How Indigenous people can help us combat climate change

• Julian Brave NoiseCat is a writer and advocate for Indigenous people, specifically the Secwepemc First Nation and a descendant of the Líl’wat Nation of Mount Currie of British Columbia.
• He argues that change is an opportunity to reassess the bond between humans and the environment, which can begin with individual actions.
• Modern practices in areas such as wildfire control and fishery management are increasingly adopting Indigenous methods.

Julian Brave NoiseCat is a writer and advocate for Indigenous people, specifically the Secwepemc First Nation and a descendant of the Líl′wat Nation of Mount Currie of British Columbia.

NoiseCat proposes that climate change necessitates a reevaluation of our personal relationships with the world.

NoiseCat is not only an advocate for Indigenous peoples but also a skilled political strategist. He played a key role in the campaign that led to President Biden nominating Deb Haaland as the Secretary of the Interior, making history as the first Native American to lead a cabinet-level agency.

NoiseCat is a fellow of New America and the Type Media Center and was the Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Data for Progress, a progressive think tank. He was recognized as an emerging leader on the "TIME 100 Next" list last year for his leadership, writing, and political contributions.

Noisecat discusses the importance of learning from indigenous people's framework for relating to the natural world in responding to climate change in a sustained manner in the latest edition of CNBC's series on addressing climate anxiety.

Noisecat's comments from a telephone interview with CNBC have been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity.

Humans are part of nature

The idea of separating humanity and the natural environment is a key theoretical move in Western political philosophy.

In my opinion, the perception of humans as distinct from the natural world enables us to exploit and extract resources from nature.

The epistemology of the Indigenous context is very different from the one you might encounter in other contexts.

We perceive ourselves in connection to certain locations and, in certain circumstances, consider those locations to possess a spirit and a moral code.

I went fishing several times in August, including dip netting for salmon at Farwell Canyon on the Chilcotin River with Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars, Esk’et hereditary chief Francis Johnson Jr. and their families. We also prayed to the river beforehand and gave thanks for what we were about to catch.

Honoring and recognizing your identity and heritage can provide power and agency, which is a fundamental yet crucial aspect.

Defending and preserving places in the natural world is crucial when you respect and attach to them.

Indigenous peoples and movements worldwide are taking action to safeguard our planet. Similarly, everyone should be encouraged to take action to protect and preserve our world.

We are unaware of our connection to the natural world in the fast-paced modern era.

We don't typically feel grateful for the gifts we receive from nature.

If you work to act on those simple places, profound shifts can occur.

A return to old ways

I am not saying that is enough to fight climate change.

To increase the share of renewables on the grid, we must determine how to transition industrial processes such as steel production and cement to zero-carbon manufacturing methods. Additionally, we must find ways to clean up the agricultural sector.

To have a more reciprocal and just relationship with the resources and natural world that sustain us, we need to figure out how to do so simply.

We are not aligned properly at the moment.

Other methods that appeared to be effective were explored, and in certain situations, we are now reconsidering them as superior approaches.

In California, there is a serious discussion about forestry management that resembles Indigenous practices more than colonial methods. Similarly, the way we manage fisheries has become more similar to Indigenous methods before colonization than it was during the extractive overfishing relationship that nearly collapsed the fisheries.

In some regions, such as Canada, parts of the Amazon, and possibly parts of the United States, a strategy to preserve land as a carbon sink is being implemented, similar to Indigenous conservation of the land, to ensure that carbon remains in the forest and soil.

The notion of being connected and having numerous kin is highly significant in Indigenous cultures.

We are all related, both biologically and to parts of the natural world.

Our land relative is the black bear, as my family from a specific region of British Columbia considers them to be our kin.

The notion that we should treat one another with reciprocity, love, and compassion because we are all interconnected is crucial.

Believing that we have a responsibility to protect the non-human world from destruction and possessing love and compassion are interconnected.

It is challenging for us as humans to show compassion solely towards one another, let alone towards animals, nature, and the environment.

Perhaps we should care for those things because we share a connection with them. This perspective is equally valid and captivating.

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