Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson on Pacific Islanders and Climate Crisis

Although the climate crisis affects humanity, Indigenous Peoples remain disproportionately vulnerable. In the Pacific Islands, Indigenous communities face immediate existential threats, including severe weather events, saltwater inundation, compromised infrastructure, and lost livelihoods—suffering the most severe consequences despite contributing the least to global emissions. Although Indigenous representatives attend major UN climate negotiations, their perspectives are often excluded from meaningful decision-making. During the 2026 Indigenous Media Conference in Portland, Oregon, from July 22 to 24, Lagipoiva Jackson, a Samoan Indigenous climate journalist and professor of Pacific Island studies at Portland State University, told the Indigenous Rights Radio Program Producer of Cultural Survival that Indigenous journalists are uniquely equipped to bridge this gap. Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar(Sunuwar) Music: Kutumba Band, Nepal, used with permission.