Climate Change and Mental Health Impacts
This three-part webinar series is hosted by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals’ (ITEP) Tribes & Climate Change Program in collaboration with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA). As many communities, individuals, and families are sheltering in place during this time of the COVID-19 crisis, we cannot ignore that climate change continues to impact us all. For some, climate change may cause stress and anxiety, affecting overall mental health. Tribal communities are especially vulnerable to mental health impacts due to extreme weather events as tribes rely on the land and water for subsistence, ceremonies, and cultural practices. (https://apha.org/). For tribes, cultural resilience may be useful in overcoming these challenges. Cultural resilience considers how one’s cultural background (i.e. culture, cultural values, language, customs, practices) helps individuals and communities overcome adversity. For example, for tribal communities, cultural resilience may consist of prayer, access and use of medicinal plants, and language revitalization to maintain overall well-being.

Summary
This webinar is the first in a five-year series that the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Climate Change Program will be hosting in collaboration with the University of Colorado-Boulder, on a National Science Foundation Navigating the New Arctic project, The Sensitivity of Alaskan and Yukon Rivers, Fish, and Communities to Climate. The webinar series will provide regular updates on project progress and opportunities for Indigenous community members and organizations in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, Canada to interact with the Project Team, inform the team about their interests and priorities and provide input into research decisions, output, and analysis. During this first webinar, we will introduce the project and how it came about, discuss opportunities to participate, and provide information on the Native Advisory Council structure and application process.

Summary:
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is the ability to relate and work effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds and goes beyond existing notions of cultural sensitivity and awareness. In culturally diverse situations, CQ predicts:

• Personal Adjustment and Adaptability
• Judgement and Decision Making
• Negotiation Effectiveness
• Trust, Idea Sharing, and Innovation
• Leadership Effectiveness
• Profitability and Cost-Savings

Please see the recordings below to learn more about cultural intelligence and how it can be used as a tool to enhance working relationships between tribes and supporting agencies to bolster the climate adaption planning process.

Presenter Bio: James Rattling Leaf, Sr. is a Certified Level 1 and Level 2 Associate Trainer in Cultural Intelligence. He serves as a primary resource to federal Government, higher education Institutions and non-profits in developing, maintaining positive on-going working relationships with federally and non-federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal college and universities and tribal communities. He serves as a liaison by providing leadership for the development and implementation of tribal government relationship strategies and action items. He utilizes all forms of communication skills to inform, explain, recommend, and analyze actions pertaining to tribal issues and implications through on-going communications with local, regional level tribes, organizations and communities located throughout the United States.