Bering Sea Region Community and Environmental Summit Proceedings

By Northwest Environmental Justice Center Team

In February, the Northwest Environmental Justice Center partner Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) hosted the Bering Sea Region Environmental Justice Regional Summit to bring together tribes from across the region to acknowledge and document community and environmental challenges in the Bering Sea Region.

Artwork by Wren Holzinger

The goal was to hear directly from community members about issues and concerns and how local, state, and federal partnerships can be created to address them. A total of eight federally recognized tribes, one tribal consortium and one village Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) corporation were represented. 

“Using you own voice to participate in opportunities to make change happen.” 

- Kendra Lee, Teller IGAP Coordinator 

We heard from participants that they want us to share themes from the summit with a wider audience so that decision makers and funders can understand the types of issues and solutions that leaders in the Bering Sea region are addressing. In addition to sharing the final report with summit participants and their networks, we will also share the report through our communication channels, funder networks, and with EPA/DOE. 

Summit Recommendations

Create engagement projects 

• Share information at all levels in community – schools, community meetings 

• Figure out our current challenges 

• Plan and design solutions that work for us 

• Look at past successes 

Response to extreme weather 

• Preparedness plans 

• Adaptation plans 

• Mitigation plans 

• Resiliency plans 

• Create network/system for emergency response 

Community leadership program 

• Build trust relationships 

• Engage multi-generations 

• Create long-lasting solutions 

• Come together unbiased 

• Hold funding fairs in rural villages 

“Train the Trainer” project/program, teach each other: 

• How to organize volunteers 

• Find and provide incentives for community participation 

• Conduct surveys with incentives 

• Facilitate community meetings with achievable goals and actions