And All Other Duties as Required

By Chelsie Parayko, 1st year MDP student

When signing up for the MDP program, I did not envision what exactly working with community would look like, and I would imagine typically that’s not something that most people consider. It is likely that most of us thought about the great work in research we will do, the positive impacts we may potentially have and maybe, just maybe, we think about how community will change us and impact who we are. 

On Blackfoot traditional territory during the Pathways Annual Gathering: “Land-based learning and healing”

What we don’t talk about is how sometimes we have to roll up our proverbial sleeves and drive a 15-passenger van down a windy highway, be a cheer leader for a young artist who is unsure of her talents, run bear-watch, or how we might have to become hosts to elders and run to ensuring their dinner is everything they expect, and their water is always topped up.

We have been told to “check ourselves at the door” and to enter a community with humility, understanding and with no set idea of how your time will turn out to be, but this is just the beginning of that story. As Dorothy says, “we are no longer in Kansas anymore,” we are here for the community and most of our preconceived notions are proven to be completely incorrect.

Elder Mabel Horton sharing teachings in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation

Our job as researchers is to disrupt the norms and to be the community’s biggest advocates. During a fire-side-chat, Bonnie Healy, of the Blood Tribe, said that “we are all aware that Indigenous peoples have been researched to death, but it is our responsibility as Indigenous researchers to research ourselves back to life.” This is true for both Indigenous researchers and our allies as well.

I have had the great pleasure of working with Nanaandawewigamig this summer and I have seen this happen in its truest form. The staff in the Research Department have an extremely long list of experience, western education and what seems like endless knowledge of and appreciation for Indigenous ways of knowing and being. 

This group of individuals make up some of the foremost Indigenous researchers, however when tasks need to be taken on, they are always the first to roll up their sleeves and do what needs to be done. I am perpetually in awe of this group of people and feel incredibly privileged to have had to opportunity to learn from and to have worked along-side them.

Traveling North - Pisew Falls, MB. (B-F) Rachel Bach, Stephanie Sinclair & Chelsie Parayko

Environmental Justice and Participation for Communities in Southern India

By Cassandra Szabo, 2nd year MDP student

I, another MDP student (Ari Phanlouvong) and undergraduate student (Sean Goldstone) from the University of Winnipeg were selected to participate in a research project led by Dr. Alan Diduck and Dr. Kirit Patel of the University of Winnipeg. This research project is a SSHRC funded project and is seeking to understand the impact of a judicial bench called the National Green Tribunal in India, hoping to understand the effect these decisions are having on all levels of individuals in the country. 

Cassandra at the office in Honnavar, Karntaka

In preparation for our time in India we chose specific cases that were in line with our own academic interests. I chose a case that was related to fishing and sand mining in a community called Baikady Village. Upon reviewing the literature, the case appeared to be quite simple – the community came to the National Green Tribunal, the court ruled in favour of the community and ruled that sandbar removal permits only be issued in very specific cases and only to local community members. Of course, once arriving on site the reality was much more nuanced.

Upon speaking with the village they informed me that while the National Green Tribunal ruled in their favour it took many years to get to that point, and to stop the sand mining. The mining impacted the village very negatively, some villagers lost their lives, some lost their livelihoods, and some their land. 

Map of Baikady Village. Heavy sand removal areas are outlined in red. Source: Google Earth

The sand mining caused erosion of the river bank which meant that there could be no collection of clams, and it also meant that the water was much deeper so when community members went to collect clams they were at risk of drowning. In addition to this the fish were no longer coming for their typical breeding cycle, which then meant that other birds or animals dependent on that food source were not coming to the river – the entire food cycle was disrupted. The coconut trees that were farmed on the banks of the river were falling into the river due to erosion. While the clam collection and coconut farming were noticeable impacts, perhaps the largest issue was that local fishers were now losing their ability to fish. The fish were no longer in the river, the river was much deeper than before, and the fishing nets were being damaged. So the community lost multiple streams of revenue, their community felt unsafe, and they were losing their land due to erosion.  

A traditional fishing boat on the banks of the Suvarna River

These negative effects are what spurred the community to action, they first went to their local government and then the district government, all to no avail. The community got in touch with activists and then created their case with the National Green Tribunal. The verdict was that all sand mining be barred and that sandbar removal be monitored strictly. The community was happy with this as the sand miners and migrant workers largely left the community. However little environmental remediation has occurred since the verdict, but the community can see the river health slowly improving. The villagers showed immense courage and perseverance in protecting their land and livelihoods, and this case also shows the importance and power in non-partisan judicial systems.

Environmental Justice in India – International Field Placement

By Ari Phanlouvong, 2nd year MDP student

India has been amazing so far. I have been extremely fortunate to have been in good health and have adapted so easily and quickly. Since arriving Friday, May 18, Cassandra and I hit the ground running, immediately immersing ourselves in the chaos of Mumbai which was a whirlwind, to say the least. For someone who has never travelled to India, Ahmedabad may have been a better place to begin our journey as it is much quieter than Mumbai, however, we decided to spend our first weekend visiting the big city before flying north to the state of Gujarat which would mark the official beginning of our field placement.  

The end of a productive day at GNLU

The research on which we are working consists of examining both the social and environmental impacts of court decisions regarding specific development projects located in the states of Goa and Karnataka. Through this analysis we hope to increase positive impacts to local communities.

My specific case is located in Goa. During our time in Ahmedabad at the Gujurat National Law University (GNLU), each member of the team did in-depth research on our respective projects by analyzing court documents as well as using the University’s available resources and contacts to guide us through our next steps in the research.

We then headed south to Honnavar in the state of Karnataka where we met our community liaison who has been helping us connect with the communities in each of our cases. Our contact in Honnavar has played a crucial role by allowing us to approach communities in such a short amount of time. As we all know, building relationships and a rapport with community members is a crucial process in research and normally takes longer than a few short weeks. 

Our Honnavar office

After spending a few weeks in Honnavar building our interview tools and skills, as well as courage to undertake the next steps of field work independently, the team separated. We are now in our respective project areas. I took a 6-hour bus journey to the city of Panjim (Panaji) in Goa, where I have organized meetings between nearby cities and towns. My next stop is Vasco da Gama where I will base myself for the remainder of my time on the field.

The beautiful beach behind our Honnavar office