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In addition to work focused on the political economy of oil and gas in Alberta, Angele Alook – a professor in York University's School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies and a member of Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory – has been pursuing interdisciplinary projects that underscore how critical Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems are to developing solutions to the climate crisis and achieving climate justice.
Among Alook’s efforts are serving as an academic delegate for the Indigenous Climate Action organization and as a member of the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council-funded Just Powers project, which looks to create socially just approaches to decarbonizing energy transitions.
Alook’s projects are often driven by the desire to champion Indigenous voices and knowledge systems. For example, for Just Powers, she directed a documentary called Pikopaywin: It is broken, which examines energy projects in Treaty 8 territory by sharing the perspectives and insights of Indigenous traditional land users, environmental officers and elders – notably from the Bigstone Cree Nation.
Recently, Alook attended the annual meeting of the United Nations' Local Communities & Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) Facilitative Working Group, which took place in Bonn, Germany. The event aims to facilitate the integration of diverse knowledge systems, practices, and innovations in designing and implementing international and national actions, programs, and policies in a manner that respects and promotes the rights and interests of local communities and Indigenous Peoples.
By attending the event, organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Alook’s objective was to produce a series of educational videos showcasing Indigenous climate leaders discussing false solutions, just transition and youth engagement – all critical elements to understanding climate progress and effectively moving the needle. Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change Professor Martha Stiegman and research assistant Ana Cardoso were also in attendance to support Alook with data collection, filming and note-taking.
"We are actively engaged in the Indigenous Peoples Caucus [of the United Nations] to uphold the principles of safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' rights, promoting ethical and equitable engagement with knowledge systems, ensuring direct access to Indigenous Peoples for climate finance, and advocating for full and effective participation," said Alook.
At the meeting, Alook and her team conducted interviews with youth representatives, elder knowledge keepers, policy experts and members of Indigenous organizations. Their conversations spanned regions, engaging with people from Chad, the Philippines, the Arctic Circle, the Inuit Circumpolar Council, the Métis National Council, the Assembly of First Nations in Canada and the Indigenous Environmental Network in the U.S.
Alongside Alook, Stiegman and Cardoso was Indigenous student Ashton Gladue, who is currently pursuing a degree in communications and media studies in York U's Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
"It was a fantastic learning opportunity for Ashton," said Alook. "He got to be in UNFCCC spaces, learn about Indigenous research methods and film educational videos with Indigenous climate leaders from all over the world, including elders and youth."
She added, "There was a special moment when a well-known knowledge keeper and climate leader spoke directly to Ashton during filming. In that moment, we realized we weren't just filming an interview but experiencing intergenerational knowledge transfer and revitalization of knowledge systems."
Beyond that powerful interaction, Alook believes her team's participation in this event – and others like it – is an active demonstration of Indigenous research methodologies in action, and one that she hopes will contribute to the gradual decolonization of climate change policy.