Amelia Marchand is the NW CASC’s Tribal Liaison through the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI). Amelia has 24 years working in the cultural and natural resource fields. Her professional work and personal experiences have increased her dedication to Indigenous rights, environmental justice and the implementation of socially equitable solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation that not only honor values of community and reciprocity, but also heal wounds from intergenerational trauma and institutional colonialism. Her role with the NW CASC is to engage with Tribal governments and NGOs in the region to identify needs and opportunities related to climate change, adaptation and resilience that advance Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
Amelia received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a minor in American Indian studies from Eastern Washington University and a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. As a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with diverse heritage, she enjoys dedicating her free time to her family, friends and the numerous Indigenous and environmental conservation nonprofits she serves and supports.
What led you to work in the field of climate adaptation?
The short answer is: My children. I want my children to love, respect and experience the relationship we as Tribal citizens and Indigenous peoples have with the natural world and to help educate others about the values of those worldviews.
The long answer is: I’ve continually witnessed frequent climate-exacerbating events (like droughts, wildfire, windstorms and floods) impact my loved ones, cultural practices, Tribal community, environment and work. Evolving business-as-usual operations to include climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience remains critical to the effectiveness of protecting and supporting Tribal rights, sovereignty, Indigenous values, worldviews and ways of life.
What does your day-to-day work look like?
I advise NGOs, academics and government agency representatives to help plan climate adaptation and resilience events and trainings; bring together Tribal government leaders and technical staff to incorporate their values and priorities into projects; and try to educate others about the importance of Indigenous Science and Tribal Sovereignty. It’s a lot of meetings!
How does your work support climate resilience in the Northwest?
ATNI supports Tribes in our region by providing climate adaptation training, technical support, funding resources and forums to share information about climate impacts and resiliency actions. We are also implementing a Workforce Development Program with partners to support early-career interns who are Tribal citizens. The career pathways in this field are continuing to grow and we want to support capacity building as much as we can.
What is your favorite thing about your work?
I enjoy learning about projects Tribes are initiating to help strengthen their communities, but it is also very rewarding to see how many government agencies are taking their responsibilities to Tribes seriously and that many NGOs are willing to step up and offer their support and resources to Tribes too. However, my favorite thing is connecting with people who are newcomers to the field. Their energy and motivation keeps me moving forward!