Indigenous Research and Policy

We amplify Indigenous needs and issues by providing policy research and recommendations:

• We work with California Native Nations, organizations, institutions, and coalitions to ensure that the policies and procedures in the State of California protect the rights of all California Tribes.

• Convened a coalition of CA Tribes in 2014 to work to protect the rights of non-federally recognized tribes in a draft bill AB 52, which would have limited the meaning of ‘Native American tribe’ in the CA Environmental Quality Act to federally recognized tribes only. AB 52 as adopted assures the rights of all CA Native Nations to protect sacred sites.

• Some of our current university projects include:

  • Collaborative of Native Nations for Climate Transformation and Stewardship (CNNCTS)

  • Prioritizing Local Action for Climate Equity (PLACE) Study

  • UCI CLIMATE Justice Initiative

  • Wildland Urban Interface Climate Action Network (WUICAN)