A world that I want to live in is one that balances justice and reconciliation, with ecology in respect to environmental sustainability through a compassionate lens. Values that are associated with my vision for this future would be rooted in equity regarding the distributional, procedural, and recognitional pillars of justice for all parties involved; wildlife and humans alike. At the most basal levels of equity, indigenous communities deserve to have at the bare minimum a seat at the table to make their voices heard that have long been suppressed and neglected. Moreover, introducing the consultation of indigenous communities would only be a step in the right direction, contingent on the notion that their point of view is not only acknowledged but valued as well. This will require a cultural shift rooted in compassion and require the re-building of relationships that have been strained for so long. While I don’t think we will ever be able to truly rectify the the suffering inflicted onto indigenous communities, our actions even today pour salt into their wounds that doesn’t foster equity amongst all, especially on lands that weren’t ours to begin with. There is an inherent inequity in the distribution of ownership on a myriad of fronts in regards to ecology, so the fact that we are lacking on a procedural and recognition front shows the lack of respect on a humane level that still exists today. I believe that equity must be built on a foundation of trust, respect, and the willingness to learn and grow alongside these communities with compassion for each other and the planet that we occupy together. Interventions at the most basic level would include increased representation in positions that are heard by policy makers. This could be to increase the number of seats in the federal council to increase indigenous voices in politics. By having all parties voices at the table, including ingenious peoples, social activists, environmental specialists we have the capacity to foster policy that is well rounded on multiple different fronts. Not only can we approach change differently in the future, but it is also our responsibility to rectify wrongdoings of the past. For example, there was no consultation of the indigenous peoples when re-introducing sea otters into their communities. While the damage has been done, it is our responsibility to approach them and see what can be done now to ensure they are heard with any future decisions or how to rectify the consequences of these unfiltered actions. The ultimate goal being to save our planet and live in a state of harmony and equity amongst each other can be achieved by approaching communication through compassion and mobilizing initiatives together with equal valuation of all perspectives. #UnleashValues
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Hi Ravleen! We should all respect the planet and nature, because if we as humans were to not care, then destruction and harm is inevitable. I liked reading your post, very insightful.
Relationship rebuilding is definitely something that needs to be worked towards. Although this may be a hard thing to achieve, at minimum we should continue to work towards at least building trust. Giving voices to those in the indigenous communities, like you mentioned will make decision making a more well-rounded conclusion.
Hi Ravleen, I particularly liked the part where you mentioned living in a state of harmony amongst each other. Not only do we have to respect the planet and nature, we also have to respect other fellow humans. Great post!
What an incredible post, Ravleen! You so clearly describe big-picture ideas such as living harmoniously with people and nature as well as pragmatic approaches to setting these overarching goals into action, such as increasing indigenous seats in the federal council.
Wow! Really insightful thinking and creativity. I wonder how exactly things would change if this vision was to become a reality?
I agree, I think in order for equality to be served, there must be a general foundation laid out that involves trust and respect for all communities. Once this is established, we can move on to the ultimate goal of communicating our rights with the hopes to inspire others to do the same for our climate.
Hi Ravleen, I completely agree! We cannot entirely right the wrong that was done with Indigenous communities and people, but not including them in important decisions made is as you said pouring salt on their wounds, especially when these decisions impact them directly. They have not only been stripped of their land, but by not being given the right to even be in the room while impactful discussions are had it clearly shows that they are not given the respect they deserve to date.