The Ministry of Environment’s Blatant Incompetency in Addressing Indigenous Systemic Racism: Why Climate Change Disproportionately Impacts Indigenous Communities.

Climate change, the unheeded epidemic plaguing our environment, is galvanizing waves of change within the twenty-first century. From unprecedented mass-deforestation and rising sea levels to wildlife extinction and global warming, it would be an understatement to label the impacts of climate change as severe. The most menacing element of climate change, however, is that it impacts humans universally, not uniformly; the latter highlights that climate change disproportionately impacts the vulnerable, while the privileged remain less affected. Ironically, the biggest perpetrators of climate change remain minimally impacted, while the innocent incur inequitable costs. To simplify, the severity of climate change hinges on race, socioeconomic status, and disability; as such, if climate change is not appropriately addressed, social inequities will inevitably exacerbate. Climate change does discriminate. In anthropocentric efforts to address climate change, states are dedicating resources to internal environmental ministries—a subsect of government committed to maximizing environmental protection. The question then arises: what does this look like in Canada?  

Albeit known for an abundance of natural resources and biodiversity, Canada is experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis at double the global rate¹. Perhaps the most perilous threat to Canada is the Arctic region’s melting ice sheets and glaciers. Facilitated by global warming, melting ice sheets could increase sea levels up to two meters in 2100²; this, in turn, could wipe out entire territorial populations, damage territorial infrastructure, and destroy territorial ecosystems. To make matters worse, Canada’s territories are predominantly inhabited by one specific demographic: the indigenous³. Canada, an alleged champion for freedom and equality, is subjecting indigenous communities to flagrantly unaddressed environmental racism. The Ministry of Environment’s failure in tackling the unequal impacts of climate change in First Nations communities is a testimony to the zeitgeist of indigenous systemic racism in the twenty-first century. 

In Canada, environmental racism undoubtedly exists as climate change inequitably impacts indigenous communities culturally and socially. Revolving around the appreciation of land and nature, indigenous culture, unlike many others, places a high value on the preservation of the environment. First Nations communities merit the environment as sacred—oftentimes, indigenous individuals take it upon themselves to promote environmental stewardship. Indigenous cultural litanies involving the environment include harvest feasts, smudging, and sweat lodges⁴. At its core, indigenous culture maintains that an inextricable link between humans and the environment exists; the natural world is alive and deserves gratitude⁵. As the climate crisis continues poisoning sacred water bodies, reducing agricultural yield, and forcing indigenous relocation, traditional religious practices are become jeopardized. Socially, members of the indigenous community are facing adverse impacts on their health. According to a 2007 Eco Justice Report, it was found that indigenous communities “report increased rates of asthma, reproductive effects, learning disabilities, and cancer” than other demographics⁶. It is the disproportionate impact of climate change in indigenous communities that widens social inequities within Canada. The economic impacts of worsening health in the indigenous community lead to decreased potential employment. Disproportionate social inequities translate to disproportional economic inequities. 

Though it has been established that climate change disproportionately impacts First Nations communities, the Ministry of Environment is yet to deliver policies that ameliorate the prevalence of environmental racism. For example, the Ministry has blatantly disregarded unequal waste dumping fine impositions; a maximum fine for dumping waste on “Indian Reserves,” is $100, while the maximum fine of dumping waste on the “Crown’s” land is $1,000,000⁷. The value of a fine is equal to the value of the land in the eyes of the government; this reveals that, monetarily, the government has little to no value for Indigenous territory. Almost worse, one could say, is that the Ministry of Environment fails to make one mention of environmental justice in its 269-page Environmental Protection Act⁸. Disregarding the existence of environmental racism and the delivery of environmental justice is utterly antithetical to the Government of Canada’s mission to achieve equality. Above all, however, the Ministry of Environment is warranting companies to continue operations at the expense of First Nations communities. According to a 2017 report by the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, petrochemical companies in Sarnia, Ontario are unequally impacting the Aamjiwnaang First Nations; while this holds, the report stated that “neither the federal nor provincial government have properly investigated”⁹. Another industry impairing Indigenous communities is mining. Mining companies continue to unsustainably operate and destroy Inuit land, water, and air. Disregarding the 2004 precedent of Haida Nation v. British Columbia— mandating all governments to consult with Indigenous communities that might face unfavourable impacts of economic activity on their territory—the Ministry of Environment continues to favour corporations over the First Nations communities¹⁰. Change can be made, but the Ministry of Environment has chosen to accept the status quo: the Ministry of Environment is choosing to perpetuate the cycle of systemic racism. At the crux, the choice to deny the delivery of environmental justice is a choice to preserve indigenous racism in the twenty-first century. 

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1. Vera, A. (2019, April 02). Canada is warming at twice the global rate, report says. Retrieved November 04, 2020,from https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/01/health/canada-global-warming/index.html
2.  Sea levels could rise by up to 2 metres by 2100, new study finds | CBC News. (2019, May 23). Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/sea-level-rise-climate-change-1.5144739
3.  Census Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/abo-aut/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng
4. Religion and Spirituality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/religion-of-aboriginal-people
5. IBID
6.  Environmental racism in Canada: What is it and what can we do about it? (2020, September 18). Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://ecojustice.ca/environmental-racism-in-canada/
7. IBID
8.  David Suzuki with contributions from Senior Policy Analyst Lisa Gue. (2020, July 23). Human rights lens needed to prevent environmental racism. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://davidsuzuki.org/story/human-rights-lens-needed-to-prevent-environmental-racism/
9. IBID
10.  Nolan, B. (n.d.). Haida Nation v British Columbia. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from http://www.afn.ca/timeline/haida-nation-v-british-columbia/