Tlingit & Haida was awarded nearly $2 million from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to regionally expand the Tribe's greenhouse program.
With the federal funding, Tlingit & Haida will launch a Regional Community Greenhouse program to create enhanced food security and food sovereignty for tribal citizens.
In 2019, Tlingit & Haida adopted a Climate Change Adaptation plan, and created a second plan in 2021. The plan notes there are specific risks that climate change poses to food security in Southeast Alaska communities, including the disruption of harvesting traditional foods and an increased cost or lack of imported foods due to supply chain issues.
Last year, Tlingit & Haida’s Native Lands and Resources Division successfully grew 30 varieties of food in the new greenhouse Taay Hít (Garden House) behind the Edward K. Thomas building in Juneau, Alaska. The initial project was funded by the BIA and Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF).
Natural Resource Specialist Kenneth Weitzel wrote the grant to expand greenhouses in Southeast Alaska with the Regional Community Greenhouse project. He said Tlingit & Haida will work with other federally-recognized tribes that have environmental programs to create greenhouse projects in three communities outside of Juneau. The goal is to increase food security by bringing fresh produce to about 500 people in each community.
“With the lessons we learned, we’re hoping to spread and grow the greenhouse program in new locations,” Weitzel said. “Local foods are healthier because they haven’t been processed and shipped. Local foods are a mitigation to all of our economic lows like climate change, a pandemic and supply chain issues.”
The greenhouse programs will also create jobs in communities as Tlingit & Haida plans to hire a community greenhouse manager and a horticulture assistant in each of the three communities.
The BIA’s Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience program issued grants nationwide, totaling $45 million.
Altogether, the 124 awards will support 76 tribes and eight tribal organizations. The list includes climate-related projects around Alaska, like erosion control in Akiak and Golovin and permafrost assessments in Kipnuk and Tuntutuliak.
Food Security • Sustainability • Sovereignty
