May 14, 2026
In many places around the world, wildlife are on the move. For Tribal Nations, who often hold spiritual, cultural, economic and subsistence relationships with wildlife and other beings, these changes present a number of threats and challenges.
As a Tribal Resilience Liaison in the Midwest, Ally Scott works with Tribal Nations, scientists, and government agencies to support Tribal adaptation and resilience efforts. She is a wildlife biologist by training, so when regional Tribes expressed concerns around wildlife range shifts, she saw an opportunity to use her skill set to support their responses.
“We know the theory of range shifts and we see evidence of it happening on the ground. But I don’t know of many efforts to proactively address it in the Midwest,” Scott explained. “Tribal priorities are also often left out when planning for range shifts. I'll hear wildlife biologists say, ‘We want species to move, we want them to track warming temperatures,’ because they're mainly thinking about the threat of extinction from a global perspective. And that perspective overlooks a number of concerns that Tribes often have.”
Scott developed Breaking Bonds: Wildlife Range Shifts in a Changing World, an ArcGIS StoryMap that explores the science behind range shifts, the impacts Tribes are experiencing, and actions that can be taken in response.
She started this work by gathering available information on snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) and moose (Alces alces), two species that are significant to Tribal Nations in the region and face very visible impacts from warming temperatures. Moose face increasing ticks, heat stress, disease transmission and predation, and declining habitat quality. Snowshoe hare are experiencing increased predation due to warming winters. Their coats change seasonally from brown to white to help them blend into their environment, but with less winter snow cover, their mismatched camouflage makes them vulnerable.
Importantly, the StoryMap incorporates Tribal culture and experiences. Scott is based at the College of Menominee Nation’s Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), so highlighting Menominee perspectives was a natural place to start. She worked with SDI Director Jennifer Gauthier to incorporate the Menominee language and referenced information the College hosts about Menominee cultural traditions and clan animals. Because that information is publicly available, it could be incorporated in a way that is appropriate for a broad audience. “We also recognize that the concepts introduced in this project may resonate more broadly, and could be adapted to different perspectives with different Tribes, cultures and languages,” she said.
Since this work began in response to Tribal adaptation priorities, it was important to receive review from the Tribe before publishing the final product. Once drafted, the StoryMap was reviewed by the Menominee Language and Culture Commission and Menominee Tribal Legislature. “I am coming at this as an outsider,” Scott explained. “I'm not Indigenous. I work for a Tribal institution, and I've had really good leadership and guidance, but I want to be clear about my role and where I sit in this work. I am not trying to definitively claim anything or represent anything on behalf of a Tribe, and that was why it was important that I went through the review processes and was responsive to their feedback.”
Adaptation in Action
Scott hopes that the StoryMap will spark new efforts to address the management challenge of range shifts, especially on Tribal lands. “I hope that this will assist adaptation practitioners in their decision-making. It’s important to link management actions to outcomes that improve resilience and reduce the negative impacts of threats. When working to conserve biodiversity, if we draw the line at global species richness, I think we’re missing a lot of place-based complexity that includes people and cultures – what ecosystems are those species a part of, and where? That matters, too, and has important consequences for human wellbeing.”
The future of moose and snowshoe hare in the Midwest is uncertain, but this StoryMap is one step toward more robust, collaborative efforts to understand and prepare for changes. In it, Scott details existing adaptation efforts led by Tribal organizations in the region and strategies that could help species persist in their historic ranges. For example, moose can be supported by limiting interactions with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and restoring wetland habitat. Promoting young forest habitats can provide snowshoe hare with places to hide from predators even with little snow cover. Species population monitoring is also important to understand and predict range shifts.
New Opportunities
There is much valuable information included in the Breaking Bonds StoryMap, but Scott says there is also potential to adapt and expand this work to respond to additional adaptation priorities expressed by regional Tribes. There are many more species, including many plants and fish, that are shifting north that could be added. There are also other species that are moving into or increasing in abundance in the Midwest region, such as nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). These species have their own historic and ongoing relationships with humans – what might we learn from their previous neighbors as they move into new territory?
Related Links:
- Breaking Bonds: Wildlife Range Shifts in a Changing World
- Wildlife Range Shifts & Tribal Lands Science Seminar presentation
- The Menominee Clans Story