Engagement with indigenous peoples and honoring traditional knowledge systems Julie Maldonado 1 & T. M. Bull Bennett 2 & Karletta Chief 3 & Patricia Cochran 4 & Karen Cozzetto 5 & Bob Gough 6 & Margaret Hiza Redsteer 7 & Kathy Lynn 8 & Nancy Maynard 9 & Garrit Voggesser 10 Received: 11 January 2015 /Accepted: 16 August 2015 /Published online: 26 October 2015 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015 Abstract The organizers of the 2014 US National Climate Assessment (NCA) made a concerted effort to reach out to and collaborate with Indigenous peoples, resulting in the most comprehensive information to date on climate change impacts to Indigenous peoples in a US national assessment. Yet, there is still much room for improvement in assessment processes to ensure adequate recognition of Indigenous perspectives and Indigenous knowledge systems. This article discusses the process used in creating the Indigenous Peoples, Land, and Re- sources NCA chapter by a team comprised of tribal members, agencies, academics, and non- governmental organizations, who worked together to solicit, collect, and synthesize traditional knowledges and data from a diverse array of Indigenous communities across the US. It also Climatic Change (2016) 135:111–126 DOI 10.1007/s10584-015-1535-7 This article is part of a special issue on BThe National Climate Assessment: Innovations in Science and Engagement^ edited by Katharine Jacobs, Susanne Moser, and James Buizer Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10584-015-1535-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Julie Maldonado jkmaldo@gmail.com 1 Livelihoods Knowledge Network, Santa Barbara, CA, USA 2 Kiksapa Consulting, LLC, Mandan, ND, USA 3 University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 4 Alaska Native Science Commission, Anchorage, AK, USA 5 Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Flagstaff, AZ, USA 6 Intertribal Council on Utility Policy, Minneapolis, MN, USA 7 United States Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ, USA 8 Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Network, Eugene, OR, USA 9 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD, USA 10 National Wildlife Federation, Denver, CO, USA