Fond du Lac band's Diver named to White House climate panel

The head of a Minnesota Indian tribe has been named to a White House panel dealing with the effects of climate change.

Karen Diver of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is the only Minnesotan on the task force, and the only tribal representative from the lower 48 states. She'll join eight governors and 16 mayors in advising the Obama administration on how to prepare for the effects of a changing climate.

Diver said tribal people who rely on subsistence diets have experienced first hand those effects.

"Tribal entities have been talking about this for quite a while, how do we preserve access to natural food sources, like good quality fish, maple sugar, for Minnesota tribes, wild rice, which was totally decimated by the flooding in our region," Diver said.

The task force will advise the Obama administration on how best to assist local communities prepare for and respond to severe weather events like floods and wildfires, severe heat and drought.

President Obama also signed an executive order intended to make it easier for communities to prepare for extreme weather.

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