Climate Justice Means Land Back: Beyond Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: a day to reflect on Canada’s history of colonial violence towards
Indigenous peoples.

But reflection alone is not enough. Climate justice, reconciliation, and Indigenous sovereignty are deeply intertwined. To truly confront the climate crisis, we must also confront the way land theft and the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples created the conditions for it.

Residential Schools in Canada

For over a century, residential schools operated across Canada as a tool of cultural genocide – to disappear the "Indian Problem". These were government and church-run institutions that were established to not only assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture, but to also sever ties from their families, languages, and land. Children were forcibly taken from their homes and subject to systemic neglect and abuse. The last federally operated residential school, Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, did not close until 1997. The residential schooling system is not a distant past. It is a living history that survivors and families are still carrying today

Residential schools also played a significant part in the broader colonial project of Canada, facilitating the dispossession and theft of Indigenous territories. The forcible removal of Indigenous children from their communities devastated familial relations, and allowed Canada to sever ties between Indigenous communities and their land. By doing so, non-Indigenous settler communities, governments, and industries could claim territory for themselves and extractive purposes. 

The expansion of oil, gas, mining, and agriculture in Canada has been built on this dispossession. The residential schooling system is directly tied to the climate crisis: it created the conditions for settler control over land—to prioritize fossil fuel expansion and profit over Indigenous stewardship.

The dispossession of Indigenous lands and people is not historical; it continues today. Pipelines cut through unceded territories; mining projects actively destroy ecosystems and threaten Indigenous communities’ health and safety. Meanwhile, the impacts of climate change, from extreme wildfires to flooding, disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples as they often live closest to the frontlines of environmental destruction.

Indigenous Leadership in Climate Movements

Indigenous Peoples have long been the original stewards of the land, water, and ecosystems. Today, up to 80% of the world’s biodiversity is located on the traditional lands and territories of Indigenous peoples. Protecting biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and confronting the climate crisis cannot happen without centering Indigenous leadership and knowledge.

It is crucial to understand that Lack Back is not just about ownership. It is about returning decision making power to Indigenous communities, restoring cultural relationships with the land, and ensuring that stewardship is grounded in sustainability and respect. Land Back means shifting away from the colonial systems of extractions that harm the Earth, and to move towards Indigenous-led approaches that protect the land for future generations.

Call to Action:

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we are called not only to remember, but also to act:

Truth: This means acknowledging that climate injustice is a direct legacy of colonialism, including land theft and cultural erasure.

Reconciliation: This demands systemic change. It means prioritizing policies, practices and resources that centre Indigenous sovereignty and climate justice altogether. To honour survivors of the residential schools and Indigenous communities altogether, we encourage everyone to continue learning about Indigenous histories, show up to events in your communities, and support Indigenous-led climate initiatives and
movements for Land Back.

Across Calgary, there are events to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day and reflect on how climate justice connects to Indigenous sovereignty. We encourage you to check them out.

Events in Calgary:

 

For Further Education

 

By Micaela Taing, Content Writer