Praying for Indigenous Voices at COP15

 

                                                                          Couzyn Van Heuvelen 

We have collected a number of pieces of art by Indigenous creators who live within the bounds of what we call Canada. They are of various sizes and surround us in our dining area. The two above are by Inuit artist Couzyn Van Heuvelen who was born in Iqaluit, Nunavat, but has lived in Southern Ontario for most of his life. We've got to know and admire Couzyn's work because he is the brother-in-law of one of our daughters, Jocelyn.                                   

Many of Couzyn's pieces are big and bold, intriguing interpretations of his cultural background. Our two are quite small and could easily be missed on a narrow dividing wall. One is an Inuit flensing knife in a design which has been employed for 4,500 years. Couzyn sells them in the north for practical use but we bought this one for the artistic beauty. The framed items are tiny cast representations of a walrus skull and jaw, a gift from Jocelyn. Both of these reflect the realities of living with and on the land as part of Indigenous cultures in Canada and around the world. 

 Glen Road Pedestrian Tunnel -- Couzyn Van Heuvelen

This week the COP15 Biodiversity Conference commences in Montreal and  I wrote about it in my Lion Lamb blog. It's important for me to address the subject in my Groundling blog as well, in the context of Indigenous voices at COP15. The Narwhal magazine has an excellent "explainer" with the title 

How can Canada stop the biodiversity crisis? Step back and centre Indigenous Peoples

Against the backdrop of the sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history, Canada is hosting COP15, a pivotal global biodiversity summit. Here’s how Indigenous-led conservation is bringing much-needed ambition and hope to the negotiations

Next week, thousands of delegates from around the world will gather for the United Nations biodiversity conference, COP15, in Montreal on Kanien’kéha territory. Their goal is to sign an agreement to try to stop the biodiversity crisis in its tracks. But that can’t be done without true recognition of the important role of Indigenous Peoples, explained Valérie Courtois, director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative...

The stakes for this global biodiversity conference are high. While countries don’t have a great track record for keeping their conservation commitments, Indigenous Peoples do. Making up only five per cent of the world’s population — and often persecuted by colonial states and displaced from their lands —Indigenous Peoples steward 80 per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity. About 90 per cent of protected areas established in Canada in the past two decades have been established as a result of Indigenous partnerships or Indigenous leadership, according to the Indigenous Leadership Initiative.

There’s an opportunity to centre Indigenous-led conservation at COP15 and assert Indigenous Peoples’ place as the world’s most effective stewards, Courtois, who is a member of the Ilnu community of Mashteuiatsh, said. 

As the conference gets under way we can ffer an Advent prayer of anticipation for the recognition of the wisdom of Indigenous cultures around the world. Our prayers could also include repentance for the collusion of Christianity with invaders in subverting Indigenous culture as part of colonialism. It's sad that while our scriptures teach respect for Creator and Creation we have often ignored the vital message and at the same time been contemptuous of Indigenous respect for the Earth. Look where that's got us.