Unsettling the Polarization against Global Climate Change and Food Insecurity: Transnational Voices from the Global Indigenous Environmental Humanities

ABSTRACT: In this article, we explore how Indigenous communities around the world are working to reclaim and revive their connections with each other. Shawn Wilson, an Opaskwayak Cree scholar, refers to this effort as "relational accountability." Underscoring the significance of the nascent Indigenous environmental humanities, its primary goal is to preserve Indigenous cultural knowledge across generations and homelands, especially during times of ongoing social and environmental challenges. Indigenous environmental humanities differ from mainstream environmental humanities because they have a deep understanding of the impact of colonialism and use this knowledge to develop a unique Indigenous critique. This critique explores the origins of intergenerational trauma, resulting social issues, and the process of recovery and healing as a form of resilience, aiming to shape an inclusive future. Through our collaborative writing, we aim to unsettle the pervading geographical polarization of our planet into the Global North and Global South, which forcefully separates the two of us into a dualistic and essentialized framework. Our account highlights the significance of diverse Indigenous traditions in restoring and preserving their cultural identities and practices. These traditions help Indigenous peoples reclaim and retain their lands, human rights, heritage, and political standing on a global scale despite unprecedented socio-environmental transformation incurred by climate change. It is within this context that our discussion highlights the emergence of contemporary transnational and global indigeneity. The development of transnational Indigenous voices reflects Indigenous peoples' diverse histories and experiences in addressing shared colonial struggles, which ultimately support their survival beyond geopolitical borders and boundaries.