Uncolonizing Climate Justice

“To effectively address climate change, policies and solutions need to take aim at the ongoing drivers and root causes of the crisis and should center the voices, needs and leadership of the people most impacted by the crisis.”
-Indigenous Climate Action, Decolonizing Climate Policy in Canada, March 2021-

Do you want to approach climate justice in a way that challenges the colonial mentality that permeates most aspects of Western societies, including conventional approaches to environmentalism?

If so, welcome! We hope this is a valuable resource to you.

These resources will encourages environmental activists to not only speak out against the damaging impacts of the colonial mindset, but also speak in to our movements to discover of how colonialism continues to shape us and our actions, resulting in further disregard for Indigenous Peoples. With greater awareness,  new paths may appear guiding us forward.

Uncolonizing vs. Decolonizing

Un-colonizing is the work settlers (people of European descent) and non-Indigenous peoples can do internally to distance and detach from colonial ways of thinking, relating, and being on the land.   Decolonizing is  “a massive revolution to remove all people not native to stolen land, back to their land of origin, and returning government control, community control, resources, processes, and sovereignty to Indigenous peoples” (Rosa, 2020).

The inner work of settler un-colonizing, gives space for actual decolonizing efforts led by Indigenous peoples.

They are not the same thing.  When we use the term decolonizing as a buzzword for all social justice we turn it into a metaphor that detracts from actual efforts to return lands to Indigenous peoples and recognize their sovereignty to govern it, and themselves.

For more on this explore: "Uncolonize or Decolonize?"

Un-colonizing Ourselves and our Climate Movements

Before jumping to relationship building with Indigenous peoples it is important to become more aware of our own colonial mindset, individually and collectively,  how it impacts our view of the world (and climate justice), and how we engage within creating change.  Without an increase in awareness we risk repeating the same destructive patterns at all layers of society.

Consider working through these questions:

  • What is your group's level of understanding of historical and current colonization practices in Canada, the benefits for settlers, and the consequences for Indigenous peoples?

Learning opportunities:

  • In what ways has your group shifted from being quantitatively based (what is right/wrong, good/bad, what we stand for/don't) to qualitatively (relationship) based (inter-being of all things, honoring sovereignty, re-distributing power, equity vs equality )?  What areas require more work?

  • Has your group carefully examined its own culture as it relates to white supremacy characteristics?   What did you discover?

  • To what degree does each person involved know about their personal settler history?  The settler history history of the area you're in?

  • Has your group begun to learn whose territories you're on and make efforts to rectify ongoing injustices such as land you own and occupy without Indigenous consent, and without any benefit to them? See these films from "Land Back" for Indigenous perspectives

  • In what ways do you view the land as separate from yourself, speak of it this way, and act as though this is true?

  • In what ways do you ascribe to the colonial views of land ownership? How is that shaping what you see is possible in terms of conciliation, land, and climate justice?  See these films from "Land Back" for Indigenous perspectives

  • In what ways do you speak as though the earth needs you to ensure her survival rather than you needing the earth to ensure your survival (think about slogans, talking points, commercials, etc.)?  Why is this an important distinction?

  • Some feelings of urgency are likely due to the climate-related consequences we are experiencing because of our collective choices,  and some are likely an enduring characteristic of white supremacy culture.  Which is which?  How can you know the difference?

  • To what degree does your group behave as though seeking the involvement and leadership of Indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge in your local movements is optional?

As a reference: Imagine if we approached the inclusion of women and feminist views with the same infrequency and devotion as we do Indigenous peoples and views.  How would that feel?

  • In what ways do you use the involvement of Indigenous people(s) as a "feather in your cap"?

  • In what ways are you, or the movements you are involved in, creating space for Indigenous leadership at the decision-making tables during the design, consultation, writing, follow-up, and other stages of the initiative/policy/movement?  In what ways are you falling short?

  • Has your group closely examined the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to ensure you know what actions you must follow to honor these rights?

  • In what ways have you set your climate movement's culture, and then tried to get Indigenous peoples/nations/organizations to participate in what you think is important, in the way you think is best?

  • To what degree is your movement expecting Indigenous peoples to do the extra work of educating you (their oppressors) and dealing with whatever backlash results?

  • When an Indigenous person chooses to contribute to your learning, are you providing proper compensation for Indigenous knowledge and involvement or expecting them to participate for free?  What logic underlies a belief that they should participate for free?

  • How does your local movement demonstrate your understanding that colonialism, capitalism,  silencing Indigenous voices, and removal of Indigenous peoples from the land,  are inextricably linked and have created the climate crisis?

  • Within your movement is there an appropriate balance between un-colonizing your worldviews/cultures and building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples/nations and returning Land (decolonizing)?

  • When you support/promote carbon offset initiatives, green-based strategies, and environmental legislation how much research are you doing to ensure that Indigenous peoples were fully aware, involved in decision-making positions, giving full consent, and are not experiencing any loss of rights due to the new designation on their territory?

  • How closely do the actions of your local climate justice initiative role model the way of interacting you want colonial governments to show in their relationship with Indigenous peoples and Nations?  What areas would you like to give attention to?

