Show Notes
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.
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.
We’ll also meet another Inuk leader who has inspired and strengthened Siila’s work––her long-time friend and fellow journeyist, Leena Evic. Leena is a visionary educator and the founder and president of the Pirurvik Centre in Iqaluit––an institute of Inuktut higher learning dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the Inuit culture and language.
About the Guests
Leena Evic
Leena Evic has been an advocate for the Inuktitut language and culture for as long as she can remember. As the founder, president and vision keeper of the Pirurvik Centre, she keeps the emphasis on building programs and productions of the highest quality that are grounded in Inuit authenticity.
In addition to creating and delivering its own full-time training programs, Pirurvik produces teaching and learning resources both in print and online. Some are geared towards enhancing the skills of Inuktut speakers, while others help Inuit who are not functional in their language to build their skills through Inuktut immersion. Pirurvik also produces phrasebooks, Inuktut learning materials and other resources for the general public. Pirurvik is proud to employ Elder professors who work with a passionate team of people with the trust and support of their community. Evic uses entrepreneurship to protect and reclaim Inuit language, culture and identity in Inuit Nunangat.
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 Livelihood Award, which is widely considered the “Nobel Alternative.”
Janna Wale
Janna Wale is the Indigenous Research and Partnerships Lead at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. She is Gitxsan from Gitanmaax First Nation and is also Cree-Métis on her mother’s side. In her work, she 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 2025, she received the Women of Influence Nanaimo (WIN) Award for STEM. She was selected as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Youth Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights in 2024. 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. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Anitra Paris Memorial Award for female youth climate le
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 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, 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.