Show Notes
In this final episode of the series, Silla Watt-Cloutier reflects on the meaning of conscious climate leadership and how leading from the heart is a radical act of hope, especially when faced with the urgent and enduring threats of climate change and colonialism.
She’ll explore how to stay rooted in the healing power of Indigenous Knowledges with planetary health leader Dr. Nicole Redvers. And, former premier of Greenland, Aleqa Hammond, joins Siila for a discussion on navigating the increasing global interest in the Arctic while maintaining a deep sense of responsibility to Indigenous values, Knowledges, communities and lands.
Siila concludes A Radical Act of Hope with a call to action, inviting everyone to embody the principles of conscious leadership, platform Indigenous voices, and set differences aside to work together through the climate challenges that affect us all.
About the Guests
Dr. Nicole Redvers
Dr. Nicole Redvers, DPhil, ND, MPH, is a member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation (NWT) and has worked with Indigenous patients, scholars, and communities around the globe her entire career. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and is a Western Research Chair and Director of Indigenous Planetary Health at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, at Western University.
As the director of Indigenous Planetary Health, Dr. Redvers heads transdisciplinary research into Indigenous medical Knowledges. She has been actively involved at regional, national, and international levels promoting the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in both human and planetary health research and practice. Her research interests are syncretic and far-reaching, including Indigenous Health, Planetary Health, Traditional Medicine, Indigenous Knowledge Translation, and Indigenous Global Health.
Aleqa Hammond
Aleqa Hammond is a Greenlandic politician and member of the Greenlandic Parliament (Inatsisartut). Formerly the leader of the Siumut party, she became the country’s first female premier in 2013. Until recently, she also served as a member of the Danish Folketing (Parliament), wherein she was Chair of the Greenland Committee. In the late 1980s, Aleqa studied at the Teachers Education College and also the Arctic College in Nunavut. She went on to work in various roles, including a human rights and environmental organization, Inuit Circumpolar Council, and within the tourism industry. Between 1999 and 2003, she was commissioner of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and also worked on the 2002 Arctic Winter Games. From 2004 to 2005 she worked in the tourism industry in Qaqortoq as a tourist guide. She ran for Parliament in 2005, where she was elected with the fifth highest number of personal votes. She has been Minister of Family and Justice, and subsequently of Foreign Affairs and Finance. About the Hosts
Siila Watt-Cloutier
Siila Watt-Cloutier is a lifelong advocate for the rights of Inuit and a leading voice in climate action. Her groundbreaking work has connected human rights and climate change in the public and political consciousness, transforming international policy and creating a new area of scholarship and advocacy.
From 1995 to 2002, Watt-Cloutier was the Canadian President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). From 2002 to 2006, she was the International Chair of the ICC, representing the 155,000 Inuit in Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Russia. She was an influential force behind the adoption of the Stockholm Convention to ban persistent organic pollutants, which accumulate in Arctic food chains.
She is the author of the memoir, The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet, which was nominated for multiple writing awards. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award, the UN Champion of the Earth Award, the Norwegian Sophie Prize, the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue and the Right L
More from A Radical Act of Hope with Siila Watt-Cloutier
In this final episode of the series, Silla Watt-Cloutier reflects on the meaning of conscious climate leadership and how leading from the heart is a radical act of hope, especially when faced with the urgent and enduring threats of climate change and colonialism.
In Episode 3 of A Radical Act of Hope, we’ll dive into Siila’s work on the landmark petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which changed the discourse around climate change by framing it as a violation of the human rights of Inuit.
In Episode 2 of A Radical Act of Hope, we trace Siila’s childhood in the Arctic and explore the experiences that shaped her unique approach to leadership, from her earliest memories of traditional Inuit life, to her early career and important contribution to the Stockholm Convention, to meeting one of her heroes––Nelson Mandela.
In Episode 3 of A Radical Act of Hope, Inuk climate advocate Silla Watt-Cloutier’s influence builds as she continues to make an impact on the world stage. This time, she’s helping transform the way the world thinks about the devastating effects of climate change, with help from the testimonies of the hunters, Elders, and women of the Arctic.
From travelling by dog team to standing before the United Nations, Inuk climate advocate Siila Watt-Cloutier’s path reflects a life’s work connecting the impacts of climate change to the rights, dignity, and well-being of her people—and all of humanity.