“Blue-ice”: framing climate change and reframing climate change adaptation from the indigenous peoples' perspective in the northern boreal forest of Ontario, Canada

Abstract

The northern boreal forest in Ontario, Canada, in the sub-Arctic above the 51st parallel, is the territorial homeland of the Cree, Ojibwe, and Ojicree Nations. These Nations are represented by the political organization Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). January 6–March 31, 2011 the researchers and NAN collaborated in a study to record observations of changes in the forest environment attributed to climate change and share and exchange information and perspectives about climate change. Data were collected from 10 First Nation communities across a geographic area of ∼110,800 km2 (43,000 mi2). We explore climate change impacts through the lens of “blue-ice”, a term embedded in their languages across the fieldwork area and reframe adaptation in the First Nations' perspective and worldview. Changes in blue-ice on the landscape are affecting transportation in traditional activities such as hunting and fishing, as well as the delivery of essential community supplies. The word “adaptation” linked to climate change does not exist in their languages and the term is associated with European colonization. We propose the term “continuity” to reflect the First Nation worldview. Our recommendation is giving First Nations' perspectives and knowledge of their territorial landscape a foundational role in the development of climate change policy for Ontario's northern boreal forest.