Fri, February 5, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM See description. Speaker: Sara Cannon, PhD candidate, UBC Department of Geography and Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Many natural and marine scientists work in places with long histories of occupation and colonialism, where the impacts of colonialism are still ongoing. No matter how well-intentioned, biodiversity conservation work can perpetuate those legacies. Most scientists working in conservation-related fields are not taught about the ways their efforts can impact local people and communities, which can undermine the goals of their work. In order to end ongoing harm to Indigenous communities, we need to start by understanding the many ways the work we do and the assumptions we make are informed by colonial frameworks. Effective and just conservation requires that non-Indigenous scientists step back so that Indigenous peoples can take the lead, and our efforts must support that leadership. In this talk, Sara Cannon will discuss the history of biodiversity conservation, challenge the assumptions that the field is based upon, and identify how these assumptions led to conservation approaches that continue to harm Indigenous peoples around the world today. She will end with case studies that illustrate potential ways that scientists working in conservation can decolonize our approaches to simultaneously improve conservation efforts and support Indigenous sovereignty.
RSVP: bit.ly/IOFseminars