Indigenous Peoples

Key Points:

  • Indigenous peoples of the Northern Great Plains are at high risk from a variety of climate change impacts, especially those resulting from hydrological changes. These include changes in snowpack, disruptions in seasonality and timing of precipitation events, extreme flooding, droughts, melting glaciers, and reduction in streamflows.
  • Climatic changes are already resulting in harmful impacts to tribal economies, livelihoods, and sacred waters and plants used for ceremonies, medicine, and subsistence.