Rebuilding a KINShip Approach to the Climate Crisis: A Comparison of Indigenous Knowledges Policy in Canada and the United States

Indigenous Peoples have developed Indigenous knowledge systems that have been fundamental to stewarding their territories for millennia. Yet, there remains a continued need for more recognition and frameworks that can equitably promote Indigenous knowledges and their vital role in addressing the ongoing climate crisis. Given the evolving policy landscape for Indigenous Peoples in relation to their Indigenous knowledges, it is important to monitor and reflect on how these policies may impact Indigenous communities. To support further policy discourse, we therefore carried out a policy study to compare Indigenous knowledge policy and frameworks in Canada and the United States including their similarities, differences, and gap areas. We more specifically aimed to formally analyze key Indigenous knowledges policy in both countries to provide further reflection on the Canadian Indigenous knowledges policy landscape while also proposing key policy recommendations. Findings from our policy review demonstrate that Indigenous knowledges policy in both countries is still fairly new with a lack of clarity on the success of operationalizing these policies across jurisdictions and regions. Furthermore, the current states of policies and frameworks exemplify the continued need to acknowledge the contribution of Indigenous knowledges from a rights-based perspective alongside Western science in addressing climate change, including how it impacts Indigenous Peoples.