IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v10y2020i3d10.1007_s13412-020-00601-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are the natural sciences ready for truth, healing, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada? Exploring ‘settler readiness’ at a world-class freshwater research station

Author

Listed:
  • Elissa Bozhkov

    (Queen’s University)

  • Chad Walker

    (Queen’s University
    University of Exeter)

  • Vanessa McCourt

    (Queen’s University)

  • Heather Castleden

    (Queen’s University)

Abstract

The Experimental Lakes Area in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, is a globally prominent freshwater research facility, conducting impactful whole-of-lake experiments on so-called ‘pristine’ lakes and watersheds. These lakes are located in traditional Anishinaabe (Indigenous) territory and the home of 28 Treaty #3 Nations, something rarely acknowledged until now. Indeed, Indigenous peoples in the area have historically been excluded from the research facility’s governance and research. Shortly after it changed hands in 2014—from the federal government to the not-for-profit International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD)—the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada released its Calls to Action to all Canadians. The newly named International Institute of Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) began to respond with a number of initiatives aimed to develop relationships with local Indigenous peoples and communities. In this paper, from the perspectives of IISD-ELA staff members, we share findings from an exploratory study into the relationships beginning to develop between IISD-ELA and Treaty #3 Nations. We used semi-structured interviews (n = 10) to identify how staff perceived their initial efforts and contextualize those with the current literature on meaningfully engagement in reconciliation. Our analysis highlights perceived barriers, including time, resources, and funding constraints, as well as an acknowledged lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity training. Participants also recognized the need to engage Indigenous knowledge holders and embrace their ways of knowing at the research station. While the study is small in scale, as an international leader in freshwater science, transparency in the IISD-ELA’s journey in reconciliation has the potential to inform, influence, and ‘unsettle’ settler-colonial scientists, field stations, and institutions across the country and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Elissa Bozhkov & Chad Walker & Vanessa McCourt & Heather Castleden, 2020. "Are the natural sciences ready for truth, healing, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada? Exploring ‘settler readiness’ at a world-class freshwater research station," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(3), pages 226-241, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:10:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s13412-020-00601-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-020-00601-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-020-00601-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-020-00601-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hannah Hoag, 2013. "Ecology: Lady of the lakes," Nature, Nature, vol. 502(7473), pages 612-613, October.
    2. Nancy Rich, 2012. "Introduction: why link Indigenous ways of knowing with the teaching of environmental studies and sciences?," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 2(4), pages 308-316, November.
    3. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor, 2017. "Who controls the territory and the resources? Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) as a contested human rights practice in Bolivia," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(5), pages 1058-1074, May.
    4. Sylvia Moore, 2012. "A trickster tale about integrating Indigenous knowledge in university-based programs," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 2(4), pages 324-330, November.
    5. James D. Ford & Laura Cameron & Jennifer Rubis & Michelle Maillet & Douglas Nakashima & Ashlee Cunsolo Willox & Tristan Pearce, 2016. "Including indigenous knowledge and experience in IPCC assessment reports," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(4), pages 349-353, April.
    6. Robin Kimmerer, 2012. "Searching for synergy: integrating traditional and scientific ecological knowledge in environmental science education," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 2(4), pages 317-323, November.
    7. Susan C Weller & Ben Vickers & H Russell Bernard & Alyssa M Blackburn & Stephen Borgatti & Clarence C Gravlee & Jeffrey C Johnson, 2018. "Open-ended interview questions and saturation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Katharine McGowan & Nino Antadze, 2023. "Recognizing the dark side of sustainability transitions," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 13(2), pages 344-349, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alba Rocio Gutierrez Garzon & Pete Bettinger & Jacek Siry & Bin Mei & Jesse Abrams, 2019. "The Terms Foresters and Planners in the United States Use to Infer Sustainability in Forest Management Plans: A Survey Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Douglas K. Bardsley & Annette M. Bardsley & Marco Conedera, 2023. "The dispersion of climate change impacts from viticulture in Ticino, Switzerland," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 1-25, March.
