Climate Governance After Colonialism: Establishing Indigenous Authority in Environmental Governance

Author: Ashley Curtiss

Field of Study: Environmental Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 41

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: While indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems are becoming increasingly included in climate policies today, climate governments rarely allow indigenous people to govern their own systems or have any authority in land stewardship. This paper will determine the most effective and inclusive ways to implement indigenous governance and rebuild the conceptualization of indigenous sovereignty by comparing case studies of the Onondaga nation’s fight for land rights and Community-Based Monitoring in the Yukon River Basin. It will also analyze indigenous peoples’ roles in global climate governance conventions. Indigenous sovereignty is crucial for reducing the colonialist systems that create climate change, facilitate centralized infrastructure, and oppress indigenous communities who revolve around stewarding their land. A decentralized approach to climate governance that is guided by indigenous peoples will not only restore the health of the planet but mitigate the impacts of climate injustices.