The first Economic Futures Summit, hosted in San Francisco and backed by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR), brought together over 300 participants including investors, academics, and policy experts to explore sustainable economic models rooted in Indigenous knowledge. Co-chaired by CCCR Senior Fellow Heather Tallis, Gwen Bridge of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, and James Rattling Leaf, Sr. of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the event emphasized inclusive collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders in addressing climate resilience. n nOver two days beginning November 4, discussions centered on four strategic pathways: mechanisms for commercializing sustainability ideas, frameworks to strengthen Indigenous economic foundations, priorities for leadership development, and core principles of Indigenous economic worldviews. n nA major theme was the financial strain faced by Indigenous-led environmental groups due to delayed federal grant disbursements. Esther Duke, chief operations officer at Coalitions & Collaboratives, introduced the Forest & Water Renewal Revolving Loan Fund, which offers low-interest bridge financing to organizations awaiting government funds. This initiative supports time-sensitive projects related to wildfire prevention and ecosystem restoration. n nSaraya Hamidi, representing the Cherokee Nation and serving as Indigenous partnerships manager at Blue Forest, highlighted efforts to channel capital toward sustainable land stewardship. Her work ensures tribal communities are not only consulted but often lead conservation initiatives. The California Wildfire Innovation Fund, part of this strategy, supports tribal innovation in forest management technologies. n nThe summit also addressed historical injustices against California’s original inhabitants, particularly the Ohlone people. Geneva E. B. Thompson, deputy secretary of tribal affairs for the California Natural Resources Agency, noted Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2019 executive order formally apologizing to Native peoples and committing to preserve their heritage. Recent milestones include the return of more than 1,000 acres to the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel and over 17,000 acres to the Tule River Indian Tribe. These lands will be managed using traditional ecological practices aimed at protecting biodiversity and restoring native habitats. n nTallis emphasized CCCR’s commitment to supporting Indigenous-driven climate solutions. “Our mission is to bridge research with real-world action,” she said. “This event helps amplify what California can contribute globally by centering Indigenous voices in shaping a resilient economy.” n
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Indigenous leaders take center stage at event on funding sustainability projects
With a growing appreciation for the value of Indigenous voices and perspectives in the development of sustainability solutions, and financing them, hundreds of investors, academics, and policymakers gathered in San Francisco earlier this month to share ideas for building a sustainable economy in the face of climate change. n nThe inaugural Economic Futures Summit, supported by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and co-chaired by CCCR Senior Fellow Heather Tallis, drew over 300 attendees and focused on changing how we think about sustainability solutions and how to fund them. n nThe two-day summit kicked off on November 4, leading with Indigenous ideas of economics, finance, and our relationship with nature and each other. Participants heard from leaders in Indigenous on-the-ground solutions, governance, environmental stewardship, and sustainable economic development. n nTallis and her two co-chairs, Gwen Bridge of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and James Rattling Leaf, Sr. of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, said that Indigenous peoples in the Bay Area and around the world are essential to creating a sustainable environmental and economic future. With that in mind, they organized the summit to create a space for meaningful connections and mutual learning for Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders. n nThe meeting focused on four pathways for action, which served as through lines for conversations during the event: n nA tool for bringing ideas to market n nA framework for supporting the backbone of Indigenous economies n nPriorities for building Indigenous leadership and capacity n nCore concepts of Indigenous economic visions n nBuilding Indigenous economic capacity n nNearly two-thirds of U.S. nonprofits receive federal funding annually, and government grants and contracts make up a quarter of the average nonprofit’s annual revenue. For all climate nonprofits, including Indigenous-led organizations, the timely distribution of those funds is imperative for programming. Otherwise, the group is forced to figure out how to front the cost until grant funds are disbursed. n nTwo presenters at the summit, Esther Duke and Saraya Hamidi, lamented the pattern of Indigenous-led organizations being forced to take out high-interest loans that are difficult to repay, or to abandon their projects entirely because of delays in federal grant disbursement. They decided to change things. n nDuke is the chief operations officer of Coalitions & Collaboratives, a Colorado-based nonprofit that developed the Forest & Water Renewal Revolving Loan Fund to lower the financial barrier to entry for environmental programming—in recognition of the time sensitivity of climate resilience and wildfire management work. With support from a combination of grants and private foundation program-related investments, the nonprofit provides below-market-rate bridge loans to organizations waiting on the disbursement of their federal grants. n nHamidi, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is an Indigenous partnerships manager at the conservation finance nonprofit Blue Forest. Also concerned with a lack of efficient funding for restoration and protection of forests and watersheds, Blue Forest’s mission is to connect capital to sustainable land management. n nHamidi’s focus is ensuring Indigenous people are consulted, or better yet, are leading land management projects. Moreover, the Indigenous Partnerships program connects Indigenous grant seekers with capital and supports tribal forest technology development through the California Wildfire Innovation Fund. n nRestoring land rights n nThe dialogue at the summit included acknowledgement of the painful past of the Indigenous communities of present-day California, including the Ohlone people comprising 50 tribes who have lived in the Northern California region for more than 10,000 years. n nFor the past several years, the state has begun to formally acknowledge its historical wrongs against the land’s original peoples. Geneva E. B. Thompson, the deputy secretary of tribal affairs for the California Natural Resources Agency and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, spoke at the summit, recognizing these harms and highlighting major milestones in the restoration of Indigenous rights under Gov. Gavin Newsom. For example, in June 2019, Newsom signed an executive order that serves as a formal apology to the Indigenous peoples of the region and a commitment from the state government to preserve the history of California native peoples. n nThe administration has also recognized the importance of Indigenous access to ancestral land, for its rightful ownership, preservation, and protection. Thompson emphasized the success of two recent examples of California returning colonized land to tribes: The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel regained over 1,000 acres of their homeland in San Diego County this August and the Tule River Indian Tribe were given back over 17,000 acres of land in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in October. n nThese tribes plan to reinvigorate their long-standing relationship with the land and revive their management practices with a goal of protecting endangered species and restoring native ecology. n nTallis said she is grateful that CCCR recognizes the need for investment in Indigenous-led climate solutions. “The center is really focused on finding solutions and connecting research to action around climate resilience,” she says. “With this focus, the center helps us elevate what we can do in California and what we can bring to the world when it comes to listening to Indigenous communities and evolving our economy.”