    3. Kaiza R. Kaganzi & Aida Cuni-Sanchez & Fatuma Mcharazo & Emanuel H. Martin & Robert A. Marchant & Jessica P. R. Thorn, 2021. "Local Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Responses from Two Mountain Regions in Tanzania," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Friederike Hartz, 2024. "“We are not droids”– IPCC participants’ senses of responsibility and affective experiences across the production, assessment, communication and enactment of climate science," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-21, June.
    5. Amemarlita Matos & Laura Barraza & Isabel Ruiz-Mallén, 2021. "Linking Conservation, Community Knowledge, and Adaptation to Extreme Climatic Events: A Case Study in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Lars Even Egner & Stefan Sütterlin & Giovanna Calogiuri, 2020. "Proposing a Framework for the Restorative Effects of Nature through Conditioning: Conditioned Restoration Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
    7. Meadows, John & Annandale, Mark & Ota, Liz, 2019. "Indigenous Peoples’ participation in sustainability standards for extractives," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    8. Chandni Singh & James Ford & Debora Ley & Amir Bazaz & Aromar Revi, 2020. "Assessing the feasibility of adaptation options: methodological advancements and directions for climate adaptation research and practice," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 255-277, September.
    9. V. Savo & K. E. Kohfeld & J. Sillmann & C. Morton & J. Bailey & A. S. Haslerud & C. Le Quéré & D. Lepofsky, 2024. "Using human observations with instrument-based metrics to understand changing rainfall patterns," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Nicole Klenk & Anna Fiume & Katie Meehan & Cerian Gibbes, 2017. "Local knowledge in climate adaptation research: moving knowledge frameworks from extraction to co‐production," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(5), September.
    11. E. Lisa F. Schipper & Navroz K. Dubash & Yacob Mulugetta, 2021. "Climate change research and the search for solutions: rethinking interdisciplinarity," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 1-11, October.
    12. Alberto Diantini & Salvatore Eugenio Pappalardo & Tim Edwards Powers & Daniele Codato & Giuseppe Della Fera & Marco Heredia-R & Francesco Facchinelli & Edoardo Crescini & Massimo De Marchi, 2020. "Is this a Real Choice? Critical Exploration of the Social License to Operate in the Oil Extraction Context of the Ecuadorian Amazon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-24, October.
    13. Jonathan Lepofsky, 2015. "Heterodox environments: pre-undergraduate ESS experiences beyond the AP ®," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5(2), pages 207-212, June.
    14. Paola A. Torres-Slimming & Carlee Wright & Cesar P. Carcamo & Patricia J. Garcia & IHACC Research Team & Sherilee L. Harper, 2019. "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: A Mixed Methods Study of Health-Related Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) for Indigenous Shawi in the Peruvian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-17, July.
    15. Isabell Haag & Karim-Aly Kassam & Thomas Senftl & Harald Zandler & Cyrus Samimi, 2021. "Measurements meet human observations: integrating distinctive ways of knowing in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan to assess local climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-22, March.
    16. Claudia Matus & Pascale Bussenius & Pablo Herraz & Valentina Riberi & Manuel Prieto, 2021. "Nature Is for Trees, Culture Is for Humans: A Critical Reading of the IPCC Report," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-9, October.
    17. Rodriguez Kakule Amani & Bernard Riera & Gerard Imani & Rodrigue Batumike & Noelia Zafra-Calvo & Aida Cuni-Sanchez, 2022. "Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptations among Smallholder Farmers in the Mountains of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, April.
    18. Tracy Van Holt & Martin Delaroche & Ulrich Atz & Kevin Eckerle, 2021. "Financial benefits of reimagined, sustainable, agrifood supply networks," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 102-118, March.
    19. Merino, Roger, 2018. "Re-politicizing participation or reframing environmental governance? Beyond indigenous’ prior consultation and citizen participation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 75-83.
    20. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 0. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:10:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s13412-020-00601-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.