Climate-Related Change Impacts on Forest Relationships: A Comparative Study of Tribal and Non-Tribal Communities in the Great Lakes Region

Forest ecosystems in the Great Lakes region are undergoing climate-related changes that outpace current monitoring and management frameworks. In partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), this study examined how Tribal and non-Tribal communities interact with forests and experience climate-related changes in the Great Lakes region. Using a convenience sample of 232 participants (110 Tribal, 122 non-Tribal) collected at the 2023 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Pow Wow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we explored forest interactions, perceived importance, climate impacts, and concerns. Chi-square comparisons were conducted across 29 items grouped into three distinct inferential families, with Benjamini Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) adjustments and bias corrected Cramér’s V effect sizes. Two comparisons remained significant after FDR correction. Tribal participants engaged more frequently in making traditional or ceremonial items and assigned greater importance to forests for cultural identity and heritage. No climate impact comparison remained significant, and all effect size confidence intervals included zero. Qualitative responses revealed shared concerns regarding forest health, with differences in emphasis. Tribal participants discussed Treaty rights, intergenerational responsibility, and cultural continuity, while non-Tribal participants focused on recreational access and general environmental health. Although the results are specific to the sampled participants and do not represent generalized regional populations, they offer a localized, community directed comparison of forest relationships. Findings directly inform KBIC land management and harvesting decisions while contributing to broader efforts to develop justice informed climate adaptation strategies.