Building off of the assessment of needs conducted in 2020, NOAA’s North Atlantic Regional Collaboration Team (NART) made new efforts to engage with tribal nations in Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia to deepen the agency’s understanding of their priorities. Over the summer, the team’s new Tribal Engagement Program Coordinator, Michael Stover, met with the Tribal Health Directors from the Mi’kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Penobscot Nation, and Passamaquoddy Tribe to discuss how climate change is affecting public health. These meetings underscored the need to improve extreme weather forecasting, flood management, housing and infrastructure resilience, as well as air quality and respiratory health in tribal communities. The regional collaboration team shared these insights across NOAA to enhance readiness and response to the needs in tribal communities as well as other underserved communities. 

The NART also created and sustains a regional Tribal Engagement Community of Practice to improve communication and coordination across NOAA and its funded partners. Together, the members of the community of practice support NOAA’s efforts to build and strengthen relationships with tribes and coordinate efforts with other federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and regional partners like the Northeast Regional Ocean Council and Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean. Participants learn about tribal history and current activities in the region directly from tribal members and leaders. The group also looks for ways to coordinate tribal engagement activities to provide more effective results for the tribal nations.

In the fall of 2024, NOAA attended tribal health fairs to share valuable climate and health information with the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point (Sipayik) and at Indian Township. NOAA is also creating resource guides to highlight tools, educational materials and data from the agency to help tribal nations tackle climate-related challenges. The agency will continue working closely with tribal communities to develop solutions for climate hazards, address health risks linked to climate change and elevate tribal needs.

In November 2024, to mark this year’s Native American Heritage Month, the NART hosted a webinar titled The Lepape Connection to the Mid-Atlantic Region. The webinar included  a presentation and discussion with Rusty Creed Brown, Acting Executive Director of the National Indian Education Association and Treasurer of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Participants learned about the cultural and ancestral connections of the Delaware Tribe with the Mid-Atlantic Region, including the forced removal of the Lenape from their homelands.

True partnership requires listening to tribal needs, elevating their priorities and respecting their traditions and values. NOAA staff are committed to working collaboratively with tribal nations to address climate associated health risks. With the goal of continuing respectful and meaningful dialogue, NOAA will continue outreach to tribal nations in the region. This work and insight from the Tribal Engagement Community of Practice will be instrumental in the implementation of NOAA’s new tribal engagement strategy.