Relating to the Land and the Food We Take From It

Indigenous peoples were the original stewards and caretakers of the land. Settlers came to colonize a land full of abundance. There was abundance because the original stewards lived in balance with the land, and it wasn’t until settler colonialism that we as a society began to live out of balance with all living things. This imbalance, greed, and exploitation led to climate change. If we wish to begin to reverse our impact on Mother Earth, we must begin to care for her as the original stewards did. We must let Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous land management practices, and Indigenous peoples lead the way in addressing the impacts of climate change. —Althea Walker, Climate Science Alliance

Glossary of Terms

From Climate Science Alliance Building Authentic Collaborations with Tribal Communities: A Living Reference for Climate Practitioners:

Indigenous

This term refers to First Nations, American Indian, and Aboriginal peoples including from federally recognized Tribes, state-recognized Tribes, and nonrecognized Tribes who have historical, spiritual connections to their traditional homelands.

Sovereignty

Politically this refers to the inherent right of Native nations to govern themselves, their affairs, and their lands.

Indigenous/Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Evolving knowledge acquired by Indigenous and local peoples over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment.

From Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Toward an Agenda by Tahu Kukutai and John Taylor:

Indigenous Data Sovereignty

The right to determine the means of collection, access, analysis, interpretation, management, dissemination, and reuse of data pertaining to the Indigenous peoples from whom it has been derived, or to whom it relates.

‍

‍