Mishta-mishkutshipalu tshishik(u), the changing weather: Effects of climate upheavals on the Nitassinan of Pessamit and the co-design of a documented themed atlas
Summary of the presentation
The Innu people of Pessamit, known as the Pessamiulnuat, have long observed that the weather is changing in Nutshimit, the interior of Nitassinan, their territory. Climate disruptions are adding to the existing environmental and industrial disturbances, creating challenges for cultural survival, ecosystems, and the population’s health and well-being. The band council, the Conseil des Innus de Pessamit, has embarked on the co-design of a culturally grounded themed atlas in collaboration with an interdisciplinary environmental science team made up of representatives from UQAM, the Mamuitun Tribal Council, and other partners and researchers. From 2018 to 2024, the team worked closely with the elders’ committee, Ilnu-aitun, and with professionals from various sectors in Pessamit, to engage in a dialogue of knowledge.
Learning objectives:
Understand the main impacts of climate change and other environmental disturbances on the territory and culture of the Innu people of Pessamit
Identify the collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches that led to the creation of the documented themed atlas
Recognize the central role of the dialogue of knowledge concept and the participation of elders and local people in knowledge production in Indigenous communities
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* Presentation in french
Speaker(s)
Marie Saint-Arnaud is an ethnobiologist, associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at UQAM, and specialist in Indigenous studies in the field of forestry and climate change.
Claire Dubé is an anthropologist specializing in Indigenous studies and environmental education, with many years of experience conducting collaborative studies and research with various First Nations in Quebec.
Adélard Benjamin is a project coordinator in the Territory and Resources sector of Pessamit. He served on the Pessamit Innu Council between 2000 and 2014.
