Indigenous Peoples Global Summit on Climate Change – Dena’ina Center, Anchorage, Alaska

January 13th, 2009

Organizer: Indigenous People’ Global Summit Steering Committee

Description: Indigenous peoples from all regions of the world depend upon the natural environment. Their rich and detailed traditional knowledge reflects and embodies a cultural and spiritual relationship with the land, ocean and wildlife. However, human activity is changing the world’s climate and altering the natural environment to which Indigenous Peoples are so closely attached and on which they so heavily rely.


Reflecting their position as “stewards” of the environment and drawing upon their age‐old traditional knowledge—the heart of their cultural resilience—Indigenous Peoples were among the first groups to call upon national governments, transnational corporations and civil society to do more to protect the Earth and human society from climate change. The Global Summit will involve an estimated 200‐300 invited participants to pursue four key objectives:

  3. Analyze, discuss and promote public awareness of the impacts and consequences of programs and proposals for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and assess proposed “solutions” to climate change from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples; and

Patricia Cochran (Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council) ‐ Anchorage, Alaska (USA)