Listening for the Rain: Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change

Listening for the Rain starts a pluricultural conversation in which some Indigenous people who live in the central United States of America discuss their observations and understandings of, as well as responses to, climate change and variability. A team of Native and non-Native researchers and media artists worked together to document these stories. Not only does Listening for the Rain illustrate some of the environmental transformations distinguishing diverse Tribal landscapes, but the video also suggests some of the proactive solutions and ideas for addressing these issues that are currently being undertaken in Indian Country.

The video was developed as part of a project supported by the South Central Climate Science Center and the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program. During 2013, five Intertribal Workshops on Climate Variability and Change took place (four in Oklahoma and one in New Mexico). These one-day events introduce tribal representatives to the Climate Science Center, the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives that service its region (OK, TX, LA, NM), and a couple of tools that help communities understand and plan for drought, one of the most costly conditions characterizing the climate of the Southern Plains. For more information about the project, please see: https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/display-project/4f8c652fe4b0546c0c397b4a/5012e251e4b05140039e03d1