Keyword History

The First Nations “climate lens” seeks to disrupt mainstream thinking -- that characterizes First Nations as vulnerable and passive to climate impacts -- and positions First Nations as leaders that are cultivating and scaling up urgent and transformative climate action within communities and across territories. Through interconnectivity and collaboration, a holistic approach to First Nations climate action emerges that redefines what solutions look like, and are grounded in knowledge and teachings that have been passed on for generations.

This video documents the impacts of climate change from an Inuvialuit perspective. On Banks Island in Canada's High Arctic, the residents of Sachs Harbour have witnessed dramatic changes to their landscape and their way of life. Exotic insects, fish and birds have arrived; the sea ice is thnner and farther from the community, carrying with it the seals upon which the people depend for food; the permafrost is melting, causing the foundations of the community's buildings to shift and an inland lake to drain into the ocean. In the fall, storms have become frequent and severe, making boating difficult. Thunder and lightning have been seen for the first time.

Joanasie Karpik is one of Nunavut’s most respected Elders on climate change. In 2017, youth and Elders gathered together at Sannirut, a popular camping spot near the community of Pangnirtung, for a video and storytelling workshop. Joanasie shares, “I’ve lived two worlds now”, speaking to the changes he has seen to the weather pattern over nearly 80 years of observation in Cumberland Sound. These unprecedented changes are outside of local knowledges of Elders and Joanasie shares, “today, because of climate change, we can’t use their knowledge in the same way.” We must work together to rise to the challenge of this new weather system.

The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people who have deep connections with the land, rivers, and lakes across the northern plains – now the area of western Canada – where the Métis Nation began to flourish in the 19th century. Beginning with their involvement in the fur trade and buffalo economy, the Métis Nation has long-term cultural and environmental knowledge regarding the changes taking place across their homeland.[1]

The unique and rich knowledge of Métis people is linked to their history, homeland, and holistic experience and understanding of the environment. With intergenerational insights regarding resilience and adaptability, Métis people are sharing these teachings and thereby contributing meaningful solutions and hope in a warming world.

84-year-old Daniel Claypool worked in Alberta’s oil and gas industry for over forty years. Now, he’s at the forefront of the energy transition, and is spearheading an innovative project that will convert a decommissioned oil and gas well to produce geothermal energy. Claypool’s work shows that Alberta’s rich history - as an energy producing province - can play an important role in bridging to a sustainable future.

One of the best ways to understand long-term climate change is to look at historical changes in the environment. According to Dr. Colin Laroque, trees are storytellers, the “Elders of the forest,” and if we listen carefully to them, we can hear their teachings about what they have seen and experienced. Taking us on this journey, back in time, using the science of “dendroclimatology” -- or tree ring analysis -- Laroque shares his unique perspective as a Métis scholar, and shares his knowledge of climate change through his ongoing research and conversations with trees.

Darrin Qualman is a writer and researcher – with extensive farming experience – and who has been doing some long-term thinking about agriculture, climate change and energy systems. Given the large-scale and costly use of nitrogen fertilizer, fossil fuels and other inputs in agriculture, he has determined that it takes about 13.3 calories to make every calorie we eat. For Qualman, the solutions to climate change and the farm income crisis is to shift away from high-input, high-energy agriculture.

The Reep House for Sustainable Living is a 100-year old house in Waterloo, Ontario that has been retrofitted to be maximally energy efficient. This demonstration project shows how older housing stock can be an effective part of the climate change solution through a combination of cutting edge technology and simple upgrades.

Earth has warmed by 1 °C in just over 100 years. Damon Matthews, a climatologist from Concordia University, describes how this change in temperature is both human-caused and unparalleled in geologic history. Taking us through the evidence of our warming climate, Matthews discusses what these changes mean for Canada and suggests that the case for a dramatic policy response is very clear.