Course:IGS585/OK2019WT2/SpeakerMarloweSam

Marlowe Sam - Syilx Nation

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Ariele Parker Reflective Thinking. I found the discussion with Marlowe to be very inspiring. Having recently completed two-days of cultural safety training for working with Indigenous populations many of the issues that Marlowe touched on were top of mind. That said, I found the way Marlowe interacted with the class to be quite unique. He did not speak in an "us" and "them" way but spoke more about the Earth we all live on and how together we need to find solutions to a variety of wicked problems. This style of class discussion was very engaging and I felt honored that he took time out of his busy schedule to share with us. If I could best summarize how I felt in the class it was that of a grandchild or a student being mentored. It was a wonderful experience that I shared with both my partner and family after class. Analysis. As I listened to the presentation I found a recurring theme in the way Marlowe presented. Every large concept he wrote on the whiteboard he then backed up with personal examples from his own observations and research. This was a really interesting way to discuss problems of sustainability as he continuously invite us to participate. His history of noticing changes in biodiversity and certain birds, beavers and groundhogs were quite fascinating. I also really enjoyed his reference to how controlled burns were banned in Kelowna then we got the West Kelowna fires... now we are seeking out indigenous advice on controlled burns. Making Connections. As I have reiterated in each reflection, I am a Canadian citizen that grew up in Alberta till the age of 16 then moving to British Columbia. I also have a bachelor’s degree in business management from UBC Okanagan and nine years working in the marketing industry prior to starting my masters. I have a strong appreciation for businesses that find opportunities and niches in the marketplace. Marlow is in the business of teaching and passing on knowledge. I thought it was fascinating his mention of David Suzuki and crediting the indigenous for the majority of his facts. If anyone is a true example of mobilizing knowledge on sustainability it would be Marlowe. He was a true inspiration and I look forward to interacting with him and his wife Janette in the months and years to come. Ian Turner While I agree that the use if the white board and subsequently making connections to his personal life was an interesting way to communicate around the issues being discussed, I feel it also illustrates another of the difficulties in collaboration between indigenous and western scientific knowledge. As part of our western scientific training, we're taught that personal anecdotes are an incredibly weak form of evidence (at their very best), yet we saw in this class that they can also be incredibly compelling. In order to help facilitate the collaboration we discussed in class, I think it becomes necessary to rethink the place of anecdotal evidence in western scientific practices - to what degree it belongs I'm not entirely sure, but as the current paradigm stands, I think this dismissal represents just another difficulty in facilitating collaboration. Stephenie Hendricks I found Marlowe Sam to be our most compelling speaker so far. It might have been his point of view that reflected what felt to me like logical, common sense. Sometimes we can get very heady in our academic jousting and political positioning, but how do either of those efforts relate to the reality of what is actually on the ground? Marlowe’s stories of walking the land – of having observed and walked the land for forty years – leant an authenticity to his presentation that was markedly different than our previous speakers. From an early age, I have felt a deep respect and caringfor the knowledge I’ve received from indigenous teachers. In California, I learned a tremendous amount from a man from the Miwok and Pomo people (they were forced together on a reservation and intermarried) named Lanny Panola. He made history come alive and created context in a very pragmatic way. My education from indigenous teachers has been so profound and long lasting that I marvel that our governments (headed mostly by those of European descent) do not call upon indigenous teachers to help shape policy that will help us with having healthy environments and social systems. Restorative Justice systems here in Canada – notably being used in Nelson – came via New Zealand and Maori influence on the justice system. The deep tradition of consultation, consensus and collaboration could transform our policy systems if we were to focus on this and take the time, (as Maria mentioned, a crucial factor) to try to build trust. One idea might be to change the rules and classify the Westbank indigenous representative on the District Council to have a vote. Additionally, it makes sense to create (voting) seats for the Okanagan band(s) representing different communities as well. Perhaps a local apology to the Okanagan people and a local process for having displaced them from their lands might be a strategy to help build trust and share decision making. Perhaps something like this is already in the works, I don’t know. I do know that postcolonial shenanigans pitted bands against one another in this region. For example, the Colville tribes, where Marlowe comes from, do not recognize the hereditary elders of Sinxit in the Kootenay region, and I was told that they supported the Canadian government ruling in the 1950's that the Kootenay Sinxit are extinct, which they are clearly not. For the record, those Sinixt in the Kootenays are working hard to preserve watersheds there, including Perry Ridge in the Slocan Valley. I did not feel I received a response to the “Noble Savage” concept. I am not sure that I asked about it properly or clearly.  “The Noble Savage” concept – falsely attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but picked up by Steven Pinker more recently – in modern times, is a disparaging description of when one idealizes and objectifies indigenous people.  I came away wondering how and if this concept might also serve to discount traditional knowledge. The only thing I know for sure about this is that this is a very complicated universe. Amarpreet Kaur Hi Stephenie, I really likes your suggestions regarding creating voting seats for the indigenous people and also making a formal apology. This will surely help to create a vibe of trust among them and also by adding certain reserved seats in the city council for different indigenous groups will help them to exhibit their problems and needs. Moreover, interdisciplinary indigenous studies and awareness lectures will help people to know about the problems and situation of the indigenous people. Additionally, I think this issue is creating a lot of buzz all around and in future government and other authorities might come up with a common reconciliation platform.

