Climate Change in Native America Series
Date and Time
Location
The Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP), the Salata Institute Climate Accelerator, and the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development invite you to our Fall 2026 in-person speaker series centered on the critical intersections of Tribal Nations, climate change, and environmental justice.
This series aims to elevate Indigenous knowledge systems, governance strategies, and community-led solutions that address the disproportionate impacts of environmental change on Native Nations. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, the series will highlight Tribal sovereignty, stewardship practices, and climate resilience efforts, while fostering meaningful engagement between Indigenous leaders, scholars, students, and the broader Harvard community. Grounded in the themes of Water, Land, and Animal Relatives, the series will provide space for critical reflection, knowledge exchange, and relationship-building, aligning with our commitment to Tribal diplomacy, community partnership, and academic excellence.
October 14: Land
Event I: Land — Stewardship, Climate Resilience, and Rematriation
Centered on land-based knowledge and governance, this event will examine Indigenous stewardship practices, land rematriation movements, and climate adaptation strategies. The program will highlight how Native Nations are leading innovative approaches to land management, conservation, and sustainability rooted in traditional ecological knowledge. In addition, this event will engage in the ongoing tensions between non-Native conservation frameworks and Tribal sovereignty, including differing approaches to land use, governance authority, and environmental protection. These discussions will create space to critically examine how conservation efforts can both support and, at times, conflict with Indigenous rights, self-determination, and stewardship priorities.
Moderator: W. Tanner Allread (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) - Assistant Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
Panelists:
- Earl Mills Jr. (Mashpee Wampanoag), Chief, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; Land Care Manager, Native Land Conservancy
- Jenny Rosas (Diné), Cultural Resources Coordinator, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition
- Joseph Lee (Aquinnah Wampanoag), Writer and Journalist, Author of Nothing More of This Land
- Kelly Applegate (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), Commissioner of Natural Resources
October 28: Animal Relatives
Event II: Animal Relatives — Biodiversity, Responsibility, and Interconnection
This event will focus on the relationships between Native communities and animal relatives, emphasizing biodiversity, conservation, and ethical responsibility. Topics may include the protection of endangered species, the role of animals in cultural lifeways, and Indigenous approaches to ecological balance in the face of climate change.
Moderator: Leah Hopkins (Narragansett), Tribal Liaison, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Panelists:
- Jennifer Randell (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), Manager, Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary
- Bree Dunham (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), Assistant Manager, Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary
- Rahiem Eleazer (Mashantucket Pequot), Tribal Councilor, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; Treasurer and Co-Leadership Board of Directors, Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed
- Chuck Loring (Penobscot), Director, Penobscot Nation Natural Resources
- Jen Vanator, Policy Analyst and Program Coordinator, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
November 4: Water
Event III: Water — Sovereignty, Protection, and Lifeways
This event will explore the cultural, legal, and ecological significance of water to Native Nations. Discussions will focus on water rights, protection of sacred waterways, climate-related threats such as drought and contamination, and Indigenous-led advocacy efforts. Speakers may include Tribal leaders, legal scholars, and environmental practitioners working at the forefront of water justice.
Moderator: Andrew Mergen, Emmett Assistant Clinical Professor of Environmental Law and Faculty Director, Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, Harvard Law School
Panelists:
- Corey Hinton (Passamaquoddy), Leader, Tribal Nations Practice Group, Drummond Woodsum
- Shannon Cellan, Senior Environmental Lab Analyst, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Environmental Research Lab
- Leslie Jonas (Mashpee Wampanoag), Resilient Communities Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Kelsey Leonard (Shinnecock Nation), Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo