MEDIA ADVISORY
Monday, October 30, 2023

Vancouver BC — As the federal government takes steps to pass the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act in the House of Commons, climate and Indigenous organizations from across Turtle Island are proposing more concrete solutions than what are currently being tabled. 

Sacred Earth Solar, Indigenous Climate Action, The David Suzuki Foundation, Power to the People, and Real World Media are launching their much anticipated “Just Transition Guide” which explores Indigenous-led solutions to protecting communities & workers as we transition off of fossil fuels. The Just Transition Guide aims to act as a counterpart to Canada’s current plan for a ‘net-zero’ future, by grounding the transition in reality through community-based solutions implemented by Indigenous Nations taking action for a healthier planet and future. 

WHAT: Press conference to launch the Just Transition Guide and hear from the author and contributors of the guide from Sacred Earth Solar, Indigenous Climate Action and the David Suzuki Foundation.

WHERE:  Virtual on Zoom, Please Register Here 

WHEN: 9:00 AM PST, Monday, November 06, 2023

WHO: Media are invited to listen to presentations by the author of the report and speakers; there will be time at the end for questions:

• Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Founder at Sacred Earth Solar 

• Jayce Chiblow, Education & Training Manager at Indigenous Climate Action 

• Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Executive Director at the David Suzuki Foundation

• Former Chief Patrick Michell, Kanaka Bar First Nation 

For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact: 

Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Founder of Sacred Earth Solar and Co-Founder of Indigenous Climate Action 780-504-5567 melina@sacredearth.solar 

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Notes for editors: 

1. This event will also be live-streamed from the social media accounts of Indigenous Climate Action [Facebook] , Sacred Earth Solar [Facebook] and David Suzuki Foundation [Facebook]. However, there will be a zoom link strictly for media where they are able to ask questions at the end of the presentation. Zoom registration link for journalists & media.

2. Bill C-50, known as the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, has just passed through a second reading in committee on October 23. It focuses on creating a bureaucratic structure for a ‘just transition’ in Canada by implementing a secretariat, a council, and five year mandatory action plans. However, it lacks  the urgent policy we need to see now to address the climate crisis and ensure communities are prepared and resilient in the face of rapidly-escalating climate impacts.
   

SPEAKERS: 

Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Founder at Sacred Earth Solar 

Melina Laboucan-Massimo is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta. Melina is the Founder of Sacred Earth Solar and Co-Founder and Senior Director at Indigenous Climate Action. Melina is the inaugural fellow at the David Suzuki Foundation where her research focused on Climate Change, Indigenous Knowledge and Renewable Energy. She is the host of a TV docu series called Power to the People which profiles renewable energy in Indigenous communities across the country. Melina holds a Master's degree in Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria with a focus on Renewable Energy. As a part of her master's thesis Melina implemented a 20.8 kW solar project in her home community of Little Buffalo which powers the health centre in the heart of the tar sands.

Jayce Chiblow, Education and Training Manager at Indigenous Climate Action 

Jayce Chiblow (she/her) is Anishinaabe from Garden River First Nation, Ontario. She has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology and a Masters of Environmental Studies. Jayce’s Masters research was conducted in her community where she brought together youth, community leaders, and knowledge keepers in a workshop-style gathering focused on climate action through an Indigenous food sovereignty lens. 

Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Executive Director at the David Suzuki Foundation 

Severn Cullis-Suzuki is an activist for diversity in the natural world and in human society. From a young age, she has spoken widely about intergenerational justice, the need for ethics in our economics, and respect and recognition of Indigenous rights and title. Rooted on the West Coast of Canada, she is part of the global movement to shift our human path toward sustainability and survival.

Former Chief Patrick Michell, Kanaka Bar First Nation 

Patrick Michell is a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation and has lived in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon all of his life. Patrick has an Administrative Management diploma from Douglas College (New Westminster) and a Bachelor of Law (UBC 1992). After working in Vancouver with DFO and INAC, Patrick articled with the Ministry of Attorney General (Victoria) and Richards Buell Sutton (Vancouver) before being called to the Bar in 1997. Patrick practiced law in the Fraser Canyon until 2005 after which he became a full-time worker for the Kwoiek Hydro Project in the role of Community Liaison. The Liaison role transitioned into the community Economic Development Officer after the Kwoiek hydro project was completed in January 2014. With the retirement of Chief James Frank in Spring of 2015, Patrick became the Chief of Kanaka Bar in the communities first election in over 30 years. Since 1978, Patrick has been involved with all 5 phases of diverse renewable energy projects applicable within his communities Traditional Territory.

Sacred Earth Solar (SES) is an Indigenous women-led organization that works in solidarity with impacted Indigenous communities by bringing climate solutions and healing initiatives directly to the frontlines of land protection, cultural resurgence, and language revitalization. We believe the time has come for communities to reintegrate the wisdom of our ancestors by implementing a just transition in Indigenous communities. We work towards a future where we are no longer reliant on fossil fuels, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and inspire the world over to join us in our call to create a healthy planet that sustains all generations to come.

Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) is the only Indigenous-led climate justice organization in so-called Canada. Guided by a diverse group of Indigenous knowledge keepers, water protectors and land defenders from communities and regions across the country, we believe that Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems are critical to developing solutions to the climate crisis and achieving climate justice. We model our work and organizational structure on systems of free, prior and informed consent and self-determination. By providing communities with knowledge and resources, we can inspire a new generation of Indigenous climate leaders building solutions centered around our inherent rights and cultures. 

David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) Founded in 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation is a national, bilingual non-profit organization headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis, we work to conserve and protect the natural environment, and help create a sustainable Canada. We regularly collaborate with non-profit and community organizations, all levels of government, businesses and individuals. David Suzuki Foundation’s guiding principle is that we are interconnected with nature, and with each other. What we do to the planet and its living creatures, we do to ourselves. 

Power to the People (PTTP) is a television documentary series that explores the renewable energy revolution empowering Indigenous communities across Canada and around the world. In each episode, host Melina Laboucan-Massimo uncovers fascinating renewable energy or sustainable living projects. From revolutionary wind farms, solar power plants, run-of-river hydroelectric projects and tidal energy initiatives, Melina explores the challenges, simplifies the science, and showcases the benefits for the community and humanity. 

Real World Mediaproduces intelligent documentaries that inspire and entertain a global audience.  Through the communities we visit and the fascinating characters we meet, RealWorld crafts compelling stories about social, environmental, and cultural issues shaping our planet.