Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe Master Community Relocation Plan
Shoalwater Bay Tribe Ancestral Lands / ONGOING
The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe, is located on reservation land on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Sea-level rise is causing the Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s low-lying land to disappear. Seva is working on the comprehensive Master Relocation Plan for the relocation of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe due to climate change and other hazards. This investment in the Tribe’s Master Relocation Plan brings the Shoalwater Bay community closer to moving their vital community facilities out of harm’s way and up to higher ground.
This project is one of many the tribe has taken on to make its land and structures more resilient to climate change. Seva’s role on the team includes leading the housing needs analysis, the economic development strategy and the strategic relocation effort. Seva will work closely with the Tribe to identify the housing needs of members and for essential tribal staff. The needs of the Tribe’s elders and children, the balance of art and cultural needs, and recreational opportunities for the community are important considerations.
The Tribe's Housing Needs Assessment uses a data storytelling approach that merges demographic, housing, and employment data with the lived experiences, wisdom, and future visions of Tribal members. Given the Tribe's location in a data-scarce area, Seva Workshop contextualized limited Census, housing, and employment data by using nontraditional datasets and gathering point-in-time data on the region's local realities. Our team built on previous planning and community engagement efforts documented by the Tribe to produce a community-driven narrative of the Tribe's future housing needs and desires.
