Weekly Round-Up, January 21 2022
January 21 2022
A lot has been happening lately across Turtle Island. We know it can be hard to keep up, so we’ve compiled a list of news, events, and big stories related to Indigeneity and the climate crisis.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Editorial Fellowship—Impacts Of Climate Change On Human Health
Deadline: January 27th, 2022
From Future of Good: Future of Good Editorial Fellowships offer a unique opportunity to dive deep into a specific subject matter over a 12-month content residency. We currently host four Fellows every year, each funded in collaboration with a partner organization. Fellows are integrated into the editorial team, and become our resident experts on their topic area. We offer a fulsome program with diverse learning opportunities within the organization, with your peer Fellows and externally within the social impact world, which is evolving as our Fellowship cohort and alumni community grows.
Expert mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples: Call for submissions
Deadline: January 31 2022
From the United Nations: A draft report will be introduced by the Expert Mechanism at its annual session, due to take place from 11 to 15 July 2022, after which it will be finalised and presented to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-first session in September 2022. The Expert Mechanism hereby requests contributions from Indigenous Peoples, States, National Human Rights Institutions, academics and other stakeholders for this report.
Indigenous Environmental Journalism Story Grants 2022
Deadline: February 7 2022
EJN is offering reporting grants to Indigenous journalists to support the production of in-depth stories that will call attention to climate justice, biodiversity, sustainable ecosystems, Indigenous leadership and other issues related to the rights and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities.
NEWS:
Nunavik outdoor education program empowers Inuit youth
January 09, 2022
From CBC: Nurrait is Inuktitut for baby caribou — or jeune caribou in French — and the Nurrait | Jeunes Karibus' organization is all about helping young Inuit grow. At a time when many youth are feeling the isolation brought on by the pandemic, Nurrait has managed to keep its programs going, with some modifications, and is seeing some of its first participants start to take on leadership roles of their own. Created as an outdoor adventure program for students, Jeunes Karibus has expanded over the years to offer professional development, leadership training and opportunities to connect with Inuit elders and culture.
Survey finds oilsands environmental monitoring ineffective after 10 years
January 09, 2022
In July, Alberta Environment and Parks surveyed dozens of scientists and other participants in the Oilsands Monitoring Program, a joint federal-provincial program that has run under various names since 2012 and is funded by an annual $50-million levy from industry. A copy of that survey was obtained by The Canadian Press. Of the 112 people surveyed, 26 responded. They expressed concerns from a lack of overall direction to poor communication to an arbitrary and inadequate funding cap being gradually nibbled away by inflation.
VIDEO: Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Action: Community Solutions
January 13, 2022
From RAVEN: RAVEN and WE-CAN (West Coast Climate Action Network) presented another great webinar in our Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Action series looking at community solutions. An enthusiastic crowd of 500+ registrants heard from Pansy Wright-Simms, of Gitxsan Nation, who spoke alongside her mother, about the magnitude of extreme climate events and the impact they have had on the Gitxsan community’s access to food. Heiltsuk councillor Leona Humchitt joined the chorus with a look at the Heiltsuk Heat Pump Project that provides power from clean energy for their community and has also made heat an accessible resource for folks who could previously not afford to heat their homes.
Human Rights Watch report cites Canadian shortcomings on Indigenous, climate issues
January 13, 2022
From CTV News: An international watchdog is taking Canada to task in a new report over what it says are serious domestic and foreign policy challenges on human rights. The annual report of the New York-based Human Rights Watch says that while the Trudeau government has made efforts on advancing rights issues during its first six years in power, it has fallen short on addressing Indigenous inequality, tackling climate change, overseeing Canadian mining operations overseas and assisting Canadians trapped in Syria.
Research Paper Argues Canadian Taxpayers Federation Pushed ‘anti-Indigenous Political Rhetoric And Policy’ Over 21 Years
January 16, 2022
From Alberta Politics: In their paper, “Anti-Indigenous policy formation: Settler colonialism and neoliberal political advocacy,” published in the November 2021 edition of the Canadian Review of Sociology, they concluded the CTF has shown “demonstrable opposition to the idea of the existence of sovereign Indigenous nations and a demonstrated hostility to the exercise of Indigeneity outside the narrow confines of ‘culture.’”
First Nations chiefs concerned with Ring of Fire process
January 20, 2022
From Elliot Lake Today: “These are the world’s lungs, and rampant mining development could not only destroy this globally critical carbon sink but release its huge store of carbon and escalate climate change further into catastrophe,” reads the letter. The chiefs said there needs to be an Indigenous-led investigation and decision-making process regarding the Breathing Lands and called Canada to restart “afresh” with Indigenous nations mutually and equally participating in developing, enforcing and leading the RIA.
Ottawa commits $8.9M to support B.C. Indigenous justice strategy
January 20, 2022
From the Nelson Star: A new tripartite agreement between the BC First Nations Justice Council, the Government of Canada and the B.C. provincial government will see $8.9 million invested in Indigenous justice centres over the next five years. “This is a critical first step to transforming the justice system and improving the outcomes for First Nations people in B.C. But a lot of work remains to be done,” BC First Nations Justice Council chair Doug White said at a Jan. 20 news conference.
Oil industry board members summoned over climate ‘disinformation’
January 21, 2022
From Al Jazeera: A US congressional committee has already issued subpoenas for documents on what oil company scientists said about climate change and any funds spent to mislead the public on global warming. Key board members at four oil companies were called to testify in February about the industry’s role in climate change and spreading “disinformation”, turning up the heat on big oil after legislators grilled their CEOs last year.
Imperial Metals gives up BC watershed after pressure from Indigenous people
January 21, 2022
From CFNR Network: Aboriginal groups on both sides of the Canada – US border are celebrating after Imperial Metals caved to pressure. Imperial surrendered its claims in a BC watershed because of serious backlash towards attempts to acquire mineral exploration and development permits. A 24-million-dollar deal has been reached between the BC Government and the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission to return all of their mineral rights in the Silverdaisy Watershed, also known as the Skagit River Donut Hole.
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
Please consider donating this holiday season to help us support Indigenous-led movements, mental wellness of Indigenous youth, and Indigenous climate action across so-called Canada.
Organize & Elevate Wet’suwet’en Land Defense
In the long work of elevating Wet’suwet’en hereditary governance, there are many ways that supporters can step into movement through action. Please continue to organize in support of #wetsuwetenstrong. Thank you to everyone who has stood up.