Montana Tribes Blend Knowledge for Climate Plan

Why this is here: Durglo installed air quality sensors throughout the reservation—in homes, schools, and outdoor locations—contributing to a global network that provides real-time air quality measurements.

Mike Durglo Jr., climate change coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana, integrates traditional ecological knowledge with Western science to build climate resilience on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Durglo points to a whitebark pine—a symbol of resilience—while discussing the impacts of warming temperatures on the 1.2-million-acre reservation. He authored one of the country’s first tribal climate action plans over 15 years ago, detailing projects to reduce emissions and adapt to extreme weather.

Montana’s current governor has shelved the state’s climate plan and limited regulation of emissions, but the tribes are moving forward as sovereign nations. Durglo secured a $20 million grant from the Biden administration’s Solar for All program, but it was later canceled. He now relies on a mix of funding sources to support projects like restoring streams for bull trout and creating “clean air centers” for the reservation’s 33,000 residents.

Durglo shares his approach with other tribes, acknowledging that Indigenous communities have long practiced environmental stewardship. Despite some successes, funding remains a challenge, and the Tribes continue to update their plan every three years to address new issues like worsening wildfire smoke. The work to safeguard the land and its resources persists.