Pyramid Lake is home to the endangered cui-ui fish, a culturally important species.
Lead CCASS Contact: Karletta Chief
Dr. Karletta Chief has been working with the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT) since 2008 on a number of projects to help tribal members and the tribal government identify and address impacts from climate change. PLPT is an exemplary leader in adaptive planning, given that tribal members are keenly aware of and concerned for climate change impacts to Pyramid Lake. In a current project funded by the DOI Southwest Climate Science Center, Chief and UA doctoral candidate Schuyler Chew are conducting interviews and focus groups with PLPT community members in order to better understand the role of traditional knowledge in PLPT culture and its potential use in climate adaptation. This collaborative research addresses the need for climate change adaptation research in the United States that incorporates tribal perspectives and can offer insight for adaptation planning efforts among other tribes.
Related story: https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/how-climate-change-impacts-indigenous-communities
Related publication:
- Gautam, M., K. Chief, and W.J. Smith Jr. 2013. Climate change in arid lands and Native American socioeconomic vulnerability: The case of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. In “Facing climate change: The experiences of and impacts on U.S. tribal communities, indigenous people, and native lands and resources.” Climatic Change, 120(3): 585-599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0737-0