Climate change is disrupting the fundamental conditions of human life and exacerbating existing inequity by placing further burdens on already vulnerable communities. Exposure to risk and its consequences varies by where people live and work. At MIT, the Resilient Communities Lab (RCL) works with communities domestically and internationally to address inequities and improve adaptation outcomes by co-designing collaborative solutions.
“Climate change is not just a challenge, but an opportunity to transform society in a way that enables and revitalizes communities.”
— Dr. Janelle Knox-Hayes
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of the land, and the enduring relationship that exists between them and their traditional territories. The lands which MIT occupies are the traditional unceded territories of the Wampanoag Nation, the Massachusett, and the Nip-muc Peoples. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced occupation of these territories, as well as the ongoing processes of colonialism and dispossession in which we and our institution are implicated. Beyond the stolen territory that we physically occupy, MIT has long profited from the sale of federal lands granted by the Morrill Act—territories stolen from 82 Tribes, including the Greater and Little Osage, Chippewa, and Omaha Peoples. As we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous people connected to this land from time immemorial, we commit our work to restoration and seek to leave Indigenous peoples in more empowered positions.