Oklahoma Native Americans will be hit harder by floods than general state population

Dec. 1—"Weather is not racist, people are."

Zhi Li, a recent post-doctoral student from the University of Oklahoma who now works for Stanford University told The Transcript that a recently-published article that concluded flooding disproportionately affects tribal lands in Oklahoma.

And the difference wasn't particularly close.

Li said he was invited to visit the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, about 90 miles north of Oklahoma City with Farina King, associate professor and interim chair of the Native American Studies Department.

There, Li met with tribal leaders who informed him the tribal nation experiences "unprecedented" flooding, and that it seemed to disproportionately take place on tribal land.

The visit spurred a mapping project where Li, along with Yang Hong of the university's Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, verified that tribal land is more likely to be hit by flooding than non-tribal land in Oklahoma.

"We observed that they had been suffering from major flood events during the last five years, especially as part of the 2019 flood events, and they showed us the powwow grounds, which was one of their most important ritual sites," Li said.

Hong said systemic racism plays a role in why tribal nations experience disproportionate flooding.

"Indigenous communities are grappling with an imminent climate crisis compounded by systemic injustices. Recognizing their unique connections to their homelands as sovereign peoples is crucial in addressing these pressing issues," he said.

Li added, "We found that when you compare Indigenous people to other groups, tribal peoples are our most vulnerable."

The case study was published in the American Meteorological Society's Weather, Climate and Society journal.

"Bringing attention to the risks and experiences Native Americans face with flooding and extreme weather can foster collaboration among Indigenous peoples, diverse communities, and scholars across the sciences and humanities," King said, who co-authored the article.

Li said the future isn't looking bright for those living on tribal land. He said Native Americans are projected to receive a 501% chance of increased heavy rainfall by the end of the century, 68% higher than the general population in Oklahoma.

King said scholars are looking at Native American history to determine why tribal land is hit harder by severe weather than non-tribal land.

"Native American lands are hit harder because Native peoples are hit harder historically as their identities are tied to place. Native Americans have faced all kinds of attacks to remove them and detach them from their homes," she said.

Oklahoma is the home of 39 federally recognized tribal nations, but only a handful of these nations are Indigenous to the land.

A majority were forced from different parts of the U.S. to what is now Oklahoma following the 1830 Indian Removal Act, and many came from the East Coast on what is now called the Trail of Tears.

According to Otoe-Missouria's official website, the nation originated near what is now the convergence of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas and was forced to its original reservation in Nebraska in 1855.

In 1881, the U.S. government forced Otoe-Missiouria peoples to what is now Red Rock, Oklahoma.

"It is important to understand that intense weather is connected to human action and Native Americans are already hit hard by historical trauma and ongoing struggles over their peoplehood and lands," King said.

Li said he would like to see the university work with Otoe-Missouria leaders to come up with solutions to prepare for future natural disasters.

"They have lived there for hundreds of years, they know how to adapt with nature," Li said. "I think that the one thing we need to learn from them is how to make nature-based solutions for climate change and how to live in harmony with nature."

King launched an oral history project with Otoe-Missouria elders who have shared their experiences living in the climate throughout time.

She said the information can help the university to understand climate patterns, and it can help scientists to better understand tribal values and strengths as they come up with solutions together.

"We are working with oral history because we are listening to Indigenous peoples and they are the ones on the ground, living and knowing their homelands and changes of the land," King said.

She said it is important for the scientists to work with respect for Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing.

"We are working together with respect and adhere to Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge while sustaining all peoples present and future who have ties to those who were unwillingly forced to this land," she said.

Editor's note: This article includes quotes from staff writer's spouse, Farina King.

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.