Land-based meanings of disaster adaptations from Woodland Cree First Nation, Canada

Abstract

This paper showcases how climate disaster presents unique challenges to many northern Indigenous communities in Canada. Disasters further exacerbate historical traumas related to colonialism, including forced displacement, land loss, and cultural disconnection. Indigenous cultural barriers and the imposition of external interventions deter effective communication and disrespect Indigenous sovereignty and traditional Indigenous land-based adaptation. Limited resource allocation prolongs socio-economic disparities, increasing vulnerability to climate-related disasters. Western disaster management often overlooks Indigenous worldviews and traditional environmental practices, leading to culturally insensitive and ineffective disaster responses. This paper advances an Indigenous Land-based Theoretical Framework that centres Indigenous Knowledges, cosmologies, and environmental stewardship in disaster adaptation. This framework offers holistic, culturally relevant disaster education by advocating for communities to draw on their traditional land-based practices of adaptability and resilience. Through collaborative research with Indigenous and non-Indigenous land-based scholars, this paper highlights the importance of Indigenous-led, land-based disaster management strategies. These strategies not only address immediate disaster challenges, but also support long-term sustainability, environmental preservation, and cultural continuity, offering critical insights for effective and culturally sensitive disaster management practices in the context of climate change.