FIRST NATIONS CHILDREN IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

Indigenous children in Canada are among those most affected by the climate crisis due to the legacy of colonialism, underfunding and geographic location. Flooding, forest fires, ice melts, severe rainfall and extreme heat are an increasing threat to the safety of and relationship to the land for First Nations, Metis and Inuit children.

In Treaty 3 area, Northwestern Ontario, Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA) is responding to the climate crisis through an emergency preparedness and climate change adaptation program. The goal of the initiative is to enhance First Nations communities’ resilience to a changing climate by centering local knowledge and the perspectives of children, ensuring their voices and priorities are addressed in climate response. This program was designed and led by KCA, and supported by GSK Canada and the National Reconciliation Program at Save the Children.

...I notice that we barely have any animals here now …such as deer …and barely any fish in the water…