Engaging Indigenous Communities: My Remarks at Climate Connections 2.0
Photo courtesy of John Dos Passos Coggin I was invited to give opening remarks at NOAA's Climate Connections 2.0 on October 29, 2024. Hello everybody, my name is Angelo. Like Hunter said, I live and work here in town for an organization called the Center for American Progress. I direct our ocean policy work and our work with Indigenous communities. I’m originally from the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands and plan to return there one day. 5 years ago last Friday, Super Typhoon Yutu crashed into the southern end of Saipan with sustained winds of 175 mph and gusts of 190 mph. It was the second strongest storm to ever strike the United States and caused 800 million dollars in damages. The storm killed 2 people, left thousands homeless, and tens of thousands without power for months. I had friends and family living in FEMA tents for months on end, and when they say they lost everything they owned, they literally meant everything they owned. As the ocean contin