Indigenous community perspectives on energy governance

Abstract

This paper examines Indigenous perspectives on energy sustainabilities. We as Indigenous Elders and non-Indigenous scholars collectively explore how pipeline leaks that cost several Indigenous communities of the Treaty 6 region (known as western Canada). While the pipeline project has brought income to some, and wealth to the few, its impact on the environment and on the lives of many Indigenous groups is profoundly concerning. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to pipeline leaks, yet have limited capacity to mitigate them as compared to larger urban centers. Using an Indigenist research framework, we used deep listening, traditional stories, reflective journals, cultural camps, and collective stories. We followed traditional protocols, continuous forms of consent, respect, and honour Indigenous Elders and Knowledge-keepers’ stories. We learned about community Elders, Knowledge-keepers, and leaders’ suggestions on how strategic decisions need to be made about pipeline leaks management and energy sustainabilities. The purpose of this paper is to provide Indigenous communities, particularly those communities of western Canada, with new community-led guidelines that can help them make strategic choices about pipeline leaks management to enhance their resiliency to energy. In this paper, we highlighted community suggestions on how to flip the traditional approach of fitting Indigenous ways of knowing into the Canadian legal structures by starting with Indigenous ways of knowing about the relationships of Indigenous people with land, water, and energy together with the impacts of the energy. We hope this paper may assist policy makers and Indigenous communities in sustainable energy policy development and provide a structured, transparent, and participatory decision support tool to government and communities to guide future energy management planning initiatives.