First Nations delegates say COP26 discussions should prioritize Indigenous knowledge

Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of a CBC News initiative entitled "Our Changing Planet" to show and explain the effects of climate change and what is being done about it.

Ahead of the COP26 climate conference, First Nations delegates are saying the global community needs to prioritize the perspectives of Indigenous peoples when it comes to climate solutions. 

"I think people at a global stage need to hear that we, regardless of who's making policy or what's going on, Indigenous folks, knowledge keepers, elders are still caring for this land and we can only benefit from that," said Rebecca Sinclair. 

Sinclair, who is Cree from Barren Lands First Nation in Manitoba, is a research and policy analyst with Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) based in Winnipeg.

Sinclair is one of nearly a dozen people from ICA who will be participating in actions, webinars and discussions at the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, starting Sunday.

The Conference of Parties (COP), as it's known, meets every year and is the global decision-making body set up in the early 1990s to implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and subsequent climate agreements.

"[We'll be] trying to influence as much policy as we can to uplift Indigenous voices and sovereignty and our rights," said Sinclair.

One of ICA's focuses at the conference will be on the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives.

"I think that's what the global stage needs to understand is that you're repackaging solutions that we have and excluding us from that conversation, which can be detrimental to the climate crisis already," said Sinclair.

Since she and other members of the ICA have been in Scotland, they have been able to connect with other Indigenous organizations and grassroots collectives from across North America to learn about each other's priorities when it comes to climate change.

"We're really trying to be informed with each other's actions, with each other's goals and our strategies and in participating in this so that we're ensuring a united, collective Indigenous voice," said Sinclair.

Jayce Chiblow, the ICA's Toolkit Training Lead, said she is excited to learn from other Indigenous leaders at the conference.

Chiblow, who is Anishinaabe from Garden River First Nation in northern Ontario, said she trains youth to hold Indigenous knowledge in the highest esteem.

"The youth have to think of our next seven generations, so bringing that to the table is really important, and in my experience, I haven't seen colonial governments think that far ahead," said Chiblow.