New Narratives

  The problem: The mass media thrives on clickbait. Clicks generate revenues. So mass media has an incentive to sensationalize and oversimplify. They have an incentive to make you think that there are ‘enemies’ that you need to be aware of, so they create ‘others’ to capture our attention and upset us. When media stories, videos, and article represent Indigenous land rights, land defenders, and treaty rights as instances of “us” (settlers) versus “them” (Indigenous peoples), they are obscuring the truth. If Canadians are going to take effective climate action collectively, these tropes and stereotypes need to end. The Challenge: The time is now to speak back to media, to let them hear your voice. To let them know that the ‘othering’, the stereotypes, the identity politics that position Indigenous nations as obstacles to ‘progress’ need to end. Indigenous people’s are on the front lines of the climate battle all around the world. They are leading the fight. Climate change affects...

  Your Turn: You’re young, you’re savvy. You get social media. You can type 60 words a minute with your thumbs. And you know that social media’s a powerful tool for platforming marginalized voices. But just liking or sharing an Indigenous climate activist's post isn't enough. True engagement goes beyond clicktivism and engages real learning. Here are some tips for engaging respectfully with Indigenous climate narratives on social media: Do a Little Research:  You’re busy, we get that. Life is busy with school, work, bills, family, friends, etc. I know. You don’t need to do a dissertation, but before commenting or sharing an Indigenous climate activists’ post, take some time, even if its just a few minutes, to educate yourself on the specific issue and the author’s background. Indigenous environmental knowledge is valid and crucial to our survival. Take the opportunity to learn something new! Listen Before You Speak:  Actively ...

  The Issue: Media narratives often frame Indigenous environmental activists as opponents of “progress”. But what do they mean when they say “progress”? What is progress, and progress for who? Normally, the settler stakeholders are corporations and businesses who have an economic interest in extracting resources that Indigenous groups are trying to protect. These businesses are looking to extract resources from the land in order to earn income and profits, to grow their bottom line. This economic and financial view of progress is limited and short-sighted. Serving the financial interests of shareholders is not a form of progress that benefits all Canadians. Especially when this form of “progress” results in devastating land use changes that fuel climate change and cause problems like air and water pollution , carbon emissions, deforestation, and other ‘externalities’ that shareholders don’t have to pay for. Change the Narrative: We have to ask ourselves, what is progress and who...

  The Challenge: News stories about Indigenous land rights often get framed as a battle between "us" (settlers) and "them" (Indigenous peoples). When Indigenous land rights make the news, it always ends up framed as a competition between economic development and cultural or treaty rights. This ignores the big picture, and it frames Indigenous nations as opponents of progress rather than the stewards of climate action that they are. Here is a sobering reality - climate change is a threat to everyone. Seeing the Bigger Picture: Indigenous communities are stewards of the land. For thousands of years based on traditional knowledge passed down from generation to generation, Indigenous nations have sustainably managed the rivers, lakes, streams, forests, and plains, ensuring that current generations meet their needs without compromising the survival of future ones. This traditional knowledge has a role to play today more than ever. As capitalist extraction continues...

  The Problem: Have you ever noticed how news stories about Indigenous land rights rarely connect them to the bigger picture of climate change? Scientific researchers have already concluded that Indigenous Traditional Knowledge is essential to the climate challenge , so why does the media represent Indigenous land rights as a conflict between “us” and “them”? What's Missing? Indigenous communities across Canada are on the front lines of climate change. Their traditional ways of life are deeply connected to the land. They're the first to witness the devastating impacts of a toxic chemical spills, water contamination, warming temperatures, extreme weather, and other consequences of human-made climate change. They have personal and practical knowledge and insights to share with us, but their voices get lost in the media. Their stories and experiences are subsumed by the politics of ownership. Why Does it Matter? If we’re going to take action to address climate change, we need...