Indigenous perspectives
Indigenous perspectives on climate change are varied, with a mosaic of insights that emphasize resilience, respect for nature, the importance of traditional knowledge and the need to prioritize local, self-determined solutions.
The First Nations and Inuit (FNI) in Quebec are on the front lines of climate change. Due to their close relationship with their environment, they are often the first to perceive changes and suffer the consequences. However, Indigenous peoples have an unparalleled capacity to adapt.
There are as many perspectives as there are communities. They are based on the special relationship that Indigenous peoples have had with their lands for thousands of years. Despite the uniqueness of each, they share common principles.
Respect and reciprocity with nature
Indigenous peoples consider humans to be an integral part of nature. Their food security is often strongly linked to, or even dependent on, the highly localized environment in which they may have lived for many generations. Consequently, the relationship of respect and reciprocity with this environment, which is expressed in the identity and cultural practices as well as in the adaptive capacity of each people, is paramount.
This worldview has given rise to highly developed wisdom and knowledge systems on their living environments. There are several ways of defining what is meant by “Indigenous knowledge,” since it is unique, develops in contexts specific to each people, and must be defined by the peoples themselves.
However, it generally shares common features: it is empirical and cumulative in nature, it is transmitted between generations, and it reflects the dynamic relationships between people, their ecosystems and the other living beings on their lands. Indigenous knowledge can include sustainable natural resource management practices and governance systems that position the environment at the heart of decision-making.
Indigenous knowledge is transmitted through language and embedded in cultural protocols, making an understanding of nature and climate a central part of Indigenous identity. Preserving these languages is therefore a vital part of transmitting this knowledge.
Intergenerational awareness / The seventh generation
Family and intergenerational ties are the backbone of Indigenous conceptions of land management. For example, elders are highly respected as sharers of knowledge, since they are considered experts in observing, monitoring and assessing environmental change.
The concept of the seventh generation encompasses this intergenerational awareness, even if it is not explicitly used by all Indigenous peoples. This idea, often attributed to the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunnee), is to always consider the next seven generations. This means taking the impact and sustainability of decisions concerning energy, water and natural resources into account in all planning.
An alternative perspective considers the seven generations in relation to lived experience, placing the current generation at the centre, with the others representing great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. From this perspective, an individual is seen as a link in the chain of a lineage, implying an awareness of their connection to their ancestors and their descendants.
Self-determination and local governance
Indigenous governance systems are based on Indigenous knowledge, which encompasses all the wisdom, practices and beliefs relating to the relationship between living beings and the environment. These systems also reflect a strong desire for autonomy in land and resource management.
The concept of self-determination lies at the heart of Indigenous approaches to governance, particularly in the context of environmental management. Indigenous people favour co-management and collaborative approaches that respect their traditional knowledge and governance systems. In Canada, they have the inherent right to govern their lands, territories and resources, including the right to develop and implement their own climate change strategies.
The focus is therefore on initiatives led by and for Indigenous people to respond effectively to environmental, social and economic challenges. Indigenous leaders are actively working to influence policy frameworks to ensure that Indigenous perspectives on climate change are represented, and to advocate for support for Indigenous climate actions.
Dialogues to this end with various government bodies vary from one nation or people to another, and depend on the theme. For some, this dialogue takes place directly between Indigenous, provincial and federal governments. There are also political representation bodies that act as an interface with several nations and peoples, such as:
Climate change can only be understood in the light of colonialism
To the FNI, climate change goes beyond direct impacts and is implicitly linked to the effects of colonialism. When it comes to climate change, colonialism has affected the FNI, and continues to affect them, in terms of land, adaptive capacity and self-governance.
First, extractivism, which is intimately linked to colonialism, is at the root of the profound transformations that are being perceived in the environment, due to the occupation of the land and the exploitation of its natural resources (for example, agriculture, logging, mining and hydroelectricity).
Secondly, the FNI maintain close connections with their environments, enabling them to develop their capacity to adapt to climate change. That said, certain impositions stemming from colonialism create challenges for many in maintaining this capacity. Upheavals such as the residential schools and the relocation of communities have in many cases contributed to a breakdown in the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and the creation of a previously inconceivable separation between individuals and their environment.
And lastly, the FNI must navigate governance systems built in the context of colonization in order to demand their rights, undertake their activities and continue to adapt to the many changes imposed by these systems. Furthermore, the policies and customs entrenched in the province and the country can make it difficult to integrate Indigenous knowledge into climate change policy.
There are other challenges related to the integration of Indigenous perspectives, including:
The research protocols and permits that exist to guide knowledge production practices related to Indigenous peoples but are not systematically used
The lack of consideration of communities’ interests in research and development projects on their lands
The desire to produce policies that can be applied uniformly rather than according to local or cultural contexts
A lack of familiarity with the perspectives, processes and approaches to research that are favoured by the FNI (e.g., talking circles)
A lack of follow-up on commitments made to Indigenous communities at the start of a project
Examples of documents and legislative bodies guiding the production of Indigenous-related knowledge
Seeking balance with a dual perspective
The dissonance between Indigenous and non-Indigenous perceptions, and the challenges that arise from it, can be mitigated with an approach focused on reconciliation and decolonization. But this requires a great deal of sincere listening, openness, training and collaboration.
Mi’gmaq Elders Albert Marshall and Murdena Marshall tackled this issue in collaboration with Cape Breton University biology professor Cheryl Bartlett, developing the concept of two-eyed seeing. The approach advocates recognizing the strengths of both Indigenous and Western knowledge in order to combine these two perspectives for the benefit of all. This method encourages mutual learning and cooperation, making it possible to ask more pertinent questions, value a diversity of viewpoints and analyze public policy in a more inclusive way.