The following table are the pairings for commenting on each other's reflections. These pairings are unique for each reflection.

Author - Commenter Pairs

Nicole	Maria	Stephenie	Nadia	Ariele
Aditya	Madeline	Amarpreet	Jeffrey	Ian

Madeline Donald

Hearing Marlowe Sam speak was refreshing. I have read much of his work and was delighted to have the opportunity to both ask him questions myself and hear the other questions asked to him by others in the room.

The dependencies that Sheila Watt-Coultier spoke about during her talk on February 26th and the Marlowe's statement of how dead all in the room but himself would be without running water, electricity, and petroleum are one and the same. They are both right of course. We are utterly dependent on the systems and infrastructures that uphold our lifestyles. 3-3-3 was the rule they taught us in elementary school. Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food—that’s how long we have. Perhaps we are not dependent on our systems for air, and in fact, more often than not our systems sully the air to which we do have access, but for the other two threes our dependencies are clear. If my tap stopped running, and the electricity ceased to flow in its mysterious ways through the walls of my apartment, and all the shops were closed, I would have no idea where to go for drinking water. I envy Marlowe that, as I envy his access to the warmth of a fire in a downpour. Thinking in this way certainly gives a new perspective on the meaning of "higher education."

As we are not living sustainably, not living within the carrying capacity of the earth that provides for us everything we consume and to which we do not return the favour, we cannot trust the systems and infrastructures on which we depend to continue providing for our most basic needs. They are, if you will, too big to fail.

What if we prioritized these things, air, water, and food. And what if we prioritized those things for all critters, not just humans. What would that world look like? I think it would look collaborative, because those are big priorities and we would need to work together: “a society of human beings,” as Marlowe suggested.

A delightful song I know contains the following lines:

See, money’s not the only yield,

you could be making a bigger deal

about what you eat for your next meal;

you can’t run on an empty tank.

Ignore the stash of cash in your pocket,

just make a salad with home-grown rocket;

you just have to go out the back and pluck it,

no need to go to the bank.

The Formidable Vegetables, the band that performs this song, facilitate the communication of Watt-Coultier’s dependencies or Marlowe’s meaning-laden bragging through comedic rhyming and lyrics that, if lent our attention, have more to say than meets the ear. Not everyone has the opportunity to hear respected and time-honored scholars and elders speak. We are lucky. And while we may not be able to share with others the specific opportunities we have had, we can share music and stories. A song is a musical story, and, as Thomas King wrote in his 2003 Massey Lectures, “once a story is told it cannot be called back. Once a story is told it is loose in the world.” This song could squeeze through tight social spaces in a way that a book or lecture never could. This song is loose. I hope any knowledge mobilization and sustainability policy work any of us do in the future can keep tools such as these in mind.

