SAULT STE. MARIE - The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians was recognized by President Obama Dec. 3 at the 2014 White House Tribal Nations Conference as one of 16 cities or other communities named Climate Action Champions for efforts to address climate change.
"I am so proud of my administration's Natural Resources, Health, Traditional Medicine, Housing, Law Enforcement, and Planning in pulling together our call to action to protect our Aki (Mother Earth)," said Tribal Chairperson Aaron Payment. "I appreciate the President recognizing our excellence."
During his remarks at the conference, President Obama said, "I want to recognize those tribes that have done exceptional work in their response to climate change, including two that we named Climate Action Champions this morning - the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. And we're going to keep working with all of you to protect your natural resources, and restore tribal homelands, resolve disputes over water rights, to make sure your sacred lands are protected for future generations." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt0roRoU8ds&feature=youtube_gdata)
Unit II Sault Tribe Board of Director Catherine Hollowell, said, "Climate change solutions are an economic driver that goes hand in hand with protecting our pristine waters and natural resources. We're immensely proud of the comprehensive vision for future generations that this plan entails."
Hollowell is also an appointee to the National Tribal Caucus for the EPA.
Sault Tribe Environmental Program Manager Kathie Brosemer, added, "I think it was the diversity of our efforts, not just energy conservation, but also food security, emergency preparedness, waste reduction, etc., that made us stand out."
A White House press release said the 16 Climate Action Champions were recognized as cities that have "considered their climate vulnerabilities and taken decisive action to cut carbon pollution and build resilience."
The selected communities, according to the press release, "will benefit from facilitated peer-to-peer learning and mentorship and targeted support from a range of Federal programs. Furthermore, a coordinator will be provided to each Climate Action Champion to foster coordination and communication across the Federal agencies, national organizations, and foundations in support of the Champions. The coordinator will also assist efforts to raise awareness of funding and technical assistance opportunities that are available specifically for Climate Action Champions."
The Climate Action Champions competition was launched this past fall by the White House to identify and recognize climate leaders within their local communities and to provide Federal support to help those communities further build resilience to climate impacts. The competition was led by the Department of Energy.
For more details on Climate Action Champions, visit www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/03/fact-sheet-16-us-communities-recognized-climate-action-champions-leaders.