  • In what ways are you currently showing up in support of Indigenous-led movements related to whatever issues are important to them?

We can not directly dictate how government relates to Indigenous Peoples on a nation-to-nation basis, but we can indirectly impact them by creating living examples at the grassroots levels of what we expect from leaders on a national scale.  

This is not an exhaustive list.  Always refer back to the local protocols in your area, especially if work has already been done to develop joint protocols with other groups and/or on a community or regional scale.

  • Ask about the protocol for speaking to leaders, traditional teachers, and elders to determine what is customary in terms of gifts and compensation.  This may be different between people and nations.  Who would they prefer to speak to from your group/organization?

  • Take the time to learn about their history, customs, and worldviews, and to attend the events they offer that are open to the public.

  • If you are asking an Indigenous person to educate, share knowledge, or assist in any way, you need to pay them a professional wage for their time.  In most cases, it would be highly inappropriate not to as you are asking them to do the extra labour of educating "their oppressors" which makes them vulnerable to verbal attacks and other abuses that are common when settlers are asked to change their perspectives.

  • Relationship building should be at a pace that is mutually enjoyable and not driven by a particular outcome needed by settler peoples.  This should be ongoing; not something that is started to meet a need of your group.  Think years, not weeks or months.   Think open-ended, rather than goal-orientated.

  • Assume that the culture of your group ( how you speak, make decisions, divide roles, resolve conflict, provide leadership etc.) will differ from the Indigenous people you want to interact with.  Avoid imposing your approach on them, as wonderful as you might think it is.  Take the time to learn how to interact respectfully according to their culture(s).

  • If you mutually decide to work together on something the co-creation of a third culture may be helpful to add clarity about how those involved will speak to each other, protocols, decision making,  and resolve conflicts. This takes time to develop and would likely be a later part of relationship building. Be explicit and if appropriate,  consider creating a covenant that explains how you will speak, listen, show respect, resolve conflict,  and otherwise treat each other.  State things in the positive (We will bring issues of conflict to the person involved as soon as appropriate. If we need more help we will bring it to ______").

  • Ensure that Indigenous participants representing an organization, group or Nation have the freedom to choose who represents them at the table and ensure that the bodies present are ideally weighted in favor of Indigenous representatives to help balance power.

  • If you mutually decide to work together, decide together what you will co-create.  Be prepared that these decisions may involve some type of consultation with their larger community/organization.

  • Aim to listen WAY more than you speak.  When you do speak try to use a calm pace, and to give space between each person's point to demonstrate that everyone is being listened to and their input properly considered before the next idea is brought forward.

  • Be prepared to address issues of trust,  keeping in mind that there is really good reason for Indigenous peoples to be suspicious of settlers and our causes, as they are constantly approached by settlers to "build relationships" based on the settler people's worldviews, political agendas, research fascinations, economic pursuits, environmental urgencies, and religious ideologies.

  • Be open to receiving correction.  Be mindful that it might come in less direct ways or through people choosing not to participate.  If you receive correction, listen intently without interrupting, explaining, or defending.  It is a good sign if someone is willing to invest in you in this way.

  • In the white supremacy culture characteristics a sense of urgency is listed as a defining characteristic.  In your movement/initiative notice when a sense of urgency takes centre-stage in front of building relationships, in front of doing your own un-colonizing work, in front of hearing about lived experiences, or carefully examining the repetitive patterns of colonial governments towards Indigenous governments.

  • Do not announce Indigenous involvement just because you're starting to build relationships with Indigenous peoples, Nations or organizations.  This is a sore spot as government, academia, and industry have been sneaky to call any conversations or engagement with Indigenous people "consultation".  If you decide to work together on an initiative be sure to follow whatever protocol they have for making that official.

What is the Doctrine of Discovery? 

The Doctrine of Discovery is a legal principle that European countries extinguished Indigenous sovereignty and acquired the underlying title to Indigenous Peoples’ lands upon ‘discovering’ them.

The Doctrine of Discovery is inspired by racist 15th century papal bulls dividing up “uncivilized” Indigenous lands for European powers. It became a legal principle through United States Supreme Court decisions of the 1820s and 1830s (the “Marshall Decisions”). It made its way into Canadian law in the 1880s through the St. Catherine’s Milling decision.

The continued centrality of the Doctrine of Discovery to modern Canadian Aboriginal law is the source of many Indigenous people’s rejection of the Canadian legal system and government policies on ‘reconciliation’.

Excerpts from: What is the Doctrine of Discovery, Bruce McIvor

More about the Doctrine of Discovery:

What is Land Back?

Learn how returning land to First Nations governance would mean a safer environment for everyone.
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Who controls the lands in this country we call Canada?
  • 11% Private
  • 41% Federal Crown Land
  • 48% Provincial Crown Land
  • .36 % Reserve Lands
Land Back: Indigenous Perspectives
The Agenda: March 28, 2022
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Land Back: The Crown Perspective
The Agenda: March 28, 2022

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What non-Indigenous can do

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Land Governance: Towards a More Just Future- Understanding the Land Back Movement
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Examples of Land Back
Articles about Land Back