Maria Correia

Madeline, I too was struck by Marlow’s rhetorical question about how long we would survive without the essentials.  He and others like him would have no problem living off the land but the rest of us would be in trouble (even if we might be carrying a knife in our pocket). The thought of our vulnerability and reliance on functioning institutions for our basic needs has lingered in my mind.  Our family has focused over the last few years on reducing our carbon footprint and living more sustainably, but we are still vulnerable when it comes to meeting these needs.

I also wholeheartedly agree with you on the power of music and stories!  In fact, it was my belief in the power of “edutainment” for social change related to global warming and environmental degradation that brought me back to UBC after many decades.  So, the question you raise on how knowledge mobilization and sustainability policy can use these tools is also of interest to me. Thank you for raising it.  And I will check out the Thomas King 2003 Massey Lectures.

Jeff Nishima-Miller

I really appreciated our class visit from Marlowe Sam, his calls for collaboration provided a sense of hope and inspiration. Marlowe’s ability to break down the divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is a refreshing perspective which is very necessary in a polarized world. We need voices like Marlowe’s to echo through more spaces.

I left class feeling badly about my articulation of the Wet’suwe’ten circumstances, as I was unable to verbally express my thoughts on the situation. So, here is another go at it, I hope this makes more sense.

I feel it is both impossible and irresponsible to make opinions or comment on the issue by taking one side vs. the other, as my understanding of the Wet’suwe’ten peoples and culture is very limited. I am an outsider, who has no idea of the decision-making process within the community. Upon reflection, our discussion of the hereditary chief system vs. the elected chief system appeared to attempt to understand the division of responsibilities of Indigenous leadership in British Columbia (i.e. responsibilities of matters pertaining to reservation lands vs. responsibilities of traditional territories), which I feel is impossible as outsiders as every community is distinct. There is considerable variance between each nation and community, which without being an insider or carefully educated by one, can we actually know?

Across the country, this issue has been covered by almost every news outlet and social media platform alike. Groups have taken action, supporting either side of the coin (i.e. solidarity protests, etc.). But I wonder with what intentions? Anti-pipeline? Anti-government? Pro-reconciliation? I simply don’t know.

Almost every opinion has been given, except the one which is the most important: the opinion of the Wet’su’weten as a whole. Rather than supporting one side of the Wet’suwe’ten peoples, it would be wise to start by supporting the internal reconciliation of the Wet’suwe’ten as a unified nation. It is important that the whole community is given the opportunity to understand and collaborate on each side of the project proposal, including both issues and opportunities. By first supporting internal reconciliation, we are better able to support the Wet’su’wet’en decisions of how the land and resources are used within their territories. Decisions which are not ours to make.

On this topic, I would encourage you all to read the attached letter to the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs which includes an interesting perspective from a Wet’suwet’en member describing some of the issues from an insider perspective.

In conclusion, this class was an excellent reminder to stop, listen, and learn. If we truly support the process of reconciliation (a concept which is not mine to define) and new relationship building with Indigenous peoples, this an important place to start. Once we begin to understand that there is no black and white on any issue, we will be able to start seeking collaborative solutions which may exist in shades of grey.

Nadia

Jeff,

You also have noticed by reading my reflection, there is a difference in our points of view about indigenous people, which seems to be rooted in our backgrounds. I read all of the articles you kindly shared with me and the class. Thank you.

I like that you pointed out the polarized world and alliance, and connected this subject to our second session of this class.

About your third point, every decision making has several dimensions: economic, environmental, social, and political aspects, and I believe people often have their own perspective and own concerns in the community; and Jeff, I think this is the source of the conflict. The undeniable role of politics in this issue fuels more conflicts and complications. As a result, you can never address what these groups are disagreeing! And the same thing applies to the “Wetʼsuwetʼen” as well. (You may have noticed in the letter you shared, there is no consensus even among the “Wetʼsuwetʼen” in this regard.)

