Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Sustainability

Article 29(1) of theUnited Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples declares that "[i]ndigenous peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their lands or territories and resources".

Globally, indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected by environmental burdens compared to their non-indigenous counterparts. Some of these environmental burdens are, or relate to, the following:

• Contaminated Drinking Water

• Extractive Projects

• Hydroelectric Projects

• Indoor Air Pollution

• Flight Testing

Research one of the above listed environmental situations and provide a one-page report that addresses the following:

1. Briefly describe in your own words the environmental situation or burden affecting the aboriginal community.

1. Discuss the tension between First World and First Peoples environmental ideologies. Use examples from your chosen situation to demonstrate the First World view that commodifies land versus the First Peoples' view that we are the caretakers of land.

1. Discuss solutions to balance the needs of industrialized nations, indigenous belief systems, and environmental sustainability.

You are free to use any of the resources available on the following pages, or conduct your own research. You are also free to focus on another type of environmental burden faced by aboriginal peoples that is not listed above.

This is an individual assignment. Academic Integrity will be strictly enforced. All submissions will be subject to Turnitin.

Resources

• Contaminated Drinking Water

Appleyard, S J et al, "Protecting 'Living Water": involving Western Australian Aboriginal communities in the management of groundwater quality issues" (July 2001), online: Anthropology From the Shed

Human Rights Watch, "Make it Safe", Canada's Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis" (2020), online:

• Extractive Projects

Goi, Uki, "Indigenous Mapuche pay high price for Argentina's fracking dream" (14 October 2019), online:The Guardian

Green, Jeff, "Uranium mining in Ontario: Economic Boom or Environmental Disaster" (7 February 2008), online:Frontenac News

• Hydroelectric Projects

Hendriks, Richard et al, "First Nations and Hydropower: The Case of British Columbia's Site C Dam Project" (21 November 2017), online: Social Science Research Council

National Museum of the American Indian, "Impact of Dams on Native People Case Study" (2018), online (slideshow): Smithsonian

Survival Update, "Amazon Kayap Indians Got Damned" (2018), online:https://survivalupdate.com/amazon-kayapo-indians-got-damned/

Wilt, James, "How 22 Hydroelectric Projects in Canada Put First Nations Communities at Risk" (2020), online: Vicemedia

• Indoor Air Pollution

Bartlett, Karen, presenter, "Indoor Air Quality and Health in BC First Nations Communities" (2 November 2017), online: UBC SPPH

Francis, Jennifer and Favel, Mick, hosts, "Breathing Better Air in our Homes",Home on the Rez, season 2, episode 1, First Nations National Building Officers Association, online:

• Flight Testing

Brown, Kubie, "Desert National Wildlife Refuge threatened: Is military testing worth it? (3 March 2020), online: The Ultimate Predator

Helwig, Maggie, "Low-Level Flight Testing: Innu Women Fight Back" (1992) 13:1 Can Woman Stud, online:

Lackenbauer, P Whitney et al, "The Cold War on Canadian Soil: Militarizing a Northern Environment" (October 2007) 12 Environ Hist, online