The rapid and profound climate changes are putting lands and territories of many Indigenous communities (Metis, Inuit and First Nations) on the front lines of mitigation and adaptation efforts. According to Terry Teegee, regional chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous communities are often the first to experience the impacts of climate change. Indigenous communities have a strong dependence on and close relationship to the environment and its resources. Threats to Indigenous ways of life due to the changing climate are complex and wide-reaching. Specific experiences vary considerably based on the area or region in which communities are located. One of the general impacts that climate change is having on Indigenous communities in Canada include an increased risk of physical harm associated with traditions or activities including hunting and fishing. Very experienced harvesters are being forced to alter hunting strategies and take into consideration the lack of rescue facilities available (Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas of Canada). Therefore many people are also experiencing a loss of food security in part due to altered animal migration patterns as well as human travel routes impacting people’s ability to access country foods. Indigenous people may be experiencing threatened sovereignty and a loss of communities and culturally significant locations due to rising sea levels, flooding, coastal erosion, and melting permafrost.

How does climate change disproportionately affect Indigenous communities?

Indigenous people in Northern communities have historically demonstrated an incredible ability to adapt to varied and changing circumstances.  However, as the impacts of climate change intensify, successful adaptation becomes increasingly challenging. When considering climate change and its effect on Canadian citizens, it is imperative to acknowledge the social and cultural inequalities that exist when it comes to contribution, mitigation and adaptation. For instance, according to the Government of Nunavut, despite the small contribution made by a territory like Nunavut to national greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of the global excess are felt heavily by the citizens.

Impacts and path forward in The Arctic – Inuit Peoples

According to the IPCC (2019), the cryosphere changes in the Canadian Arctic have negatively impacted human health in several key ways. There have been dramatic increases in food and waterborne diseases, malnutrition, injury and serious mental health challenges especially among Indigenous people. Additionally, Indigenous peoples and other Arctic residents have had to change the timing of various activities in response to seasonal changes and safety of travel on ice, land and snow. Some coastal communities have planned for relocation due to failures associated with flooding and thawing permafrost. According to the IPCC, “limited funding, skills, capacity and institutional support to engage meaningfully in planning processes have challenged adaptation.” Inuit people have used and occupied Arctic and Subarctic land, ice and water for thousands of years, documenting use and reliance on the land and waters for many generations. It is imperative to recognize the critical role that Inuit people must play in developing adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the many complex challenges that define the Canadian North. 

Moving Away from indigenous stereotypes (‘passive witnesses,’ media portrayal)  

First Nations people have been and continue to be leaders in the fight against climate change. Inuit leaders brought warnings about the impacts of climate change to the international stage as far back as the Earth Summit in 1992. There are many groups working towards reconciliation in Canada that recognize the leadership of Indigenous cultures when it comes to sustainability as a central tenet of their relationship with the environment (Sustainable Canada Dialogues). 

Due to the unique context of Indigenous rights and impacts, (governance, economy, infrastructure and activities) many wide-spread solutions that policy makers have put forward do not acknowledge that Indigenous communities are already engaged in important climate change mitigation strategies that are deeply rooted in Indigenous customs and traditional practices (ICA, 2019). In many ways, Indigenous knowledge and practices can be an incredible resource for learning strategies to adapt to climate change. It is important to think critically about the sources from which we gather information on indigenous rights. In too many instances, a biased version of an event is told and shared widely through the media; stereotyping indigenous activists and protestors, misconstruing actions and portraying a radical, negative picture to the general public. 

According to the 2018 Indigenous Climate Action Report, the implications of culturally embedded perspectives are significant: National “Environmental” policies often ask relatively narrow questions about how to reduce emissions and mitigate or stall damage, whereas Indigenous water walkers, for example, are asking us, “How do we get to a spiritually grounded and more fully integrated way of life where we can swim, eat and drink from uncontaminated lakes and rivers?” There is a great deal that we can learn from the way that Indigenous peoples have lived harmoniously and sustainably with the land for thousands of years. Indigenous perspectives should be a central voice for policymakers and citizens of Canada to hear as we are adapting and developing sustainable communities of the future.

Summarizing Learning with an Infographic

• Have students create a one-page infographic either individually or with a partner of the most important learning from this inquiry – It can be from the survey data they gathered, or other knowledge gained during this unit. For more information on infographics, click here. 

Gallery Walk

• To add further engagement, the infographics should be shared with the rest of the class in some format, such as by conducting a gallery walk where the infographics are posted around the classroom and students rotate through them and are asked to write post-it-note comments on their observations or questions about other students’ work. For more information on gallery walks, click on the LINK.