“British Columbia has been dealing with wildfires for years and *now* Ontario cares?“
This week while we talked about the climate emergency on our socials, a frequent POV being shared was that Western Canada has been dealing with fires for nearly a decade and Ontario didn’t really care until they were personally impacted.
So let’s unpack that with our post series called From the Comments.
Yeah, fair - you (and other comments like this) are completely and absolutely right.
It is such a barrier to human rights-centred progress that we're conditioned to need to relate personally to something before we can give a shit about it.
– because had Canada collectively responded to the lived experiences of people suffering from the climate emergency out West, we might have mitigated the crisis we're experiencing today.
White folks and non-Indigenous POC in Ontario should have paid more attention to the lived experiences and needs of people in Western Canada over the past 10 years. Doing so is both the right thing to do and likely would have minimized the disaster we're experiencing in Ontario.
– and over the past 100s of years, white people in Canada should have listened to Indigenous peoples – who were forced to migrate from their lands* because Indigenous peoples are disproportionally experiencing, for significantly longer, the catastrophic effects of this climate emergency they played no part in creating.
*several times, all because of situations outside of their control - be it colonialism, present-day land theft or evacuating because of climate change
Big yikes, right? Do you need a moment? We did the first time we had to grapple with this, so we totally get it.
It's every kind of uncomfortable to realize that someone has been fighting against a problem you ignored, and then that same problem you ignored is now impacting you.
But look -and this is important - don't let that feeling of uncomfortableness allow you to look away now (after all, that's what got us here)– Push past that and stick with us - because you aren't alone. White people and most non-Indigenous POC in Canada are guilty of this too.
– Now, pay attention to the good news: Just because we've been fucking this up does not mean we have to keep fucking this up.
Did you know that if you speak to the most neglected communities*, you can often predict what issues will get worse in the coming decades?
That is because Canada is a country made up of "good enough" policies. We're designed to have haves and haves not - and the problem with a country designed to exclude is that it's a slippery slope once that precedent is set.
This is why Indigenous peoples have been calling for climate justice for so much longer than any white person in Canada has, but it's only in recent years that more and more non-Indigenous people have been experiencing the disruptive effects of the climate crisis.
In recent years, that system designed to exclude has been impacting white people more and more - not white people like Loblaws nepo-baby Galen Weston (he's fine, don't worry, we're sure he took a private jet to somewhere with clean air this week) – but everyday working and middle-class white people.
What are neglected communities? Glad you asked: Indigenous, Black, Trans, Low income, disabled, Migrants, Racialized folks, Queer, rural folks are a few
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It's worth noting that much of Canada is based around "good enough" policies. We're a country fundamentally designed around haves and haves not - and the problem with a country designed to exclude is that it's a slippery slope once that precedent is set.
"Good enough" policies, a term we're pretty sure we coined, are what essentially every policy legislating Canada is built on. Because Canada - as a British settler colony - was designed to be a cash cow (like all colonies) for the U.K., and it was designed to work for and benefit white cis-men who were straight (or straight passing) and wealthy enough to own land.
Every amendment to our culture and laws from back then to today - did not comprehensively, intersectionally, and inclusively address systemic failures.
For example - we gave women rights, but we failed to ensure they were paid the same, nor did we invest in education to get power (men) to understand women were - indeed - equal. We settled - for good enough.
So, now comes the most important question: Equipped with this information and pushing past the uncomfortable big yikes of it all - what are you going to do about it?
Because you know, we all know, that whatever we've experienced (or heard of) via the climate emergency thus far is nothing compared to what's coming.
And you might have seen our earlier post on how we're heated about the catastrophic failure that is Canadian politicians at every level of government who have failed to protect us while collecting a sweet salary that we pay for.
So what are we going to do about it, Canada?
Here's our suggestion - and as always - it's grounded in both human rights and evidence-informed information.
Globally - Indigenous communities make up less than 5% of the world population, yet they protect 80% of the global biodiversity.
Indigenous resistance has stopped or delayed the equivalent of 25% of annual US and Canadian greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite having their lands stolen and facing unprecedented human rights violations for centuries, the community doing the most to protect our planet are Indigenous peoples – and Canada, it's long past time we showed up alongside them.
TBH, we were surprised to hear about the extent to which Indigenous peoples are protecting the land, the waters, and our planet here within the colonial borders of Canada.
– though, as our American siblings are finding out – it's worth noting that the effects of our climate emergency do not need a passport to cross borders (also, what even are borders other than relics of European colonialism) -
–Holding all the power, playing hereditary chiefs against elected chiefs, and not giving Indigenous peoples the ability to say no or veto - isn't what we meant when we said "consult" Indigenous peoples @ Canadian politicians at every level of government
So how have our Provinces and Federal Gov responded to this planet-saving work done by Indigenous peoples? By creating a custom-made RCMP Unit: C-IRG*.
– And as a reminder, please note that in Canada, we have (1) many reports that include steps on how Canada can stop harming Indigenous peoples, (2) treaties (legal documents), (3) as well as a Charter of Rights and Freedoms –
Indigenous land defenders are currently experiencing excessive force, brutality and violence by the RCMP, and are (once again) being ripped from their lands and heavily criminalized, surveilled and harassed by our governments via the RCMP - for protecting our planet.
Don't take our word for it; international human rights orgs like Amnesty International have ample resources dedicated to Canada's present-day state-sanctioned violence against Indigenous peoples.
(Why yes, that is the same RCMP that ripped Indigenous children from their parents and put them in residential "schools" for our gov.)
*C-IRG has recently been rebranded to CRU.
Half of Canada experienced poor air quality this week, a direct result of 30+ years of politicians (at every level of government) ignoring the science and failing to represent the public's interest.
And Alberta, B.C - you're right, Ontario didn't give a shit until it happened to us - and that's not okay. But all of us are guilty of not listening when Indigenous peoples sound the alarm.
So here's our call to action for those of us who want the air we breathe to be clean and don't want to be displaced because of a climate catastrophe:
White people and non-Indigenous people of colour - We must show up in solidarity (vote, donate, show up beside, trust, listen, support) with Indigenous peoples to collectively demand our governments stop colluding with the private sector (be it the fossil fuel industry, developers, etc.,) and start representing the public's interest.
/fin
Join our Social Good Crew, a community for those looking for human-rights-centered solutions for our shared future at here.
Indigenous peoples have been protecting our planet the longest *and* have seen the most gains – while facing state-sanctioned violence and human rights violations.
Meanwhile, for over 30+ years, every Canadian politician, at every level of government, has failed the public while being paid to serve the public.
Moving forward, the only climate solutions we back are Indigenous-centered and approved solutions.
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The only way through this is together. The only way to actually see the change we need to save our planet from our leaders and corporations and address the inequality we're all experiencing to varying degrees - is to link our causes in pursuit of collective liberation.
It is rejecting "good enough" policies - that are literally designed with gaps - for comprehensive, sustainable and inclusive ones.
This means shutting down any climate solutions that don't center Indigenous peoples. That means voting against, organizing against, mobilizing against, and making noise against, any climate solution that does not center Indigenous leadership and is not wholeheartedly supported by Indigenous peoples.
Because a Canada that cares - truly cares - about
Indigenous human rights - that Canada cares about all of our human rights and actually protect our planet.
