CALIFORNIA INDIAN MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER (PRC Oral Storytelling Project)

In this episode listeners will hear from the Executive Director of the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative, Queen Zakia Shabazz, who will share about their work to address the impacts of climate change and racial inequity on communities in the state of Virginia.In this episode listeners will hear from the Executive Director of the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, Nicole Lim, and Program Specialist Carol Oliva. Both will share about their work to address the impacts of climate change and racial inequity on communities in the state of California.

The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center (CIMCC) serves American Indians in Santa Rosa, CA. CIMCC created a community- participatory project to document climate vulnerabilities faced by Native peoples in Santa Rosa. CIMCC has developed and administered a community questionnaire about climate impacts and solutions, organized community meetings, analyzed information gathered, and created a report to share with community stakeholders. This report provides CIMCC with the information they need to advance the priorities of the Native community in Santa Rosa. Through the collected data, CIMCC evaluates how the community can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the impact of climate change. CIMCC integrates community needs into local planning by participation in policy design and development in Sonoma County. CIMCC also facilitates solar workshops within the Santa Rosa Native communities to explain the benefits and permits needed for solar panel installations to increase renewable electricity. Solar installations will allow residents to reduce their utility bills and provide a path forward to financial resilience and climate resilience during power outages, leading to the ability to stay cool during climate emergencies. CIMCC is a resilience hub and operates as an emergency shelter to the community during climate emergencies.