Honoring Indigenous Leadership towards Climate Solutions

As we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, we are uplifting the work done by Indigenous people all over the world. Here are a few other Indigenous-led organizations highlighted by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee that are also working towards climate solutions rooted in community knowledge, traditions, and cultural practices.

TuCAN 

The Tuvalu Climate Action Network (TuCAN) works to build a sustainable environment for future generations by addressing the urgent impacts of climate change. TuCAN engages the Indigenous community, partners, and government officials to develop practical policy recommendations that support Tuvaluan communities facing climate-forced displacement. Their initiatives include inclusion training to center the voices of women, youth, and disabled people in climate justice and an advocacy campaign to end deep sea mining.  

TULELE PEISA 

Tulele Peisa continues to lead the dignified relocation effort on the Carterets Islands, facilitating the relocation of 150 families (1,700 islanders) to safe and secure locations on the mainland—the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. In addition, the organization works to revive and preserve cultural practices. Their youth education initiative teaches young people traditional skills, crafts, and rituals, fostering reverence and maintaining cultural legacy through hands-on learning. 

THE LOWLANDER CENTER 

Based in Louisiana, the Lowlander Center is led by members of the Pointe-au-Chien and Atakapa-Ishak/Chawasha Tribes. Given the growing impacts of the climate crisis, Lowlander views human and environmental rights as core values for such a resilient future. They utilize rich knowledge within the bayou communities, including Traditional Ecological and Historied Knowledges, to address social and environmental pressures in the region. Their initiatives include restoring marshland and reducing flood risk by backfilling, developing toolkits for Indigenous people facing climate-forced displacement, and running the Disaster Justice Network to support community members in hurricane recovery.