(National Institutes of Health, n.d.). Over- whelming mortality rate disparities also exist for AI/AN people compared with other racial groups. On average, AI/AN male individuals die 12 years earlier than White male individu- als, and AI/AN female individuals die 13 years earlier than White female individuals (Gorzig et al., 2022). Disparate healthcare infrastruc- ture and health outcomes have increased the vulnerability of AI/AN communities to envi- ronmental health impacts. AI/AN communities often face increased environmental health burdens and dis- proportionate environmental health risks compared with the average U.S. population (Hoover et al., 2012). Indian Country stands at the forefront of numerous environmen- tal health challenges. Indigenous-led solu- tions that incorporate traditional knowledge prompt questioning, reflection, and paradigm shifts in conventional Western approaches to environmental health solutions. The purpose of this report is to raise vis- ibility among environmental public health professionals of these burdens and the often unseen cultural and systematic eects of environmental health hazards on AI/AN communities. This report identifies promi- nent environmental risks, concerns, and implications to AI/AN communities. We categorize the eects of a changing climate and environmental degradation into five categories: climate change, chemical expo- sures, air quality, water quality, and envi- ronmental prenatal exposures. We conclude with general recommendations. The basis of this report is derived from scholarly articles, reports, survey results, and other publicly available resources. Climate Change Climate change is characterized by devia- tions from historic climate data, including but not limited to rising global air tempera- tures, extreme and more frequent hydrologic events, rising sea levels, and increasing ocean temperatures (ITEP, 2021). Although climate impacts often are evaluated individually, cli- mate change threats occur simultaneously and result in compounding health impacts (Crimmins et al., 2016). Increases in average air temperatures and extreme temperatures aect AI/AN health at individual and community levels. According to CDC (2024a), extreme heat is responsible
for approximately 1,220 deaths per year in the U.S. Heat causes the most weather-related deaths compared with other hazards such as tornadoes or hurricanes (Erdman, 2023). Prevalent rates of poverty disadvantage AI/ AN communities. As an example, house- holds with less financial privilege are unable to access heating or cooling elements to adapt to temperature extremes (Gronlund, 2014). The U.S. Energy Information Administra- tion estimates that 14% of households on AI/ AN tribal lands do not have access to electric- ity, which is 10 times the national average (Stone, 2014). Without access to electricity, AI/AN communities lack reliable sources of power for fans or air conditioners to help cope with extreme temperatures. According to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA, 2021), AI/AN people live in areas with the highest rates of labor hour losses attributable to extreme temperatures. The cumulative eects of climate change can be articulated in a case study of melt- ing sea ice in Alaska. Warming tempera- tures have a significant negative eect on the infrastructure central to Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). Approximately 40% of federally recog- nized tribes in the U.S. (220 of 574) live in communities located in Alaska. The Arctic has warmed 3.8 times faster than the rest of the planet (Hersher, 2022). On the Alaskan coastline, sea ice acts as a buer from storms that erode coastlines. Climate change has resulted in more frequent and more severe storms, increased permafrost thaw, changes in the timing of snowfall, seasonal ice melt, and freezing of lakes (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). Additionally, melting sea ice has forced AI/AN communities to relocate due to loss of infrastructure, culture, and safe conditions for hunting or fishing (U.S. Cli- mate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). The Alaska Native village of Kivalina has had to relocate due to the warming climate (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). Kiva- lina historically resided on a barrier island protected from storms by sea ice. Storm surges caused by melting ice and rising waters have eroded much of the island. The relocation of 400 residents has led to innumerable social, emotional, and economic burdens. Coastal erosion has more than doubled from 2002 to 2007 along a 40-mi stretch of the Beau- fort Sea in Alaska (Weinhold, 2010). Thaw-
ing of permafrost (i.e., permanently frozen soil along coasts and rivers) is being reported throughout the Northern Hemisphere. As of April 2015, more than 30 Alaska Native vil- lages are either in need of or already in the process of relocating entire villages (U.S. Cli- mate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). Poverty and place-based livelihoods are additional bar- riers that prevent AI/AN communities from relocating (Hunt et al., 2021). Climate change has limited access to tra- ditional subsistence lifestyles, which has led to food insecurity for AI/AN communities (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). Food security is defined as having access to enough nutritious food for all household members to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. A scop- ing review of 30 studies estimated that 46% (weighted average) of AI/AN people were food insecure (Nikolaus et al., 2022). In comparison, 10% of U.S. households are con- sidered food insecure (Economic Research Service, 2025). The shift from traditional lifestyles and diet, persistent poverty, food insecurity, cost of nontraditional foods, and poor housing conditions contribute to increasing health problems among AI/AN people (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.). In North America, the highest proportion of Indigenous Peoples who practice traditional subsistence lifestyles is in Alaska, and 80% of this population’s diet is secured from their immediate surround- ings (Weinhold, 2010). Salmon species are among the most important traditional foods, but because they are a cold-water fish, their survival is particularly vulnerable to increas- ing water temperatures. Climate-mediated increases in water temperature threaten cold-water species, such as salmon and trout (Vinyeta et al., 2015). Pacific Northwest nations have already had to manage decreased salmon availability due to pollution, overharvesting, and dams. Cli- mate change, however, might pose a greater challenge of access to these crucial species (Vinyeta et al., 2015). For example, coastal nations such as the Swinomish in Washing- ton are experiencing decreased availability of shellfish and salmon resources due to warm- ing water temperatures (Breda, 2024). Along with increasing water temperatures, food insecurity in Alaska Native communities is caused by permafrost thaw and can result in ice cellars or icehouses (that are traditionally
27
June 2025 • Journal of Environmental Health
Powered by FlippingBook