Seattle Fire Department plans to replace its Northgate 'cancer house' station

Climate change is quickly altering the shape of the Northwest and coastal regions around the planet— ecosystems, organisms, the very coastlines collapsing into the sea. The effects of climate change are leading many to demand political action- the climate strike in September saw hundreds of thousands of people around the world walked out of our workplaces and homes to join young climate strikers on the streets. Close to home, stories of Coastal Tribal communities facing existential threats provide a unique perspective on the consequences of these changes - and their efforts to mitigate and adapt. Is it time to consider what was previously unthinkable: retreat?

We will convene climate scientists, tribal representatives, experts and journalists on the front lines of this debate to discuss whether retreat is the only real option, the immense challenges the people of the coast face, ongoing efforts to adapt to those challenges, and what lessons society at large can take from Indigenous resiliency and ingenuity.