Department of the Interior Awards $125 Million for Tribal Climate Resilience and Community Relocation

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the distribution of $125 million in grant awards through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Climate Resilience Program, delivering direct federal assistance to 45 federally recognized tribal nations.

Supporting Community Relocation and Coastal Erosion Defense

The funding packages provide critical capital for planned community relocation, infrastructure adaptation, and sea wall construction for Alaska Native coastal villages in Newtok and Shaktoolik facing severe permafrost melt and storm erosion, as well as Pacific Northwest coastal tribes in Washington and Oregon facing tsunami and storm surge risks. The grants also fund traditional cultural ecological knowledge (TEK) wildfire management programs across Southwest tribal lands.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland stated that Indigenous communities are on the front lines of climate change, affirming that the federal government is upholding its treaty and trust obligations by providing direct resources to protect tribal sovereignty and homelands.

Tribal Leadership Endorsements

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) leaders commended the flexible grant structure, which respects tribal self-determination and community-led engineering solutions.

Tribal emergency management coordinators highlighted that direct funding enables rapid construction of inland community evacuation centers.

Grant Deployment Milestones

Grant agreements will be finalized with recipient tribal governments by October 31, 2026.