Dr. Angele Alook, an Assistant Professor from the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, embarks on a research journey to Bonn, Germany, championing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and advocating for ethical engagement with knowledge systems amidst the challenges of climate change.
Alook and her team recently participated in the 11th meeting of the Facilitative Working Group (FWG) – Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP), organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the aim of advancing their research endeavors. Their central objective was to produce three educational and research videos showcasing discussions led by Indigenous climate leaders on false solutions, just transition and youth engagement at the UN.
"We are actively engaged in the Indigenous Peoples Caucus 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," stated Alook. "Our participation is an active demonstration of Indigenous research methodologies in action, contributing to the decolonization of climate change policy."
During their time at the conference, they seized the opportunity to conduct interviews with a diverse group of individuals, including youth representatives, elder knowledge keepers, policy experts and members of Indigenous organizations. Their conversations spanned across regions, engaging with people from Chad, the Philippines, the Arctic Circle, the Inuit Circumpolar Council, the Metis National Council, the Assembly of First Nations in Canada and the Indigenous Environmental Network in America.
Alongside Dr. Alook was indigenous student Ashton Gladue, who is currently pursuing a degree in Communications and Media Studies at LA&PS.
"It was a fantastic learning opportunity for Ashton. 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," shared Alook. "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."
As the work continues Alook recognizes the contributions of her colleague Associate Professor and documentary filmmaker Dr. Martha Stiegman and research assistant Ana Cardoso from the Faculty of Environmental Studies, for assisting with data collection, filming and notetaking at official negotiations and UN side events. Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Graeme Reed, Strategic Advisor with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), was in attendance, and played a key role as a climate policy expert leading dialogue among Indigenous Peoples when LCIPP convened and provided invaluable advice on how to respectfully invite people to participate in filming for this research project at the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Language (CIKL).
Dr. Alook is a member of Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory, her research is mainly focused on the political economy of oil and gas in Alberta. She specializes in Indigenous feminisms, life course approaches, Indigenous research methodologies, cultural identity and the sociology of family and work.