A summary of themes that emerged from participant responses to questions about how they – as individuals and communities – care for the Land, the values that are inherent their approaches (top), and priorities for environmental monitoring and research initiatives (bottom). Participants spoke of these values emerging from creation and the Natural Law – depicted in the centre – and good relationships with the land, culture, and people is what allows these values to thrive – depicted by the relationships thread (red) weaving everything together.

Image created by Alexandra Langwieder from Align Illustration.

By Allyson K. Menzies, Ella Bowles, Deborah McGregor, Adam T. Ford, and Jesse N.

Read the full paper here.

Although Indigenous Peoples and cultures are diverse, many nations around the globe embody approaches to environmental care that are rooted in values like responsibility, respect, and reciprocity. In the midst of massive environmental crises, it is time for Western society to allow Indigenous self-determination and leadership to guide us all back to more harmonious relationships with the Land.

In this paper, we conducted interviews and group discussions with 40 youth, Elders, and Lands departments staff from 12 Indigenous communities across Canada. The purpose of the interviews was to articulate and give meaning to the values that underly the beliefs, relationships, and practices related to environmental caretaking for Indigenous Peoples, and to seek guidance on how to apply such values more broadly. Generally, participants emphasized the critical link between people and place and how this link leads to environmental practices rooted in values like respect, reciprocity, humility, and responsibility. They also reflected on the negative impacts of colonialism on their connections to the Land. They highlighted the value of and need for cultural revitalization efforts to restore traditional values and practices. As guidance for environmental practitioners interested in fostering Indigenous values in the work that they do, interview participants called for building and maintaining the right relations with the Land, language, and with each other. Ultimately, recognizing and uplifting Indigenous values systems and, specifically, the ways Indigenous Peoples relate to the natural world, stands to heal our relationship with the Land and safeguard it into the future.