Section 1.0

Preface

Recommended citation

Reed, G., Fox, S., Littlechild, D., McGregor, D., Lewis, D., Popp, J., Wray, K., Kassi, N., Ruben, R., Morales, S. and Lonsdale, S. (2024). For Our Future: Indigenous Resilience Report. Ottawa, Ontario.

Author Positionality Statements

Danika Billie Littlechild is Cree from Ermineskin Cree Nation, Neyaskweyahk, Maskwacis (Alberta) in Treaty No. 6 territory. She is an Assistant Professor at Carleton University, co-holder of the UNESCO Chair in Collaboration for Indigenous-Led Biodiversity Conservation, Health and Well-being and a co-Principal Investigator of the Ărramăt project.

Deborah McGregor is Anishinaabe from Whitefish River First Nation and an Associate Professor at York University. Her life’s work is to facilitate “living well with the Earth” for all life and future generations.

Diana Lewis is a Mi’kmaw woman from Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia. She holds the position of Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Health Governance. She is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph.

Graeme Reed is a Strategic Advisor at the Assembly of First Nations, with a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph. He is Anishinaabe from the Great Lakes (Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory), with mixed ancestry from England, Scotland and Germany.

Jesse N. Popp (Zoongide’e Mukwa Kwe, Mukwa ndoodem – Black Bear Strong Hearted Woman, Bear Clan) is an Anishinaabe member of the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory with mixed European ancestry. Jesse serves as a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Science at the University of Guelph.

Kristine Wray is Métis and member of the Métis Nation of Alberta with mixed ancestry from Danish, English and Irish heritage. She is the Canadian Mountain Network Fellow in Indigenous Knowledge and Decolonization of Science at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the shared management of key livelihood resources (e.g., caribou and fish) with a focus on the role of power and knowledge in resource governance.

Norma Kassi was raised and educated in Old Crow, the northernmost community in the Yukon. She is a citizen of the Vuntut Gwich’in First Nation (People of the Lakes) and a member of the Wolf Clan. In addition to her role as an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Science at McGill University, she leads land-based learning camps with youth from across Arctic Canada in collaboration with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, Canadian Mountain Network and the Arctic Inspiration Prize.

Raymond Ruben is an Inuvialuk harvester, Mayor of Paulatuk, and Inuvialuit Representative on the Environmental Impact Screening Committee. He also co-chairs the Paulatuk Energy Working Group, serves as Co-Vice President of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, Hunter and Trapper Committee Representative on the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area and the Tuktut Nogait National Park Management Board of Director.

Sarah Morales (Su-taxwiye) is Coast Salish and a member of Cowichan Tribes. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria in the Faculty of Law.

Shari Fox is of settler descent, originally from Ontario. She is the Director of Northern Programs at the Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre (GCRC) at Carleton University. She is also co-founder of the Ittaq Heritage and Research Centre in Kangiqtugaapik (Clyde River), Nunavut.

Steven Lonsdale is Inuk, born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and the son of May Akulukjuk. Steven works as an advisor in the Marine and Wildlife Department at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. He describes himself as forever a student of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and works to promote the use of traditional knowledge in research, policy development, and organizational operations. As an avid writer, Steven likes to combine Inuit oral histories with life experiences to showcase Inuit culture.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many people who contributed to this report over time and in a number of ways. Sincerest thanks to all for what you brought to our process.

 

Reviewers

Anne Kendrick

Brenda Gunn

Jamie Snook

Max Liboiron

Priscilla Settee

Suzy Basile

 

Support staff

Barb Bonspille, Assembly of First Nations

Lili Miller, Assembly of First Nations

 

Artwork, illustrations and design

Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)

Jessica Winters

Nooks Lindell

Siku Rojas

A note on the design

The creation of the artwork, illustrations, and design was led by a team of Indigenous artists and designers who ensured that the overall design was grounded in the Land. They ensured the work did not focus on particular cultural references or stereotyped icons that could exclude any nation, group or person. The artwork depicts various subjects, from berries to birds and landscapes. The colours and lines of the work bring to life the intricate and diverse relationships between people and the Land, highlighting the importance of the future.

