N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S

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1 Comments: N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S Resolutions Committee Recommendation Resolution #: REN Title: PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRIBES TO ADOPT GUIDANCE PRINCIPLES AND TO EXPLORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE The title should be shortened and simplified to Title: Adopting Guidance Principles to Address the Impact of Climate Change Changes to ATNI specific language should be made. General funding for tribes to address climate change was requested. This funding request may be better addressed in appropriations. Furthermore, funding should be more specific to climate change action plans developed by tribes. Recommendations: Suggested edits are attached. NCAI recommends the resolution be sent for consideration to the appropriate committee. While there are no specific examples of tribal communities urgently affected by climate change, the Climate Change Task Force should be developed immediately to address the lengthy and complex process that tribal climate change adaptation requires. Sponsor a member in good standing (yes/no)?:

2 N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S The National Congress of American Indians Resolution #REN E XECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT Jefferson Keel Chickasaw Nation FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Juana Majel Dixon Pauma Band of Mission Indians RECORDING SECRETARY Edward Thomas Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska TREASURER W. Ron Allen Jamestown S Klallam Tribe R EGIONAL V ICE- P RESIDENTS ALASKA Cynthia Ahwinona Nome Eskimo Community EASTERN OKLAHOMA S. Joe Crittenden Cherokee Nation GREAT PLAINS Robert Shepherd Sisseton Wahpeton MIDWEST Matthew Wesaw Pokagon Band of Potawatomi NORTHEAST Lance Gumbs Shinnecock Indian Nation NORTHWEST Fawn Sharp Quinault Indian Nation PACIFIC Don Arnold Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians ROCKY MOUNTAIN Ivan Posey Shoshone Tribe SOUTHEAST Larry Townsend Lumbee Tribe SOUTHERN PLAINS George Thurman Sac and Fox Nation SOUTHWEST Joe Garcia Ohkay Owingeh WESTERN Ned Norris, Jr Tohono O odham Nation EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jacqueline Johnson Pata Tlingit TITLE: PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRIBES TO ADOPT GUIDANCE PRINCIPLES AND TO EXPLORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and WHEREAS, the tribes of ATNI are representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and specific tribal concerns; and WHEREAS, ATNI is a regional organization comprised of American Indians/Alaska Natives and tribes in the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, and Alaska; and WHEREAS, promotion of the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity of native people, and preservation of their cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of the ATNI; and WHEREAS, Pacific Northwest Tribes are place-based people and we recognize that climate change is one of the most critical sustainability issues we face that can destroy a way of life that has sustained us for thousands of years; now NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED- the ATNI commits to the development of guiding principles and exploration of the possibility of creating a unified mechanism to incorporate the principles into an action plan to address the impacts of climate change that will protect our treaty, inherent and indigenous rights, including those contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration), our health and the health of the environment, economies, and way of life; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the action plan, ATNI shall include an evaluation to assess the effectiveness of Executive Order and Secretarial Order 3289, as informed by the United Nation Declaration of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), regarding climate adaptation perspectives and the needs of tribes, that will guide the

3 Administration, Congress and federal agencies; and ATNI calls on the federal government to implement the orders in a manner that fulfills the federal government's trust responsibilities to Tribes, and to provide climate adaptation funding and capacity support to tribes to the fullest extent as directed by the orders; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that because tribes are the only residents off federal lands, ATNI calls upon the federal government to fund tribes to address the impacts of climate change; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI calls upon the federal government to recognize our traditional ecological knowledge and to commit to consulting with tribal governments for guidance on all climate change policies as required by Executive Order and Secretarial Order 3289; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI commits to the development of a Climate Change Task Force of staff and leadership under the Natural Resource Committee to develop the guiding principles and to explore the development of a unified mechanism to incorporate the principles into an action plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI supports collaboration among the aforementioned Climate Change Taskforce and other tribal organizations, tribes and non-tribal partners, such as Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC), Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), Upper Snake River Tribes (USRT), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT), United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USERT), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and Native American Rights Fund (NARF), to explore and implement the actions described above; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI, which has been among the leaders in the nation on the protection of its way of life for over 60 years, with this resolution reaffirms its sacred responsibility to protect its resources and way of life for generations to come. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution. CERTIFICATION The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2013 Mid-Year Convention of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, held at Northern Quest Resort Casino, Airway Heights, Washington on May 13 16, 2013 with a quorum present. Fawn Sharp, President Norma Jean Louie, Secretary CERTIFICATION The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2013 Midyear Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Atlantis Casino from June 24-27, 2013 in Reno, Nevada with a quorum present. President