Ian Turner

Throughout class, I often found myself wondering what exactly the collaboration we all agreed was necessary would look like in the long term. Does this entail trying to fit indigenous knowledge into current western scientific paradigms? Or vice versa? Is there a happy medium that can be reached between western scientific knowledge and traditional indigenous knowledge? According to Marlowe, probably not. A good first step is a successful reconciliation, which we talked about in class as including things like recognition of sovereignty, the right to self governance, etc. However, inherent to this reconciliation is a division of people into two groups. This is where I really have difficulty with regards to indigenous and western scientific collaboration - no matter what, this division will always be present, and the two knowledge bases cannot be reconciled under the singular umbrella of equal knowledge. In my opinion, this division will always exist, and will always act as a potential breeding ground for segregation, systematic oppression, etc.. Is the efficacy of such a collaborative system therefore predicated on the existence of an altruistic human nature, where the onus is on us to effectively blind ourselves to knowledge sources?

Short of extreme measures like a complete overhaul/deconstruction of current governmental systems and expulsion/recognition of immigrant status of all those people in the country with non-indigenous backgrounds (which the assembly of first nations has said they do not expect) I do not see a feasible situation in which we will be able to effectively secularize knowledge from their sources for direct integration with one another, mitigating the risk of potentially racist interpretations of knowledge. We can certainly do our best at an individual level to ensure such interpretations do not make their way into our work; however, I'm skeptical there will ever be a situation in which we will be able to see complete, unhindered integration of western scientific and indigenous knowledge.

Ariele Parker

Ian,

I appreciate your bold honesty and straightforward approach to your reflection. I do agree with you that there are many hurdles and barriers to collaboration on various levels. One example that I found quite interesting was the exchange of knowledge regarding wildfires that Marlow explained. This is a great example that pertains to the course of the desire to become more sustainability focused and knowledge mobilization between different groups. Hopefully as time goes on we will be able to respectfully embrace differences and learn to better collaborate with one another to preserve our natural resources here on the land that we share.

Nadia Mahmoudi

I have not been in Canada long enough to be able to comment on our indigenous guest’s speaks. Having Marlowe in our class was great because he was actually the very first aboriginal person I have listened to since I was here. As a result, my reflection might be completely false.

During my presence in Canada, I have noticed that the subject of indigenous people is a sensitive subject, and I should be cautious while talking about them. The whole matter is something new to me because I guess this issue only exists in America.

However, I am familiar with discrimination, not having enough social power or approval, the feeling of being ignored, and the need to find your voice in the community. During this time, I realized that this is, most of the time, the issue that aboriginals are dealing with. They have become a minority in their own lands, and they are suffering from such issues.  

While I was listening to him, I could hear the talk of a discriminated person; however, after the class, in our discussion, I heard comments about the anger or resentment. In my view, it was not the case. In my opinion, he was trying to express how we need them, how they are essential, how the attentions must be drawn to them again; he already knew that the immigrants are doing good and have survived for centuries, but he was still expressing that you can only survive with their help. He was highlighting the indigenous knowledge and logic, knowing the fact that it is a knowledge that is obsolete and outdated thanks to the technology of the internet, yet it was all he had to offer. So, to me, his talk was more like a prestigious imploring! I know that sadness can easily be translated as pride, and feeling ignored might look like resentment, and I believe that underneath his great behavior, there is the feeling of “I don’t need your empty respects, I need approval and acceptance.”

The other topic that we scratched in this session was the pipelines that are for oil and gas. I have read a little about it, and the way it will helps the country’s economy and Canada’s gross domestic production. So from the logical and economic point of view it is the right thing to do. Based on the topic of this class, there are two drawbacks to these pipelines. Firstly, it is advocating the unsustainability around the world by selling fossil fuels, and the other reason is that it has ecological and environmental impacts on the lands and habitats, which is the reason why indigenous people are protesting against it. The pipelines are supposedly passing through indigenous “Wetʼsuwetʼen” reserved lands, and their protests were suppressed by police. I have read that the only thing that the Canadian government did was an apology.

