Environment: NWAC at the Adaptations Future Conference| Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC)

Environment: NWAC at the Adaptations Future Conference

Issue: 18

Posted:
Dec 06, 2023

NWAC’s Environment Unit continues to represent the perspectives of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people at international climate change conferences. One of these conferences is the Adaptations Future Conference, which took place in Montreal this year. This annual international event is devoted entirely to climate change adaptation.

Representing NWAC was Hannah Patrie, a policy officer attached to the Environment Unit. Together with researchers, policy-makers, industry representatives, and Indigenous Peoples from around the world, Hannah contributed to conference presentations on resilience and the global climate crisis.

NWAC was invited to attend the conference by the Centre of Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER). NWAC’s booth showcased the research conducted by the Environment Unit under the Engaging Indigenous Peoples in Climate Change Policy Project.

The Adaptations Future Conference provides NWAC with the opportunity to share its indigenous-led perspectives on climate change adaptation from the perspectives of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. The conference also presents opportunities to network and collaborate with professionals from various environmental and climate-related disciplines.

“As a Metis Anishinaabe woman, I got to share the critical work that our people have been doing to protect Mother Earth for time immemorial. I spoke with many individuals; every single person was interested in the accomplishments of Indigenous People here on Turtle Island. Even more so, they respected and admired our efforts in a demeanor seldom seen at such high-level events. From scientists to policymakers, attendees were enthused by the undeniable presence and importance of Indigenous Peoples in climate adaptation, mitigation, and environmental protection and innovation” (Hannah Patrie, Policy Officer, NWAC’s Environment Unit).

Hannah sums up her experience:

“I had the rare opportunity to intimately talk to and learn from Indigenous People from so many different regions. I conversed with Indigenous women from Peru about their resiliency in today’s world. I learned more about medicine from my home region, which has continuously been affected by climate impacts. I got to meet the faces of an Indigenous-led environmental mission that I have been admirably following, called Reconnection Vision.

I spoke with elders from the Northwest Territories about climate change and what motherhood will look like for myself and the generations that come after me in such a changing landscape. I learned how to bead, speak some Ojibwe, and converse about injustice against communities with the amazing fellow Anishinaabe women next to me.

Hannah went on to say:

“I exchanged cultural teachings and prophecies with Bella Bella People from Haíłzaqv Nation. The significance of these interactions speaks to the relevancy of this conference and, specifically, our gathering of Indigenous Peoples. There we sat, each with our own experiences, languages, and cultures, but we collectively knew that our presence as one had power.”