Nikan oti (the future): Adaptation and Adaptive Capacity in Two First Nations Communities

Abstract

In the clamour to understand climate change and its inevitable impacts on environments and societal structures, the central notion of human capacity to effectively respond to altered human conditions has received little attention. Yet climate change has the potential to bring about undesirable shifts in the human experience on the social, economic, political and environmental fronts with the potential of negatively impacting the human social order on a substantial scale. Understanding past responses to shifts in the human living condition can help mitigate social upheaval in the wake of climate change disruption.

First Nations Peoples in Canada have valuable cultural resources and experiences that may be informative in confronting the social challenges presented by climate change. A research project was undertaken to document exposure sensitivities, adaptive strategies and adaptive capacities in two First Nation communities in Saskatchewan. The research was informed by past experiences the communities had with turbulent changes in their sociocultural environments and the nature of responses that cushioned them amidst the changes. The community people identified strengths, such as philosophy, indigenous knowledge, and practical approaches to visioning the future for the benefit of their youth, as important elements of survival and overcoming negative effects of change.