Other contributors

Caitlyn Baikie

Daniel Taukie

Janice Grey

Jessica Wakefield

Katherine Minich

Lori Tagoona

Michelle Porter

Key Messages

This report is structured around five key messages. While the interpretation of each message might vary slightly across our various homelands based on our unique backgrounds and histories, they were identified and developed collaboratively to find commonality across our experiences. These messages are central to conveying our knowledge and our calls to urgent action on climate change. They are supported by examples and case stories that highlight Indigenous-led initiatives in climate change adaptation.

Indigenous Peoples have unique strengths for responding to environmental and climate changes.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis have responded to the impacts of environmental and climate change before, are actively responding today, and will continue to do so in the future. Our communities have unique strengths to address the climate crisis, despite facing disproportionate impacts from climate change and challenges related to the ongoing legacy of colonization.

Climate change is one of many crises that First Nations, Inuit and Métis face.

Climate change causes serious disruption not just to the environment and economy, but also to culture, language, knowledge transfer, ceremony, identity, health and well-being. These impacts are interrelated and intersect with other crises that First Nations, Inuit and Métis face.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and lived experiences are essential components of climate action.

To effectively address the impacts of climate change, it’s crucial to include Indigenous observations, knowledge systems and diverse lived experiences, especially those of gender-diverse individuals, women and youth, in all aspects of climate change research, strategies and decision-making processes. First Nations, Inuit and Métis have unique and diverse indicators and methods for observing, monitoring and assessing change.

The food, water and energy nexus is central to First Nation, Inuit and Métis climate leadership.

Food sovereignty is at the heart of First Nation, Inuit and Métis cultures. The nexus of food, water and energy sovereignty is a key priority for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. In each context, reasserting authority and decision-making is enabling a redistribution of power towards First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The revitalization of meaningful Indigenous economies based on relationships with the Land, Water and Ice are central to this redistribution and to Indigenous-led climate action.

Self-determination is critical to Indigenous-led climate action.

Self-determination and governance are key rights and aspirations for First Nations, Inuit and Métis in the face of climate change. We must recognize and address how the impacts of climate change affect our ability to determine our own futures, govern ourselves and adapt our governance structures to the impacts of climate change.

 

Preface

While Indigenous Peoples have been urgently and consistently voicing concerns to warn of the irreversible impacts of climate change for decades, our perspectives and expertise have often been constrained within non-Indigenous frameworks of climate change policy and research.

The For Our Future: Indigenous Resilience Report is the first, stand-alone report that discusses climate change impacts, experiences and approaches to climate change from the perspectives of First Nations, Inuit and Métis living in what is currently known as Canada. This report acknowledges the distinct Knowledge Systems and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, and the importance of self-determination in understanding and addressing climate change. This knowledge and these perspectives are credible and valid on their own, without the need for integration into other processes and frameworks.

The key messages of the report are intended to be broad enough to reflect various homelands, based on the distinct backgrounds and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. They draw from a set of shared principles rather than attempting to represent all Indigenous Peoples and regions across Canada. The report aims to offer a wide range of examples from existing research, community experiences, stories and case studies to foster inspiration and ongoing dialogues for the future. We have made every effort to reference specific Indigenous Peoples and their associated communities wherever possible.

As we have heard from Elders and Indigenous leaders, it is crucial to read this report with a sense of urgency. The impacts of climate change are accelerating as we approach an ecological and relational tipping point (Whyte, 2019). However, we can avert the most severe climate impacts if we take pause and listen to the wisdom of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. We urge policymakers, academics, and business leaders at all levels—local, territorial, national and international—to act now on the key messages and insights presented in this report.

We invite you to join us on this journey—urgent action on these messages is vital for our future.

Monochromatic blue dome iceberg. Light grey ripples extend from the waterline, giving way to a bummock larger than the hummock.

 

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