CLIMATE JUSTICE

Elevate climate justice voices from Alaska to build aggressive climate action for Alaska and tribes.

Remembering Forward: Alaska Just Transition 

Just Transition means a fair and equitable shift to an Indigenized Regenerative Economy — an economy that is in alignment with what the earth can regenerate and that ensures equity, dignity and justice for all.

As Alaskans, we face a critical moment. Our communities feel the real effects of burning and consuming fossil fuels: Arctic Sea ice loss endangers our hunters, thawing permafrost means dozens of Alaskan villages must relocate, and increasing temperatures threaten the seasonal returns of relatives like caribou and fish. Our demands for food sovereignty and meaningful work are heightened by our recovery from the pandemic. We know that all of these interlocking crises are caused by an exploitative, extractive economy.

The time is now to transition to a regenerative economy. “Eco” means home. Black, Brown, Indigenous, Disabled, and LGBTQ+ people—frontline communities—hold the solutions and show us how to care for and manage home. Indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews are key to this transition. Native Movement is working with partners throughout the state to both REDEFINE “economy” and BUILD just and equitable solutions forward.  

The Alaska Just Transition Summit 

In January 2020, the first Alaska Just Transition Summit  {http://bit.ly/kohtrelneyh} was held on the lands of the Lower Tanana Dene peoples. Kohtr’elneyh (“Remembering Forward'' in Benhti Kanaga’) was the first of its kind to bring together leaders from various sectors to openly discuss a post-oil economy in Alaska. The concept of Remembering Forward grows from an understanding that solutions to the intersecting crises our communities face are found in Indigenous knowledge systems: economies of care, equity, sustainability, and reciprocity.

In May 2022, we gathered on Dena’ina Ełnena for Nughelnik (“It is remembered within us” in the Dena’ina Athabascan language) to come together for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. With acknowledgement of our grief and healing, we deepened our roots and understanding of the longstanding and successful regenerative economies already led by communities of color across Alaska.

Just Transition In Action

An Alaskan Film Series is a production of the Alaska Just Transition Community and the Alaska Climate Alliance in association with Deenaadàį' Productions. These films are the first two in a series highlighting Alaskan examples of a Just Transition to a regenerative economy.

GET INVOLVED

Follow Alaska Just Transition on Instagram @justtransition_ak & Read More at justtransitionak.org