I am not sure if it is right to say that, but I somehow agree with what the police did there because aboriginals here are stuck in the life of their centuries ago glorious life and are not compatible with the new world. In this specific case, what I observe is that they act like it is still the colonial era. They are not addressing their severe social problems. Though I know under so much adversity in their lives, change might sound hard or impossible, the way they are separating themselves from the modern community is definitely not the right way of solving their endless problems. Maybe the people who are disagreeing with this economic development, have never lived in a “not wealthy” country to realize what it is like not having social welfare. Even the money that the Canadian government is giving to the Indian bands is part of the same thing. They are seeking to have their schools, saving their old culture and language. In my view, this is possible only when the government is wealthy.

Jeff Nishima-Miller

Nadia,

There is a lot going on in this reflection that I highly disagree with.

You are correct in recognizing that Indigenous topics in Canada can be contentious and sensitive. While saying this, elements of your reflection are highly problematic. I hope that further research and discussion can help provide some clarity on the subject.

You have admitted having limited knowledge on the subject, therefore my advice would be to tread lightly.

In particular, your statement “I somehow agree with what the police did there because aboriginals here are stuck in the life of their centuries ago glorious life and are not compatible with the new world. In this specific case, what I observe is that they act like it is still the colonial era. They are not addressing their severe social problems”, is especially problematic.

I would like to unpack this statement by arguing:

a) The “new world” seems to be incompatible with ecological limits of the “natural world”, in which Indigenous ways of life have thrived in, without threatening ecological systems. We should take note.

b) Colonization is ongoing, therefore the colonial era is still present and exists in what are sometimes more subtle forms.

c) Territorial protection and restoring land-based relationships may very well be an effective way of addressing social problems and healing – we should not overlook this link.

I would encourage you to read the articles linked above.  

Nicole Bamber

One example that Marlowe gave in class that stood out to me was when he was talking about controlled burns in Summerland to prevent against large fires, at the advice of the Indigenous. This comes from a history of Indigenous experience with controlled burns at low intensity, in contrast with Western controlled burns at higher intensity. These high intensity burns have been controversial, since they can help to reduce the fuel load and reduce the severity of wildfires, but also contribute to smoke and reduced air quality while they are burning. In many regions, controlled burns have been banned, including those done by the Indigenous, since the forestry service considers them to be destroying trees as a commodity for economic gain. However, the intensity of the fires in recent years has been very high with detrimental effects on air quality and security, in addition to destroying these same commodity trees. This year, Summerland decided to work with local Indigenous groups to perform low intensity controlled burns to prevent against wildfires, and Marlowe is confident that this will serve as an example of the effectiveness of Indigenous knowledge with regards to fire prevention.

To me, this served as an example of why it is important to communicate and cooperate between groups with different perspectives (i.e. Indigenous and Western), as well as hinting at a potential way to foster this cooperation. As we have discussed in previous weeks, it is important to find common goals between groups with seemingly different interests. As an example, take the forestry industry who wants to make profit off the trees in the region to provide people with lumber products, and the Indigenous groups who want to preserve the natural land. In both cases, they would like to prevent the loss of trees from forest fires. In Summerland, the two groups came together to limit forest fire destruction, by using Indigenous knowledge about fire prevention, since the way the forestry service had been operating before (banning prescribed burns) had not been successful. Assuming the new strategy proves to be more successful, this is an example of how two different groups, with different views about the importance of the forest, came together to pursue their common goal. I believe that this idea could be applied in many other climate-related issues. As I've said in previous reflections, I actually believe that climate change believers and skeptics actually have many of the same core desires which could fall under the umbrella of "sustainability" such as protecting the natural systems around us. However, I definitely think that it will be easier said than done to simply erase the history of oppression and work collaboratively between Indigenous and Colonial settlers.

