Embargo Period

12-20-2023

Degree Name

MA in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management

First Advisor

Dr. Alex Alvarez

Abstract

The colonization of Indigenous peoples in Canada has serious consequences on First Nations, including forced removal and displacement from their ancestral lands, environmental degradation, declining resources and capacities, and human rights violations. First Nations communities are currently facing the amplified effects of human-driven climate change. Sustainability of the environment is not just a concept, but a practiced way of life, that recognizes the interdependence of all living things. This deep respect for Aki (earth) is at the foundation of First Nations cultures and continues to guide their actions to insure better futures for Seven Generations. The community of Minegoziibe Anishinabe (Pine Creek First Nation), located in Manitoba, has recently confronted life-threatening events of wildfires and floods. Like many First Nations, they have also faced the harmful social effects resulting from the legacy of Indian Residential Schools (IRS) and the epidemic of drug and alcohol use (Bombay et al., 2014). The community is creating capacities for risk reduction through taking care of their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Traditional roles and responsibilities of the Chief and Council, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members have helped guide mechanisms for emergency response and recovery. The analysis uses a holistic approach to understand community resilience (CR) through decolonized frameworks for disaster risk reduction (DRR).

Keywords: First Nations, Indigenous, land-based knowledge, Medicine Wheel, community resilience (CR), disaster risk reduction (DRR)

Disciplines

Canadian History | Cultural History | Environmental Health and Protection | Environmental Studies | Epistemology | Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law | Indigenous Studies | Oral History

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