It is with that belief that I speak to you today. We are in a climate crisis. This crisis is an unfortunately logical conclusion of centuries of colonization of Indigenous lands, and the oppression and abuse of the world’s Indigenous peoples – here in Nova Scotia the Mi’kmaq Nation. This colonization of land and people enabled the accumulation of wealth by a few, as a result of taking the wealth of many. In the past few decades corporations has been able to amass so much wealth that they have paid for access to innumberable government decision making processes and public forums, including those that are meant to address the climate crisis. This is the root of the climate crisis, and we cannot forget that as we make greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. This is a crisis of inequality, wealth accumulation, and political power that is now manifesting as climate change.
Our organization is held together by the shared belief that another world is possible – one where we take care of each other and the planet we live on, and where people and communities are afforded more rights and respect than corporations and the super wealthy.