Tahlia Bear is the Indigenous Peoples Engagement Manager at WRA. Her work focuses on building relationships with Tribes, identifying ways we can support one another and making sure that Indigenous voices are always heard.

In this episode, we discuss some of the challenges facing Tribes in the context of climate change and beyond. We chat about Tribal sovereignty, regional energy markets, Tribal utilities and more.

Tahlia is an enrolled member of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and she is also half Navajo. During our conversation, Tahlia speaks about her Navajo family living in Northern Arizona and how her aunt only recently got electricity in her home. Lack of water and electricity in rural Indian Country is still a major issue and one that is often overlooked in the conservation and environmental justice space.

Further Reading

• Check out the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority website to learn more about this Tribal utility
• Learn more about Tribes that are directly affected by climate change and rising sea levels
• Visit the Western Navajo Fair
• Take a look at the NPR coverage on Senegal and climate refugees
• Read more about Tribal Nations in the United States
• Bookmark Indian Country Today as your Indigenous Peoples news source
• Learn how the ghost town of Empire, NV was revitalized by a new mining operation in 2016
• Become a sponsor of 2 Degrees Out West
• Check out the full podcast blog page here

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2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

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