Climate Change May Have Big Impact On American Indian Tribes Out West

It isn’t necessarily news that the California drought has reached near biblical proportions, but it may surprise many Americans to learn that the effects are spreading into neighboring states and will not only have consequences for the agricultural community, but for many other livelihoods as well. Despite record precipitation and snow pack, drought is still on the minds of environmental scientists, and one group that is a focal point of concern for some is the American Indian community. For them, climate change could plague them profoundly and for generations to come.

Research presented on Saturday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., told of the possible hard times to come for western American Indians. According to a press release by Maureen McCarthy, Tahoe and Great Basin Research Director at the University of Nevada, Reno, led a symposium titled “Climate, Water, and the American Indian Farmer.” Since water rights adjust for whichever native territory it is passing through dependent on the agricultural, cultural or resource needs of the the population, it’s probably necessary to have a long discussion on how the severe drought hitting western states will effect the people promised those resources.

http://www.inquisitr.com/2796498/climate-change-may-have-big-impact-on-american-indian-tribes-out-west/