About the Webinar
This session delves into the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and climate risk assessment, challenging conventional approaches that focus narrowly on infrastructure while overlooking the broader social-ecological system. Co-authors Janna Wale and Brett Huson will discuss From Risk to Resilience: Indigenous Alternatives to Climate Risk Assessment in Canada. This special report rethinks how risk is defined and assessed. This conversation will explore how integrating Indigenous perspectives can lead to more effective, holistic resilience strategies that address climate risks and strengthen cultural and ecological continuity for future generations.
Thursday, April 17 at 2:00 ET
Note: This event will be held in English with French translation services provided.
About the Presenters
Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) is a Gitxsan author, researcher, and Founder of Aluu’taa, an Indigenous research hub. His award-winning Mothers of Xsan series explores Gitxsan culture and knowledge. As a research associate at the Prairie Climate Centre, he helped integrate Indigenous Knowledges into the Climate Atlas. Brett advises the Federation of Canadian Municipalities program Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation and the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee and writes for Canadian Geographic. He serves on the sakihiwe Music Festival Board and the Adaptation Futures 2025 Steering Committee, working to bridge Indigenous and Western knowledge systems and promote cultural resilience.
Janna Wale is Gitxsan from Gitanmaax First Nation and is also Cree-Métis on her mother’s side. Where possible, Wale uses a complex human-environmental systems approach and believes that this lens can be used when looking for ways to bridge western and Indigenous climate work. In 2023, Wale was the recipient of the Anitra Paris Memorial Award for female youth climate leadership through Clean Energy BC. She has published two reports in collaboration with the Yellowhead Institute and was named as an Indigenous Trailblazer through Diversity in Sustainability. In 2024, Wale was selected as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Youth Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights. She was also a finalist for the Community Advocate of the year award through Foresight Canada and was selected for a Community Award – Emerging Leader through the B.C. Achievement foundation. Wale holds a bachelor of Natural Resource Sciences (B. Nrsc.) from Thompson Rivers University, and a MSc in Sustainability from UBC Okanagan, where her work focused on climate resilience in Indigenous communities, using a seasonal rounds model.
This webinar is offered through landADAPT:
A new continuing education program to promote building capacity through professional development opportunities for Canadian landscape architects, supported by Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program.