Voinovich School alumna producing documentary on North American Tribal impact of climate change

Anna Palmer, ’17 Master of Science in Environmental Studies, is producing a feature-length documentary that showcases five North American tribes as they confront climate change.

“INHABITANTS: An Indigenous Perspective” is a collaboration between Inhabit Films, the Kalliopeia Foundation, the Namaste Foundation, the Social Good Fund, and a Tribal Advisory board representing the five tribes in the film. The project met its Kickstarter funding goal on January 28.

The documentary will explore fire practices among the Karuk Tribe of California; sustainable agricultural practices on Hopi land in Arizona and the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin; and the return of buffalo on the Blackfeet reservation in Montana and of native Hawaiian food forests. The filmmakers hope that by creating a platform for Native American and Indigenous voices, those peoples can expand their role in climate and environmental policy.  

“This documentary project builds on years of research that began at Ohio University,” Palmer said. “It has been exciting to work across different mediums to help these important stories reach a wider audience.”

Palmer, who also is the production’s climate scientist, began her work in this field as a student at the Voinovich School. Her research into the vulnerability of Tribal lands to climate change took her to the National Adaptation Forum and the Native Waters on Arid Lands Summit. 

“These conferences were the first connection I had to Tribal leaders giving talks about their land management restoration projects and strategies for adapting to a changing climate,” Palmer said.

To learn more about the documentary or to support the project, visit the Kickstarter page here.