4 ATTEST: Recording Secretary

5 N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S E XECUTIVE C OMMITTEE PRESIDENT Jefferson Keel Chickasaw Nation The National Congress of American Indians Resolution #REN Suggested Edits TITLE: Adopting Guidance Principles to Address the Impacts of Climate ChangeADOPTING GUIDANCE PRINCIPLES TO EXPLORE TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Juana Majel Dixon Pauma Band of Mission Indians RECORDING SECRETARY Edward Thomas Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska TREASURER W. Ron Allen Jamestown S Klallam Tribe REGIONAL VICE- PRESIDENTS ALASKA Cynthia Ahwinona Nome Eskimo Community EASTERN OKLAHOMA S. Joe Crittenden Cherokee Nation GREAT PLAINS Robert Shepherd Sisseton Wahpeton MIDWEST Matthew Wesaw Pokagon Band of Potawatomi NORTHEAST Lance Gumbs Shinnecock Indian Nation NORTHWEST Fawn Sharp Quinault Indian Nation PACIFIC Don Arnold Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians ROCKY MOUNTAIN Ivan Posey Shoshone Tribe SOUTHEAST Larry Townsend Lumbee Tribe SOUTHERN PLAINS George Thurman Sac and Fox Nation SOUTHWEST Joe Garcia Ohkay Owingeh WESTERN Ned Norris, Jr Tohono O odham Nation WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and WHEREAS, the tribes of ATNI are representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and specific tribal concerns; and WHEREAS, ATNI is a regional organization comprised of American Indians/Alaska Natives and tribes in the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, and Alaska; and WHEREAS, American Indian and Alaska Natives are the leaders in the nation on the protection of its way ofof ecosystems and the environment life since time immemorial and reaffirmshave itsa sacred responsibility to protect its our resources and ways of life for generations to come; and. FurthermoreWHEREAS, American Indian and Alaska Natives depend upon the health of their ecosystems and natural resources for social, economic, and cultural vitality, promoteion of the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity of native Native people, and the preservation of their our cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives. of the ATNI; and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jacqueline Johnson Pata Tlingit NCAI HEADQUARTERS 1516 P Street, N.W. Washington, DC fax WHEREAS, Pacific Northwest TribesAmerican Indians and Alaska Natives are place-based people and we and recognize that climate change is one of the most critical sustainability issues we face that since it is threatening and can destroy in the future, a indigenous ways of life that has sustained usbeen sustainable for thousands of years; now.

6 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED- the ATNIthat NCAI commits to the develop an action plan which lays development of guiding principles and action steps exploration of the possibility of creating a unified mechanism to incorporate the principles into an action plan to address the impacts of climate change upon tribal governments, cultures, and lifeways; that will protect and advancing our treaty, inherent and indigenous rights, tribal lifeways and ecological knowledge,, including those contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration), our health and the health of the environment, economies, and way of life; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the action plan, ATNI NCAI shall include anevaluate evaluation to assess the effectiveness of Executive Order 13175, and Secretarial Order 3289, as informed byand the United Nation Declaration of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), in protecting and advancing the principles in the action plan, regarding climate adaptation perspectives and the needs of tribes, that will guide the Administration, Congress, and federal agencies in climate change policy; and ATNI NCAI calls on the federal government to implement the orders in a manner that fulfills the federal government's trust responsibilities to Tribestribes, and to provide climate adaptation funding and capacity support to tribes to the fullest extent as directed by the orders; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that because tribes are the only residents off federal lands, ATNI NCAI calls upon the federal governmentfederal government to provides tribes equitable opportunities and funding to participate meaningfully in the development and implementation of federal climate change policies and programs; to fund tribes to address the impacts of climate change; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI calls upon Congress and relevant federal agencies to explore and advocate for tribal eligibility for federal energy and natural resource management programs that provide funding to states and local governments but exclude tribal governments and intertribal consortia by law, regulation, or practice; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI NCAI calls upon the federal government to recognize our traditional ecological knowledge and to commit to consulting with tribal governments for guidance on all climate change policies as required by Executive Order and Secretarial Order 3289; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI NCAI commits to the developmentcreate of a Tribal Climate Change Task Force, composed of tribal governments, intertribal organizations, and non-tribal partners of staff and leadership under the Natural Resource Committee to develop and implement the plan of action the guiding principles and to explore the development of a unified mechanism to incorporate the principles into an action plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI NCAI supports collaboration among the aforementioned Climate Change Taskforce and other tribal organizations, tribes and non-tribal partners, such as Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC), Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), Upper Snake

7 River Tribes (USRT), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT), United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USERT), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and Native American Rights Fund (NARF), to explore and implement the actions described above; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI, which has been among the leaders in the nation on the protection of its way of life for over 60 years, with this resolution reaffirms its sacred responsibility to protect its resources and way of life for generations to come. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution. CERTIFICATION The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2013 Midyear Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Atlantis Casino from June 24-27, 2013 in Reno, Nevada with a quorum present. President ATTEST: Recording Secretary