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In both Canada and the United States, the idea of state, provincial, territorial and national parks are widely celebrated for preserving wilderness for the public to enjoy. However, what might be less known is that the origins of the nature conservancy movement that produced these parks are based in white supremacy and anti-Indigenous racism. While these parks were established in Indigenous territories, they were designed to keep Indigenous Peoples out. In this episode, Heather and her guest co-host, Naatoi’Ihkpiakii Melissa Quesnelle, sit down with Dr. Deondre Smiles, a citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Victoria, to discuss how his research and teaching strive to disrupt the dominant environmental and conservation narratives by centering Indigenous preservation practices that sustain Indigenous territories. As a member of the Archipelagos collective, Deondre explains how Indigenous-led resurgence and planetary health are part of his work.
This podcast is created by the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria, with production from Cited Media. We are supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
