally-funded climate science applications and research from an Indigenous perspective, and provide timely information about federal and non-profit climate science programs that Tribal nations and communities can benefit from. This network will be sustained through regular meetings and email communications hosted through CMN SDI and partners.
Our Mission
The Indigenous Climate Resilience Network (ICRN), guided by the work of an Advisory Council, is committed to the reality that Indigenous peoples are the original peoples of what is known as the Great Lakes, Midwest and East Coast of the U.S. jurisdictional area of Turtle Island. Diverse Indigenous peoples, from the many Anishinaabe and Dakota nations to the Haudenosaunee and Algonquin nations, totaling over 100 unique and self-determining peoples, continue to exercise their rights to cultural integrity and political sovereignty in the region. As peoples with ancient heritages and ongoing practices of environmental conservation, stewardship and governance in the Northeast region, Indigenous peoples have the right to access, understand, and use climate science resources which they may identify as important to their efforts to plan proactively in support of their resilience in response to climate change.
The ICRN works to develop representation to provide and share Tribal experiences and understanding in an effort address equity issues created through federal policies. The ICRN does this by harnessing the expertise of Advisory Council members to ensure Tribes can take advantage of opportunities and climate science in their policy and technical work.
Image by Emerald Otradovec
Sustainable Development Institute building at the College of Menominee NationHosted at the Sustainable Development Institute
The College of Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute (CMN-SDI) has a twofold mission of reflection and sharing based on the Menominee Theoretical Model of Sustainability. Through the model, CMN-SDI seeks to engage within the Menominee community and with larger networks of Indigenous peoples to support planning and preparation for sustainable development - of which Indigenous climate resilience is a key issue.
CMN-SDI leads the college's participation as a consortium member with the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (Midwest CASC). CMN-SDI also hosts the Tribal Climate Resilience Liaisons for the Midwest CASC, who administer the activities of ICRN and compile relevant resources to share with the network.
CMN-SDI supports effective and ethical engagement between Indigenous peoples (including students, harvesters, scientists, and others) and federal, non-profit, and academic organizations that are focused on climate science research and climate change decision-support. CMN-SDI’s strategy involves Indigenous frameworks for interpreting and guiding scientific processes and addressing Tribal cultural, social, environmental, and economic issues related to climate resilience. ICRN embodies the cumulative work of CMN-SDI and its partners in addressing climate resilience issues and represents a step forward in supporting broader engagement for Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations.
Supported by Climate Adaptation Science Centers
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) is a partnership-driven program that teams scientists with natural and cultural resource managers and local communities to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people adapt to a changing climate. The CASC network is comprised of the National CASC and nine regional CASCs. Each regional CASC is based out of a host university in their region and is comprised of multi-institution consortia including university and non-university partners. Currently, ICRN collaborates with the Northeast CASC, Midwest CASC, and Southeast CASC in support of Indigenous climate resilience, especially through the involvement of the Tribal Climate Resilience Liaisons.
Established in 2012, the Northeast CASC provides regionally-relevant scientific information, tools, and techniques to resource managers and communities in Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Established in 2021, the Midwest CASC provides regionally-relevant scientific information, tools, and techniques to resource managers and communities in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Established in 2010, the Southeast CASC provides regionally-relevant scientific information, tools, and techniques to resource managers and communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the U.S. Caribbean.