Maria Correia

I have been worked on a UBC water project for almost a year, which has allowed me to engage closely with the Syilx Okanagan community and learn about their deep connection and responsibility to place.  Thus, Marlow Sam’s presentation (and Sheila Watt Cloutier’s the night before) as well as our subsequent in-class discussion was highly relevant to me and my studies.  Indeed, the class at times evoked emotion as I reflected on the legacy of colonialism in Canada, the ongoing issues facing First Nations, and the (wicked) situation in which we find ourselves as a nation today.

Marlow Sam talked about the ongoing challenges in legitimizing Syilx traditional knowledge and practices vis a vis conventional science.  This is a recurring theme in our research.  It was a pity however that we didn’t discuss the Okanagan Return of the Salmon project, to which Marlow referred.  I have come to realize how extraordinary the project results have been, especially considering the high odds of failure.  And I believe there are many lessons to be learned in terms of indigenous and non-indigenous collaboration, which Marlow Sam highlighted as the way forward.  Sheila Watt Cloutier referred to “connecting on common ground”, which is a similar theme.

Overall, however, I am left with the intractable question of reconciliation, which I awkwardly tried to explain in class.  In an article in the Globe and Mail on Feb 29, renowned indigenous author and journalist Tanya Talaga argues that reconciliation by definition means the coming together of equal parts, which has never been the case in Canada. She suggests that "rebuilding" is a better word because it implies that Indigenous-Canadian relations are broken and need fixing.  Talaga concludes that, contrary to the messages we have seen on the blockades in recent weeks, “Reconciliation isn’t dead. It never truly existed”.  And judging by the profoundly ignorant reactions of federal Conservative leader, Andrew Sheer, and his likely successor and possible future prime minister, Peter MacKay, much needs to be done in terms of Canadians understanding the nation's history.

Acknowledgement of non-indigenous Canadians as settlers is a prerequisite for reconciliation, but this won’t be easy given that many Canadians disassociate themselves from our history. For myself, I will continue to work and learn from my project work with the Syilx community.  But perhaps more importantly, I am learning to take responsibility for being a part of the settler community that has benefited from the political, economic and social structures that make Canada what it is today.  

Madeline Donald

Reconciliation itself is awkward. Awkward because, as Tanya Talaga has said, and reiterated many times over in her recent Massey Lectures, it hasn't happened and will never happen if we don't first reconstruct our personal and national relationships. This I believe will have to happen through an examination of community and personal values. The recent appalling interview between Michael Enright and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip on the CBC's Sunday Edition was an excellent demonstration of value-structures that talk past one another. In this case it was a land vs. democratic process battle, in which Enright spoke over, past, and around the back of Grand Chief Phillip implying that there was no case to be made for not laying a pipeline in so far as 'the people' voted for it.

I feel more optimistic than Maria seems in her reflection above about the acknowledgement of non-indigenous Canadians as settlers, and agree that this is a necessary first step, though I think there is a parallel necessary step that often flies under the radar. That is, the acknowledgement and questioning of Settler-culture's values and the ways in which those values have led us to the situations in which we find ourselves in today.

Amarpreet Kaur

Being an international student, I do not have much knowledge about the situation of indigenous people and the problems the face. But, by reading certain articles, blogs and specially the talk by Marlow Sam exhibited their situation as a very sensitive and politically acclaimed issue. Undoubtedly, I accord Marlow's words that the indigenous people are much aware of the ecological, survival and environmental factors and also knows traditional methods to preserve them. Moreover, their ancestors have succeeded in surviving this very place since the time when there was no technology, administration, system and political spectrum. I also agree with the fact that many ugly things have happened with them in past which was against their cultural, personal and democratic rights. Thus, their resentful behavior is pretty obvious.

If I compare the cultural practices of the indigenous people, I found them very similar to cultural practices done in my country, INDIA. They worship their land, water and other natural resources in different ways (by some spiritual process or treating it as a divine entity) because this relationship with their resources was the foundation of who they were as a people and taking them away from their resources, cultural practices and land was a foolish, selfish, biased and unethical act.

