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Climate change poses threats to indigenous peoples’ health, well-being, and ways of life, according to the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment released this week.

As climate change continues to impact their lands and resources, indigenous communities are vulnerable to food insecurity, changing water availability, potential relocation from historic homelands, and the loss of livelihoods and traditional knowledge.

NASA's Innovations in Climate Education-Tribal activity engages students with NASA Earth observation data and Earth system models and provides climate-related research experiences for teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, particularly in the community of Tribal Colleges and Universities.

The Tribal College and University Experiential Learning Opportunity program supports NASA's goal of engaging tribal communities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines, and focuses on inspiring the next generation of explorers.

To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit: www.nasa.gov/education

To learn more about National Climate Assessment findings related to the impacts of climate change on indigenous communities, visit: nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/indigenous-peoples

To learn more about other NASA missions that contribute to understanding climate change, visit: climate.nasa.gov