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Author: Betty Biesenthal
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Cumulative Effects

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment defines cumulative effects as changes in the environment caused by multiple interactions among human activities and natural processes that accumulate across time and space.

Some Indigenous communities and organizations have brought their perspective to cumulative effects by developing their own definition. Their original take helps to better understand cumulative effects. For example, the Metlakatla Cumulative Effects Monitoring program defines cumulative effects as “changes to the environment or human well-being from past, present, and future development projects and human activities”.  

Another Indigenous organization that has elaborated on the definition of cumulative effects is the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB). In 2007, they defined cumulative effects as “the impacts on the biophysical and socio-economic environment that results from the incremental effects of a development when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future developments, regardless of what agency or person undertakes such other developments. Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over a period of time”.

When we look at cumulative effects from an Indigenous perspective, we always consider the cultural, social, and health impacts — in addition to the environmental effects — of such activities and processes on our land, water and air.

Across Canada, Indigenous communities are witnessing substantial changes that threaten our well-being. For example, the decrease of species that are vital to local and traditional food systems, such as salmon and caribou, may be devastating for our traditional cultural practices and the regional economy as a whole.

As Indigenous communities, we aspire to better understand how the cumulative effects of activities related to economic expansion and industrial development affect every person, place and thing on our evolving territory.

Facilitating enhanced assessment, monitoring and management capacity is vital for sound environmental stewardship and effective decision-making — for today, and into the future — because we are all connected.

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Betty Biesenthal September 17, 2020 0
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Establishment of the Center

The Indigenous Forum on Cumulative Effects provided an opportunity to express the interests, technical ability, and knowledge of each community to help build the objectives, activities, and governance of ICCE.

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Betty Biesenthal September 17, 2020 0
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Indigenous Communities

Indigenous Communities recognize that sharing knowledge, strengthening relationships, supporting each other, and working together is a valuable part of who we are as a collective people.

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Betty Biesenthal September 17, 2020 0
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Community

As First Nations, MÃĐtis and Inuit peoples, we have a profound connection to Mother Earth and our communities. We are conscious about how the cumulative effects from development, competing land use priorities and other factors can have an impact on the well-being of our communities over time. 

Understanding cumulative effects is connected to many aspects of our Indigenous communities, including:

  • traditional teachings and practices
  • Indigenous values    
  • health and well-being
  • self-determination
  • access to community territory
  • taking care of land, air and water
  • economic development
  • capacity building
  • Indigenous Rights

We Are Two-Eyed Seeing

We are First Nations, Inuit and MÃĐtis from Indigenous communities across Canada.

We are building our capacity to share our knowledge, experience and strengths to ensure the well-being of our communities for the future.

We are Two-Eyed Seeing, which means we respect and value both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge systems.

We are Indigenous community members from all traditions, including: 

  • Grandmothers and Grandfathers 
  • Elders and Youth 
  • Traditional Practitioners 
  • Knowledge Keepers 
  • Changemakers 
  • Land Guardians

We are professionals and students interested in cumulative effects, including:

  • land managers working for Indigenous community organizations 
  • analysts, scientists, researchers and technical experts
  • community partners and consultants 
  • Indigenous and non-Indigenous government officials
We Are Building Community

We are continuously growing our community. If you are interested in sound governance, knowledge sharing, and skills development relative to cumulative effects, consider joining our circle by:

  • participating in a leadership role: Board Member
  • providing expertise and knowledge: Technical Advisor
  • facilitating relationships with your community and ICCE: Community Liaison
  • funding or subsidizing activities of the Centre: Funding Partner
  • teaching or training about cumulative effects: Trainer

We are nurturing partnerships between Indigenous communities and various organizations to advance our understanding of cumulative effects, including:

  • assessment, management, monitoring tools and knowledge to support our work 
  • skills development opportunities and training resources 
  • knowledge gathering and sharing platforms
  • our traditional, scientific and technical expertise
  • collaborations with universities and academic institutions

Contact us if you are interested in getting involved with ICCE in any of the above roles. 

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Betty Biesenthal November 4, 2019 0
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Teachings of Our Elders

Our Elders share their knowledge and wisdom with their community. Their teachings encompass and reconcile the past, present and future so we can grow as many people working with one heart.

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Betty Biesenthal November 4, 2019 0
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Everything Is Connected

When something hurts the land, the waters, or the air, it hurts us and our communities. We are all connected.

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Betty Biesenthal November 4, 2019 0
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About ICCE

Indigenous communities are looking to better manage the social, cultural, health, environmental and economic issues related to cumulative effects on every person, place and thing — because we are all connected.

The Indigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects (ICCE) is an independent organization that supports Indigenous communities to undertake cumulative effects work. ICCE is a non-political organization and remains neutral on issues. ICCE is independently operated by Indigenous people.

Objective

The primary objective of ICCE is to help build and enhance the technical and scientific capacity of Indigenous communities to address cumulative effects, based on the values of First Nations, MÃĐtis and Inuit communities across Canada.  ICCE is a network for Indigenous communities to access information, resources and best practices about cumulative effects. ICCE recognizes there is much to draw from both Indigenous and Western-based knowledge. Navigating cumulative effects can be complex, but is rich with opportunity, and the Indigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects seeks to be a support to guide a community’s path.
The ICCE mission is to create networks, and develop and share knowledge to empower community-based approaches to culturally relevant cumulative effects assessment, monitoring and management to support Indigenous well-being and decision-making.
Values
Indigenous values are core to the ICCE mission, and they inform our guiding principles. There is no single Indigenous culture in Canada, and we look to shared values reflected in our traditional teachings to guide our path, including:
  • Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing: seeing from one eye with the strength of Indigenous knowledge and way of knowing, and from the other eye with the strength of Western knowledge and way of knowing. Using both these eyes together, for the benefit of all, is a fundamental guiding principle for our work within our communities and with our partners. (Put forward by Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall and adapted from the Institute for Integrative Science & Health.)
  • Respect for diverse and distinct nations: respecting the unique approaches, rights and frameworks of the distinct groups of Indigenous people across the country. There is no default, pan-Indigenous approach to growing the capacity of communities to assess, monitor and manage the cumulative effects occurring in their land, air, water and communities.
  • Intergenerational decision-making: conveying the knowledge of our ancestors, we are keeping in mind that the decisions we make today will have an impact on several generations of the future. Like our ancestors, we must be good caretakers of our land, air and water, not just for our communities today, but also for those of the generations to come, who will live with the consequences of our actions.
  • Tread lightly: being aware that our activities affect the balance of all life in the land, air and water, and, being conscious of treading lightly to minimize harm.
  • Respect, humility, and inclusion: understanding that we are all connected and have knowledge to share. Listening, opening our minds, collaborating, and finding constructive solutions despite our differences will help us grow healthier, stronger sustainable communities now and for the future.

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Betty Biesenthal November 4, 2019 0
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February 2020 ICCE Forum

The 2020 Indigenous Forum on Cumulative Effects brought communities together from all over Turtle Island, on Blackfoot Territory, to improve the well being of our communities.

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Betty Biesenthal November 4, 2019 0