Indeed, the things happened in past can't be undone or corrected. Hence a reconciliation among the aboriginal and western group is certain. I think, one solution could be to build a reconciliation framework which invites people from both groups to identify opportunities that they are fit with. Secondly, there should be more and more interactions between the people belonging to both the groups so that they develop a sense of trust and equity among each other. Also, Government should make some alternative arrangements and strategies so as to cover-up their losses in past. lastly, creating certain academic courses that explains their traditional and cultural practices in a scientific and rational manner so as to deal with wicked problems, like climate change, environmental degradation etc.

In the end, It will be really great to see how the blend of technology and traditional knowledge binds together and take a nation toward a better sustainable development.

Stephenie Hendricks

Amarpreet, I think that even though you are an international student from India, that you demonstrate a solid understanding about the situation described by Marlowe Sam regarding indigenous knowledge as a resource to help ameliorate environmental impacts. I agree with you about the importance of at least a recognition of past harm, and commencement of authentic efforts to help repair the damage brought on by centuries of harm might be accelerated to start to build trust. I think creating academic courses to explore the realm indigenous knowledge and raise awareness about this as a viable strategy for mitigating climate change and other environmental impacts is an excellent idea. In order to assist this process, a more robust recruitment of indigenous students would be good, along with a path forward to gain positions of influence. How government can validate traditional knowledge, increase efforts to repair harm and build trust, and create new rubrics for sustainable practices remains to be seen. In the meantime, I wonder how existing groups such as our class or NGOs focused on sustainability can play a role to advance the concept of indigenous knowledge as a valid strategy. Groups could propose funded indigenous consultative projects to City Councils and Regional Districts. Hate to be a broken record, but making sure the one Westbank indigenous representative on the District Board has a vote and adding voting positions for representatives from other indigenous communities in the Region seems to be an important urgent step.

Aditya Shingvi

Marlowe Sam mentioned that most of Canada's biodiversity lies not in the lands directly supervised by the Canadian Government but with Indian Reserves. This reiterates the importance of engaging with the Indigenous people who can be thought of as the guardians of their land and use the knowledge passed on for generations as a way to mitigate and even eliminate the negative effects of climate change in the region. There is widespread evidence of the natives adapting to events that effected the global climate such as the last Ice Age wherein they built pit houses underground over structures above the ground to survive the cold. It may be debated that it may be of little or no relevance to the problems of the 21st century but I still think it is important to consult them regarding the best way to use the land.

One important point note by Marlowe Sam was that the Australian wildfires were all concentrated around the urban centers and in a way proves (although not conclusively) that mindlessly changing the landscape of a region with no regards to the consequences can be disastrous. The native Aborginals are known to manage fires using controlled burns of low intensity in stark contrast of the practice of using high intensity fires started with diesel by the forest rangers. This is just one example of divergence in views and belief between the Natives and the Government and is making the efforts to collaborate especially difficult. There was visible dissent with Marlowe when someone asked how could we bridge the gap between the knowledge of the native people and the current scientific knowledge databases. Only way to reconcile would be accept fault for forcibly taking over their lands, apologize and sign treaties. I personally think it is important to deal with sensitive issues of the past before initiating any changes or making any decisions.

To conclude- Why not look at the problem from their lens? Chances are, we'll find a solution!

Nicole Bamber

Aditya,

I totally agree with you. I think that the Indigenous have so much knowledge and wisdom in comparison to our settler societies. Like Marlowe said, our society is so young compared to theirs. I also want to be optimistic and think it can be as easy as simply realizing what we have done wrong, apologizing, and working forward to a solution to the climate crisis. However, I have my doubts about human nature allowing this. We end up being driven by greed and personal motives, and truly apologizing and understanding the crimes our ancestors committed can be very difficult. That being said, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try! I think the government really needs to take action on reconciliation and maybe we can find a way to work together. I truly believe that the Indigenous have the knowledge and ability to adapt to our changing climate, and greatly mitigate anthropogenic climate change.