P-28 Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Policy: Challenges and Opportunities for the Gwich’in Nation and Beyond

Buller Hall 251

This thesis addresses limitations of climate adaptation and mitigation efforts for the Gwich’in Nation, an indigenous group located in the Arctic Circle region of Alaska. By performing a content analysis of the oral testimonies of 21 Gwich’in representatives within the 2019 Arctic Indigenous Climate Summit Report, the largest climate related concerns of the region will be evaluated. Then, these policy priorities will guide a secondary content analysis of H.R. 5376: Build Back Better Act and to what extent such a bill meets urgent climate priorities. Finally, the implications of such policy documents will be discussed, and recommendations will be made.