Climate change is causing more floods across the globe. In Oklahoma, that flooding has an outsized impact on Indigenous communities.
Every year, the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and its seven clans host their annual Encampment on their land in the northern part of the state. But the tribe’s sacred gathering place is at risk because of the growing threat of flash flooding. And that threat is expected to increase. In 2023, a research team at the University of Oklahoma found Indigenous communities in the state face higher flooding and rainfall risks.
The tribe’s emergency manager, James LeClair, is part of that effort.
“Everything takes time, but now they're starting to see the need,” he said. “You know, we need to think about our kids and our grandkids, what kind of world we're going to leave them.”
KOSU/OPMX’s Sarah Liese reports how the Otoe-Missouria Tribe is working to mitigate those threats.